While we always talk about people with burnout, we rarely talk about those around them.
- How can we help someone suffering from burnout?
- Is there anything we can do to make them feel better?
The first thing to know is to identify that it is job burnout that you are suffering from.
What are the signs that will give us the warning that it is burnout: as we have discussed, the most marked emotional symptoms are emotional exhaustion, cynicism (distance, negativity, irritability) and ineffectiveness (feeling of incompetence, unproductiveness).
Also, if we know that this is a person who tends to live in constant stress, seeing these symptoms in her will give us a clear message of burnout.
How can you help? - Here are 6 tips on how to do it.
Let them know you are there for them:
Even if the person is not ready to accept help or accept that they are exhausted, opening the conversation by letting them know that they are counting on us without being forceful or "intrusive" will give them a message of caring and presence.
Simply offering them reassurance can go a long way toward helping them feel less alone. They will open up when they are ready.
Ask how you can help:
- Asking what you can do to help shows a level of sincerity and closeness that will resonate with the person and they will appreciate it.
It can be very simple things. Beyond the action, it is the intention and the gesture that will help you.
Validate your feelings:
While this person is suffering from burnout, everyone at work remains the same and continues to try to work as hard as before.
Guide them to professionals and resources:
Excessive stress can cause all kinds of problems. If the person complains of constant fatigue or trouble sleeping, encouraging him or her to see a doctor may help.
He or she will make recommendations and give you expert and quality advice on the burn out that is necessary in the healthcare process.
Listening without judging:
Sometimes, because we are not the ones experiencing burnout, we may underestimate what the other person is being.
It is very important that a judgmental or minimizing thought does not come out through our gestures or our voice. We are there to make them feel safe and accompanied.
Everyone handles burnout differently and you never know what you may actually be experiencing.
Do not give advice "automatically":
Our natural instinct is to help our loved ones and friends when they are feeling down. But this is not the time to start talking about our 'knowingness'.
Giving advice makes the conversation all about us, and that's not what the person needs right now. She needs to be heard and validated, not sit quietly and listen.
Wanting to help our loved ones recover from burnout is a wonderful and noble endeavor. However, this has to be taken in stride, knowing that things will work out over time - let's just remember to take care of ourselves so we don't end up feeling exhausted in the process!
