Breaking Point: Navigating Burnout
INTRODUCTION
Today we embark on a journey to understand and address a prevalent issue that effects countless women in our modern society – burnout. We’ll dive deep into how our identity ties in with burnout and how we can untangle it all. We have an amazing guest with us today; her name is Trena Benson.
Trena has a B.A., B.Ed from the University of Lethbridge and a M.A.C.P. (Masters of Counselling Psychology) from Yorkville University. Trena has a small and thriving practice in Lethbridge, Alberta, where she specializes in emotion-focused therapy and works with clients around a range of referral issues, including relationships, emotion regulation, self-worth, life transitions, anxiety, and life-meaning.
She also spends some time teaching high school students how to cook, and she is thrilled to be with us talking about something she is very passionate about. She has a gift, and we are so glad to have her here sharing her expertise with us.
DEFINING BURNOUT
Burnout can be a tangly issue. It’s a buzz word that is thrown around a lot and can be kind of hard to decipher. What does the research say? What do the experts say? What does it actually feel like in my life? These are important distinctions to make.
A recent study states, “Women are now 30% more likely to burnout than men.” The reality of our society today is that we all subscribe to this patriarchal society of moving through the world. It’s the culture that the western world has adopted, so there are some pieces here that are out of our control. What does that mean for us as women?
THE ROLE OF HORMONES
Hormones play a role in burnout, and it’s something that we don’t talk about. Energy levels of women and men are different; women's energy levels tend to peak in the later morning, mid-day, and dinner time, whereas a man’s energy levels tend to stay pretty consistent until just before supper. Women have more ebb and flow, but we exist in a system that’s not set up for that, so it can be very hard to navigate the workday.
Let’s get really honest about what we need, and what we deserve, and what we desire. We can’t go around the issues, we have to embrace that they are happening, accept that there’s a message there for us, and take the time to unravel that. What is the message? What do I need to know about myself?
REEVALUATING SUCCESS MODELS
We’ve really only been given one model of success. Work hard, and then work even harder. That’s only one model of success though. Maybe we need to stop asking what we need to do more of and instead ask ourselves what we need to do less of. Who am I if I am just being and not doing? We can’t harvest year-round. Everything needs time, and everything needs space, and everything needs to be nurtured. “A field that has rested gives a beautiful crop.”
EXPLORING IDENTITY
It feels good to be good at something. It can feel really lonely when you don’t get the feedback you crave, so you subconsciously chase that cycle of dopamine hits. You prescribe value to yourself based on positive feedback, so you chase the feedback. How do we instead slow down and get clear on our identity based on what we actually value? We won’t be rewarded for spending three hours playing on the floor with our kids; does that make the time less valuable?
Ask yourself this question; who am I if I am just being and not doing? What does it look like to just be? Everything is solvable; what a gift to recognize where you are at and to get to choose something else.
CONCLUSION
A big thank you to Trena for joining us on this extremely mindful episode today. We’re grateful for her contribution to this important conversation. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. Let’s get lit! 🔥