A lot of us are feeling like we don’t do much of anything anymore due to restrictions in response to COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still end up burnt out.
We often associate “burnout” with our occupation. We think it’s something that only your job can induce – but that’s not always true.
Mayo Clinic explains that burnout, “[…]isn’t a medical diagnosis. Some experts think that other conditions, such as depression, are behind burnout. Some research suggests that many people who experience symptoms of job burnout don’t believe their jobs are the main cause. Whatever the cause, job burnout can affect your physical and mental health.” It’s not always connected to your job.
While personal experience has caused me to believe that yes, jobs can inspire burnout, I can’t help but acknowledge that my own anxiety an depression plays a role in feeling this way too.
That’s what happened to me in the beginning of this month. It might’ve happened to you.
It’s bad enough that we’re still navigating a pandemic which seemingly has no end, but we were involved in one of the closest elections in American history which put tensions among Americans at an all time high. Oh, and we were expected to deal with all of that on top of tending to our families and friends, our pets, and still hold our jobs (if economic devastation didn’t take it away from us). Yeah – I’d say those are a lot of reasons to be burnt out. Especially when you’re dealing with those emotions for a prolonged period – which, we have been.
Even when it seems like we’re not doing a whole lot right now, our bodies are reacting to the change around us.
My job takes a lot out of me. Our jobs usually do. This, mixed with self imposed “societal” pressure to perform online, left me unmotivated and uninspired. I didn’t want to engage in my own hobbies anymore. That’s a problem. It’s a problem I had to nip in the bud.
How did I find inspiration and get motivated again? I talked with my loved ones. I told them what was going on. They suggested I revisit the things that I call are my “why.” In other words, step back and dive into the things that made me want to put Val In Vogue online in the first place.
I watched videos and listened to podcasts that reminded me that I do this for the outcasts, misfits, rockers, women, and mental health sufferers who want to become survivors. I’m tired of society rejecting and ignoring us. So, it’s time to kick my own ass and keep fighting the good fight via content creation.
If you’re experiencing burnout too (because our work/life balance is seemingly out of whack right now), remember your “why.”
Remember what inspired you to keep going in the first place. Remember what you want to change. Remember that you have a place in the world too, and the world deserves to see and hear it.