Burnout: Pressures to be Perfect in an Imperfect World

The problem with perfectionism is that nothing is ever enough. You can never be successful enough, popular enough, accomplished enough, nice enough. It is never enough because perfection is unattainable, it’s unrealistic. I think that a lot of people are trying so hard to attain this unrealistic image of perfection, both in their personal and professional lives. And because these days we are all so busy with so many different things, it is way too easy to feel overwhelmed. The thing is as we take on more work, more responsibilities, work longer hours and deal with higher levels of stress, our bodies and our minds pay the price. Burnout is one of these consequences. You may associate burnout with exhaustion, but it is so much more than simply being exhausted. “Exhaustion means going to the point where you can’t go any further; burnout means reaching that point and pushing yourself to keep going, whether for days or weeks or years ^[1].” Workplaces and educational institutions aggressively overwork us and will ask us to ignore the symptoms of burnout so we can keep working. I feel like society in general tends to romanticize this idea of overworking ourselves. We’re pressured to ignore our mental, emotional, and physical needs in order to keep working, keep being “productive”, and to keep making money, which we need to live. With the rise of unemployment, medical costs, and housing prices most people can’t even afford to take a break to take care of themselves.

The list of causes for burnout can be endless. Having to take on too many commitments, a demanding workload, lack of support, lack of control, and so on. And these days there are always constant, and consistent stressors along with new problems popping up every day. Which makes it all worse. And of course, the moment we notice ourselves “slacking” we tend to neglect our own needs to compensate and try to get rid of the guilt we feel. Unfortunately, most of us equate productivity with our own self-worth. But you can’t fight a war on two fronts. How can you be productive when you are struggling with basic everyday functions? We shouldn’t have to choose between thriving as individuals and excelling at work. And despite what you may think or have been conditioned to think, productivity is not everything. Your worth is not determined by how much you can do. You cannot fix all the problems in the world, and you are not a machine that can just keep going.

Burnout was even officially recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) a few years ago. It is included in the 11^th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition ^[2]. This may be a good thing; however, it also seems like putting a band-aid on a major wound just to get people back to work. “Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” This description puts the blame on an individual’s lack of supposed management skills. There is this rush to get over your symptoms and be productive. A lot of the stuff I’ve seen addressing burnout usually post tips on how to cope. These tips usually consist of self-care advice like going to the gym, doing a face mask, going the spa, or making a schedule for yourself. While these may help, sometimes self-care isn’t booking a spa appointment or scheduling out your work to be more productive and get yourself out of a “rut.” Sometimes it’s about acknowledging that you aren’t getting things done because you are struggling and need help. You’re being crushed underneath the unrealistic and unattainable expectations that you, society, your friends, and family are putting on yourself.

I remember my own struggles right after I graduated college. I graduated right in the early stages of the pandemic. I didn’t have a ceremony or any big kind of celebration. We couldn’t even go out anywhere to eat. It was strange. I thought that after graduating I would have time to figure things out. Go out into the world and figure out what came next for me. Instead, we were stuck in a pandemic. Being immunocompromised myself, I was pretty scared and barely left the house. The consequences of overworking myself in the past were catching up to me. I still had so much to do but I was stuck in this loop of having so much work and having no motivation or energy to do it so the work piles on. And then I felt guilty about not getting things done. So, I was stuck in this cycle of feeling exhausted, drained, and guilty.

In recovering from burnout, it is important to remember that the main goal is not to be productive again. Eating and sleeping regularly is a good start. Taking care of your basic needs first may not seem like a big deal, but it does make a difference. Remember that rest is not a reward, it is a requirement. Most of us have been made to think that being overly productive defines our value as a person, but it doesn’t. This is a mindset we need to let go of. I know, it’s easier said than done. Especially when our lives depend so heavily on our ability to be productive, to earn an income. But it is unhealthy to live this way. Ignoring your needs to keep on working and eventually burning yourself out. With this culture of overworking ourselves we can never be enough, we can never be satisfied, we can never produce enough, and we can’t rest. We as a society need to stop glamorizing “the grind” mindset that usually leads to burnout. Instead, the focus should be on getting enough hours of sleep, having healthy relationships, feeling safe at work, taking sick days off, being paid a living wage, setting boundaries, and taking self-care measures. At the end of the day, the truth is that hard work does not guarantee success in a capitalist society. We are not machines, we are all humans, with flaws and limitations. We don’t need to achieve anything to be valid in our humanness. Being alive is enough, you don’t need to do anything to be deserving of love and happiness. Existing means you deserve to have self-worth.

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