Are you stressed out or burned out? Here’s how to tell quickly.
Sometimes it feels like the world is on fire.
It’s just so hard to keep everything in balance.
We do our best. Sometimes we push ourselves too far.
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Right now, you might even think you're burned out, but...
Is it really Burnout or is it Stress?
More importantly—how can we tell the difference?
Stressor. Stress. Burnout. Yahtzee.
Like a fire, it takes fuel for Burnout to form.
A "stressor" is the fuel.
You've got a big deadline.
You're late for a family outing.
Your friends are pressuring you to go out.
These are stressors and they cause our stress.
Stress is our response to the tension the stressors create.
Stress builds.
It compounds over time.
When left unchecked, it becomes Burnout.
That's why it's so difficult to know—Am I stressed out? or Am I burned out?!
Help!
As it turns out, most people fall somewhere in the middle of a spectrum.
Because it takes time for the stress to build up, there are actually five stages of Burnout.
Knowing what stage you’re in can help you mitigate the stress from becoming Burnout or worse.
The 5 Stages of Burnout
Stage 1 - The Honeymoon
This is generally where you feel at your best
You are resilient and able to take on new stress
Stage 2 - Onset Stress
This is where stress begins
Maybe you have to get through something in the work week
Maybe you have something come up at home
Minor / Moderate stressors or inconveniences
Stage 3 - Chronic Stress
This is where stress in your life becomes a habit
You start to lose sense of what is stress and what is normal
Moderate stressors create lasting stress
Stage 4 - Burnout
The big bad himself
This is when stress has become so prolonged that you start to lose interest in the things that once brought you joy
There can be a "breaking point" that makes everything clear to the person affected
Stage 5 - Chronic Burnout
This is the worst form of Burnout
Similar to Chronic Stress, this is when someone continues to come back to Burnout over and over again
If you're here, there is something that fundamentally needs to change.
The Good. The Bad. The Burnout.
The good news, I’ve found that most creatives I talk to are somewhere in the ballpark of Stage 3 and haven't quite reached Burnout.
The bad news, creatives are more prone to progressing though the stages quickly because of how much we put ourselves into the work.
As creatives, we tie meaning to the creations we make. But knowing that the stress can build quicker for us, we need to be more vigilant to stop it before it goes too far. So now the real question... Where do you fall on the Burnout spectrum today? Are you stressed out or burned out? Hopefully, you’re neither. But if you are stressed out, there’s help to bring balance back to your life.
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TL; DR
Stressor = the thing that causes stress
Stress = our response to stressors
Burnout = a state caused by prolonged, unchecked stress
There are five stages of Burnout
Honeymoon, Onset Stress, Chronic Stress, Burnout, Chronic Burnout
Many creatives only make it to Stage 3
Many creatives are more prone to Burnout than non-creatives
Until next week, here are links to the treasures I’ve found out in the creative wilderness.
Enjoy!
Recent Finds
Marie Forleo — Am I aligning what I say is important with my actions in the real world? (Reel) | Marie Forleo is a creative force to be reckoned with. This video is a great reminder to reflect on what matters to us with a simple tip for how to do so effectively. While Marie skews the message to entrepreneurship, the advice translates to any part of our lives. This is gold.
Justin Welsh — How to Start a Side Hustle (LinkedIn) | When we have more freedom, we have more opportunities for balance in our lives. One of the most impactful forces on our personal freedom is financial stability. Entrepreneur Justin Welsh is fast becoming one of the key influencers I follow on LinkedIn. He has a great formula to help you find that freedom through Side Hustles.
Neil deGrasse Tyson — Why Math is so useful beyond that class you hated in school (Reel) | This is an insightful take on why we learn what we learn in school. It’s not always about the content itself. That’s especially true in the age we find ourselves in today where everything is Googleable (FYI spellcheck had no problems with “Googleable”). Solving a problem builds up our skills to solve different problems in the future.
Quote of the Week
“Dreams without goals are just dreams. And ultimately, they fuel disappointment. On the road to achieving your dreams you must apply discipline, but more importantly, consistency. Because without commitment you’ll never start, but without consistency you’ll never finish.”
— Denzel Washington
That's all for now.
Stay creative, my friends—and have a great week!
