I'm Tired!

I'm tired, I have had enough, I'm done. There is nothing left in the tank and each day is a struggle.

It is at this time of year when many people feel exhausted, with the end of the year being the most common time for people to suffer burnout.

It was burnout that started my decline into depression, a major contributor.

For me, it felt like a heavy weight pushing me down when I first woke up. No energy to get out of bed, and yet, I just had to.

There were people waiting for me, there were people needing me, there were people everywhere and I knew they were looking at me.

The self-talk starts – “You always had energy, you could always be relied upon, you were always there when I needed someone. And now where are you? Be a man, harden up, what is wrong with you?”

"I can do this, I can push myself to get out of bed, I can push myself to go back to work, I can push myself however far you need me to be," became my response.

What does burnout feel like? It is lonely, isolating, overwhelming, debilitating, and something you can't just snap out of. You can push as hard as you want but you can never get that energy back.

But still, you have to keep going, that is until something breaks - and you feel powerless.

The biggest contributor to workplace burnout is a feeling of loss of control over your workload which causes chronic stress.

I was told I was unable to take leave due to ‘operational requirements’ -and this continued until I had accrued seven months of annual leave.

The stream of files that needed to be investigated as each one had a victim or victims who rightfully needed an outcome.

The mandated training, the files for court, the covert operations, the special events, the media interviews, the….. and so it goes.

How will you know if you are suffering from burnout? Trust me, you will know.

Common signs of burnout include feelings of no control, difficulty getting out of bed, feeling disengaged and cynical at work, a lack of satisfaction with your job, being less productive, difficulty concentrating for long periods and no energy whatsoever.

Many of us are currently feeling tired which is usual for this time of year.

If you have the opportunity, take a few days off work, do so and see how you feel. Just taking a complete break over the weekend as much as you can, may be helpful.

If resting helps and you are feeling in control, then you might just be fatigued. If you have any of the above signs and are unable to sleep, please speak with a specialist - a GP is a good place to start.

It may seem selfish of you to rest, that's how it felt for me. It is not selfish; rest is a necessary part of revitalisation. We are not robots.

As for work, if you are unable to negotiate your workload with your boss, leave a copy of this post on their desk. I am happy to take their phone call or email.

Let's talk!