Causes of Burnout

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Causes of Burnout: How to Recognize Them on Time

 

There are numerous causes of burnout, yet several of them are quite common among people who have been feeling overwhelmed and emotionally drained by their work responsibilities. Of course, burnout can happen in other areas of your life, such as planning important events like a wedding. 

The good news is that you can prevent burnout if you’re aware of its common causes and it helps you realize if any of them apply to your life. This allows you to understand the cause of your potential burnout and think about the ways you can prevent it. 

 

What Is a Burnout? 

A burnout is a state in which you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unmotivated, and it results from ongoing stress in your life or a specific area of your life. Experiencing burnout is not uncommon; however, its consequences can have a tremendous impact on your future. 

For instance, if you’re experiencing burnout from your work responsibilities, you might be unable to work or feel motivated to work for some time. Burnout requires a time of relaxation and introspection to recover, and the amount of that time might differ from one person to another. 

Stress can lead to burnout, yet the two are not the same. Stress can be a reaction to an external event and it often comes with short-term consequences. However, when you’re under stress for a while and you’re unable to recover from it as the responsibilities just keep coming your way, you’re risking burnout. In other words, stress triggers the onset of burnout, not the reverse. Typically, once you experience burnout, depending on the gravity of it, you will not be able to experience more stress and you’ll need to isolate yourself from anything that’s causing your harm.

 

Causes of Burnout

Excessive and sustained work-related stress on the body, mind, and emotions leads to burnout. This can impact other aspects of your life, including your general well-being and happiness. Knowing the signs and causes of burnout can help you protect yourself from its effects and give you a chance to reassess your beliefs and objectives.

 

1.Overwhelming Workload

Being overwhelmed by work is the most common cause of burnout. Having a never-ending to-do list might make you feel like you don’t have control over what’s happening and that you’re not achieving things. Also, you might experience worry and stress when thinking about the next day or week at work, so you’re unable to relax in your free time. 

If this sounds familiar, consider establishing a routine before or after work. For instance, you can schedule activities with your loved ones and your friends or get up early in the morning and dedicate some time to working out and your personal well-being. Of course, if there’s no sign that your work situation is about to change, maybe it’s also a good time to consider looking for another job. 

 

2.Lack of Perspective

If you work in a company that lacks overall perspective and is making its employees do their best without actually informing them how they contribute to business results, you might also experience burnout at a certain point. Working hard and not knowing why is a big trigger for many professionals. They need to feel motivated to do their best, as they are often result-driven and they need to understand how their work fits the bigger picture.

If you can’t see the point of the job you’re doing, there are a few things you can do about it. First, if possible, talk to your superior and share your concerns about not seeing the connection between your work and the results. This might encourage them to take a different approach and inform their employees, so they feel like a crucial part of the company. 

Another thing you can do is find this motivation in other areas of your life. Invest your passion and curiosity into other activities, hobbies, or side projects. Who knows, maybe one of them inspires you to start your own business? 

 

3.Injustice

As humans, we see and experience injustice almost on a daily level. However, if you are being treated poorly at work, this could have a significant impact on your well-being and your self-esteem. Your boss might have personal problems and they are taking it out on you, so you feel scared to suggest new ideas or terrified whenever you’re called in for a performance review. 

If a person is giving you unfair treatment, whether we’re talking about a boss or a colleague, it’s quite unlikely they will change the way they act. Instead, focus on the things you can change. If possible, bring this subject with someone superior to both of you. Toxic behavior should never be tolerated at work and you have every right to protect yourself from it. 

 

4.Unaligned Values

Company values are often overlooked when we apply for a job or start working for a new company. However, if your personal values are quite different from the values of the company you work for, you might feel unsatisfied or stressed. For instance, if the company you work for doesn’t appreciate the personal time and family responsibilities of its employees, someone with children might find it quite difficult. 

If you feel that your values are not being respected at work, think about what can be done about it. For instance, you might want to suggest working from home on certain days or having a more flexible schedule. Whatever you do, make sure you find a way to respect your values at work. If that’s not possible, maybe that’s not the right environment for you. 

 

5.Issues with Your Boss

If you have a problem with your boss, it may not be personal. Working with people who have different personalities and mentalities from yours is not easy. Sometimes, staff will have an issue with their leader’s management style, which can impact their results. Other times, the boss might have specific expectations that are challenging for most staff members. 

In cases like this, think about the possibility of finding common ground. Maybe your boss will appreciate it if you suggest they include all key information in an email that’s sent to all employees instead of sharing it casually in meetings. 

If that’s not an option, consider talking to a therapist about your concerns regarding burnout. Besides listening to you, a therapist can help you establish healthy boundaries and understand what type of work environment you need to truly blossom. 

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibile, multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

Somatic Exercises to Release Trauma

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Learn Somatic Exercises to Release Trauma

 

There are numerous ways to use somatic exercises to release trauma, and learning how to make the most of them can alleviate a lot of pain and stress. Your body and mind can both hold trauma. If you want to recover from a stressful situation more quickly, it will require working on releasing these emotions and sensations.

Somatic therapy is a body-focused approach that may be especially beneficial if you suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or chronic stress.

It was created by Peter Levine in the late 1970s and was designed as a substitute for existing trauma-focused therapies, which, while beneficial for many, proved ineffective for others.

 

Connection Between Your Trauma, Mind, and Body

Somatic exercise starts the trauma recovery from the bottom up. This method centers on how the body reacts to trauma and how it impacts the brain rather than beginning with discussions of emotions or cognition. Traumatized people frequently lose touch with their bodies. The sympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive when someone experiences trauma, and it can be difficult for them to rebalance their nervous system and return to a state of peaceful awareness.

It indicates that your brain adapts as necessary following one or many incidents, repeated stressors, or both. As a defense mechanism, the brain fragments rather than completely processes unpleasant memories. This explains why you experience what are known as flashbacks or triggers. Details such as colors, sounds, scents, or images that resemble a portion of the fragmented memory elicit a response as though the past experience were reliving itself in the present.  

However, trauma can also make it difficult for you to recall traumatic events or significant details of them. These are typical reactions to trying and stressful situations. Your brain makes the necessary adaptations to ensure your survival, but it does not always revert to your pre-existing state of affairs. 

Either an under-reactive (numb and detached) or an over-reactive (on edge or overwhelmed) state may become apparent in you. Common emotional experiences include feeling overwhelmed by strong emotions, struggling to connect with happy feelings, or experiencing more shame, remorse, self-blame, and despair. 

The way you see the environment, other people, and yourself in your thoughts frequently shifts. You might discover that it’s difficult for you to unwind or get enough sleep. This is the result of your mind being unduly ready, or primed, for an upcoming threat. Feeling tense, becoming startled more quickly, and being extremely sensitive to your surroundings are some symptoms of this. 

 

Somatic Exercises for Trauma Release

The exercises are a part of the somatic experience, which emphasizes intentional movement and heightened bodily awareness as a means of releasing trauma-related energy that has become stuck.

Somatic activities support trauma rehabilitation by utilizing the profound relationship between the body and mind. These exercises integrate the cerebral, physical, and emotional selves while calming the nervous system through deliberate movements and attention.

 

1.Grounding

 

One of the most effective somatic healing exercises is grounding. When unpleasant memories or worries surface, they help you stay grounded by re-establishing the connection between your body and mind through the activation of your senses.

These are the common examples:

  • Strolling at a leisurely pace, observing the sensation of each step as your feet make contact with the earth.
  • When warm or cold water flows over your hands, notice how the warmth makes you feel calmer.
  • Hug yourself gently or wrap yourself in a soft blanket or grounding sheet. 
  • To absorb the energy of the earth, use grounding mats or sheets that are connected to your home’s electrical socket.
  • Stroking a pet’s fur and noticing its texture and warmth.
  • Squeezing a stress ball and focusing solely on the force.
  • Letting yourself be soothed by the tune of soothing music. According to research, listening to calming music can reduce stress and heart rate, as well as release endorphins and boost general well-being.

 

2.Visualization

 

Visualization turns your mind into an effective therapeutic instrument. By using constructive images, you can establish communication between your mental and physical responses. Research demonstrates the impact of mental imagery on cognitive processes, for instance, by demonstrating that the mere act of imagining an activity triggers the same brain processes as carrying it out physically.

This technique relieves disturbing pictures by renegotiating experiences at a physiological level and creating a healing and balanced internal space. Studies show, for example, that visualization and guided imagery techniques can successfully lower stress and anxiety by inducing a relaxation response.

Examples of visualizations are: 

  • Imagine the first light of morning illuminating every cell in your body and getting you ready for the day.
  • Imagine yourself in a calm, secure place where all anxiety disappears when things get tough.
  • Before going to bed, visualize the epitome of ease and relaxation to help you fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

 

3.Breathing

 

One of the most effective ways to feel focused and soothe the nervous system is to practice conscious breathing. Breathing mindfully allows you to remain in the present moment rather than losing yourself in worry or emotion.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Imagine tension dissipating with each deep breath out. Breaths promote calmness and serenity.
  • Try box breathing: four counts of inhalation, four counts of holding the breath, and four counts of exhalation.
  • To activate the diaphragm, try belly breathing. Put your hands there and inhale to feel it grow.
  • Check out my article with seven different exercises on somatic breathwork!
  • Breathing deeply has a great effect. At first, build up to 5 to 10 minutes a day. As you learn, be patient with yourself.

 

Conclusion

The foundation of somatic therapy is the idea that stress and trauma are not just psychological issues but also physically visible. Chronic stress and unresolved trauma can cause emotional instability, bodily strain, and a disconnection from one’s own body. By bridging the gap between the mind and the body, somatic therapy helps people let go of pent-up emotional energy and reclaim their sense of safety and control.

Somatic therapy uses the body to process and release trauma in a way that verbal therapy may not be able to fully address. To promote healing, this method strongly emphasizes the recognition of physical sensations, movement, and breathing.

 

Quick Ways to Reduce Anxiety and Stress

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibile, multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.

How to Converse with a Woman

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How to Converse with a Woman: Tips for Daytime Conversations

 

Approaching a woman you just met can feel intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be! In this video, I will share practical tips on how to converse with a woman and make an authentic first impression.

We’ll explore the basics of body language, like keeping an open posture, using eye contact to show confidence, and smiling naturally to appear approachable. You’ll also learn what to say, how to say it, and how to listen actively to create meaningful exchanges. Knowing how to ask thoughtful questions can also help keep the conversation flowing and show genuine interest.

This guide will help you approach conversations without overthinking or seeming insincere or pushy. Whether you’re meeting someone at a café, park, or social event, these tips will help you build rapport naturally and confidently. You’ll also gain insights into common mistakes to avoid, such as interrupting or relying on rehearsed lines.

By the end, you’ll feel ready to connect, engage, and leave a positive impression in any casual interaction. With a little practice, you’ll find it easier to approach new conversations with ease and authenticity.

 

Couples Communication Strategies

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexibile, multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.