Thinking and Writing

I find that I think better when I am writing, and write better when thinking. This morning I would like to touch upon the phenomenon of "burn-out".

Burnout is a psychological response to “long-term exhaustion and diminished interest,” and may take months or years to bubble to the surface. First defined by American psychoanalyst Herbert J. Freudenberger in 1972, burnout is “a demon born of the society and times we live in and our ongoing struggle to invest our lives with meaning.” [1] He goes on to say that burnout “is not a condition that gets better by being ignored. Nor is it any kind of disgrace. On the contrary, it’s a problem born of good intentions.” Another description in New York Magazine calls burnout "a problem that's both physical and existential, an untidy conglomeration of external symptoms and personal frustrations."   ( verbatim from http://www.alistapart.com/articles/burnout/ )

Let me try to define burn-out from my own experience.

1. A loss of confidence in what I do because it takes longer, and becomes harder to produce work
2. A general feeling of fatigue
3. A sense of hopelessness, helplessness and of feeling "trapped"
4. A loss of joy in work and life
5. A general feeling that my resources are inadequate for the tasks at hand
6. Easily succumbing to temper episodes
7. Easily frustrated
8. Mood swings
9. Locus of control moves from internal to external
10. Becoming more introverted, and withdrawn from company
11. Obsessed with a cluster of associated thoughts from the above points
12. Becoming more of a couch potato
13. Eating more ( and for some, drinking more )

When the above begins to happen more frequently, and sustained over a period of time, we can quite safely say that we are suffering "burn-out".

I like the  New York Magazine 's description of burnout as "a problem that's both physical and existential, an untidy conglomeration of external symptoms and personal frustrations."

When we think it is mainly an external situation, the sense of hopelessness, and "trapped-ness" increases. When we figure out that our internal world cannot cope, same results.

So what gives? How do we escape from this spiral of psychological destruction?

For me, what has worked is just "giving-up" internally.

What do I mean?

I just come to a place of realization that I absolutely have no control of this situation, state of mind, both internally and externally. And so I "let go", and "let GOD!"

I have now come to the realization that burn-out is very useful to get us back to a place where we surrender to truth. The truth of our inability to save ourselves, and then discover a savior who can.
Of course, the blinding truth for believers of God is that this Savior has always been with us, ready to help us, except for our unbelievable ability to get ahead of ourselves in saving ourselves continually.

For me, the anti-dote for burn-out is "dying". Just telling myself that there is nothing more I can do about myself ( internally ), and the circumstances prevailing ( externally ). It is time to let go of the pilot's controls, and truly trust in the only Power able to help me help myself.

Again, and again, this is the only respite.

Interestingly, I think I have just moved out of a situation of being burnt out. I think I am still recovering, and right now, enjoying the sensation of being freed from this psychological prison.

What helped?

For me, clearly it was the "grace of God". For me, the way out, the way through, and the way over, was to keep on going to God, and crying my heart out to Him. And you know what? He hears, and He comes through, again, and again.

So if you are currently in a bout of "burn-out-ness", I urge you, go to God! Go to the only ONE who can help. No prescribed prayers, and no formulas. Just pour out your heart to Him, and wait. You will find out for yourself how He will come through just for you, in your own special way with Him.