Burnout Without Overwork: Is It Possible?

‘Burnout’ is a term that most people are familiar with nowadays, with hustle culture and demanding workplaces taking centre stage. Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, mental and often physical exhaustion brought on by extended or repeated stress. While most of us associate burnout with overworking or problems at work, it’s actually possible to reach burnout without working really long hours. You may also experience burnout related to other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking or in romantic relationships - any situation where you feel overworked and undervalued.

Why Burnout Happens 

In some cases, a person can work a large number of hours consistently or invest a lot of time into something and remain free from burnout. In others, some people end up experiencing burnout from the same situation. What’s the difference?

Our personality traits and lifestyle factors can impact whether we experience burnout or not. Lifestyle factors could include not getting enough sleep, people-pleasing or taking on too many responsibilities, lack of work-life balance or lack of supportive relationships. Personality traits that could impact burnout include being a high-achiever, perfectionist, needing to be in control or being a pessimist.

In addition to overwork, a lack of control or lack of recognition at work can be a factor that causes burnout. Unclear expectations can have just as much effect on burnout as unrealistically high ones, or working in a chaotic environment.

How Burnout Affects Mental Health

Burnout involves feelings of exhaustion or energy depletion, resulting in feeling empty and devoid of motivation. Often, this shows up as a burnt-out person not caring anymore and feeling as though they cannot achieve any positive changes in their situation. This is in contrast to stress, where you feel as though there are too many pressures that need to be taken under control before you’ll feel okay again.

Depression and burnout share some similar symptoms; however, depression involves experiencing negative emotions with all areas of life, not just those that have been causing chronic stress.

What Burnout Does to Your Brain

It’s common knowledge that chronic stress can have both mental and physical impacts on our body. However, it can also impact our brains by thinning the grey matter in the prefrontal cortex. This weakens the area, which can have an effect on our ability to retain information and pay attention, so we’re more likely to make mistakes.

It also enlarges the amygdala, which is where our flight-or-fight response resides. This can generate more fear and anxiety, taking us back to a more primitive level.

Can Burnout Be Diagnosed?

Burnout is not a diagnosable psychological disorder, but it is something that a psychologist can help you overcome. It’s difficult to see the way out when everything feels bleak and you lack the motivation to create positive changes in your situation. This is why it’s important to seek support from someone who is trained to help you get your life back into balance and cope with your stressors.

The Midland psychologists at Psychwest can help you to overcome your burnout and get back on track today. Contact us now to book your appointment.

Does Seeing a Psychologist Help with Anxiety?

Experiencing persistent anxiety can feel scary, isolating and can negatively impact your life, however you don’t need to go through it alone. There are anxiety treatments available from professionals such as psychologists, and there are things that you can do in the comfort of your own home to cope with anxiety.

Before we dive in to the various ways you can receive support for anxiety, you may be wondering about the difference between general anxiety that everyone experiences occasionally and anxiety disorder.

What is Anxiety Disorder? 

The most common mental health disorders in Australia are currently Anxiety Disorders including Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, PTSD, Social Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Anxiety disorders are characterised by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational anticipation of future threats which causes impairment in functioning.

It’s normal to experience some anxiety, and in some cases, it can be helpful. For example, feeling anxious before a big presentation at work can improve your performance and make you more alert. Sometimes, feeling anxious about a situation is a sign that we care. 

Anxiety becomes a disorder when it's excessive, irrational and when it interferes with your ability to cope in daily life. Approximately 25% of Australians will experience an anxiety disorder that warrants treatment at some point within their life, so if this is you, you are not alone. You may manage to cope with your anxiety fairly well and live a normal life, but if it’s causing you significant distress then it is important to seek treatment.

Can Psychologists Help with Anxiety?

Seeing a psychologist is one of the best ways to manage or overcome an anxiety disorder. Initially, a psychologist can make the initial diagnosis of your anxiety disorder, then they can work with you to find the treatment that works best for your individual needs, as everyone is different and anxiety can affect people in different ways.

Often, a psychologist will work with you to identify the unhelpful thought patterns that are making you feel more anxious, encourage you to do activities that boost your sense of satisfaction and focus on behaviour patterns that need to be addressed to reduce anxiety.

Treatment for Anxiety

The two main treatments for anxiety are psychotherapy (which can be provided by a psychologist) and medication.

We suggest psychotherapy is undertaken before going on medication, as not everyone who is suffering from anxiety requires medication. Sometimes, therapy can resolve the issue or reduce your anxiety to a manageable state where it is not affecting your ability to cope or causing you significant distress.

In therapy, a psychologist can work with you to reduce your anxiety symptoms. One of the anxiety treatments used by psychologists, including at Psychwest, is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT is an effective therapeutic approach for anxiety as it involves challenging the irrational and negative thoughts that often lead to distress or unwanted, dysfunctional behaviours. These negative automatic thought patterns can be disrupted and replaced with more helpful ways of thinking, which can assist you to learn better ways of coping and relieve your mental health symptoms.

Sometimes, a combination of psychotherapy and medication is required to alleviate anxiety symptoms and help you to live a normal life. Psychologists cannot prescribe medication – this will usually be prescribed by your GP in Australia.

At Home Coping Mechanisms for Anxiety

If you are waiting to see a psychologist and looking for a way to cope with your anxiety symptoms prior to your sessions, try one or more of these strategies:

• Slow, deep breathing

• Progressive muscle relaxation

• Bring yourself back to the present moment with mindfulness or grounding techniques

• Plan worry time

• Practice self-compassion

If you’re looking for an anxiety therapist in Perth, our Midland psychologists at Psychwest are here to help. Get in touch now so that we can find the best psychologist for your needs.

How to Recover from Burnout

What is Burnout?

Burnout is a specific type of work stress, characterised by complete and absolute emotional or physical exhaustion, a negative or cynical outlook about your job (that was not present previously), and a sense of reduced accomplishment, motivation or feelings of purpose. 

Burnout Symptoms

Burnout is a gradual process that builds. Signs and symptoms can be subtle at first, but if left unaddressed can worsen and lead to full on burnout/breakdown.

Symptoms include:

• Excessive stress

• Lack of motivation

• Dread at the thought of going to work

• Fatigue

• Sadness, anger, irritability

• Increased alcohol or substance misuse

• Insomnia

• Lack of creativity

• Emotional Numbness

• A cynical outlook

• Difficulty concentrating

• Reduced work performance

• Physical complaints (Headache, stomach ache, unexplained pain)

What Causes Burnout?

Burnout is caused by a consistent and persistent prolonged emotional, physical and mental stress, often related to one’s job (but can occur in other life circumstances such as parenting, care taking etc).

Contributing factors to burnout include:

• Unmanageable workloads

• Unfair treatment at work

• Unclear job expectations

• Lack of support

• Deadline pressure

• Lack of control over work conditions

• Dysfunctional workplace dynamics

• Work-life imbalance

Burnout vs Depression

Burnout and depression can share similar symptoms, but they are not the same. Burnout can lead to a depressive episode, both can occur simultaneously or one can exacerbate the other. The key difference is that burnout has a strong causal factor of prolonged exposure to an unwanted and unrelenting stress from the external environment, whereas depression can occur and often does occur without a root cause. Depression is characterised by a sense of hopelessness, fatigue, disinterest in things that once bought joy, sadness/irritability or a lack of feeling and suicidal ideation.

Coping Tips and Prevention Solutions for Burnout:

Recovering from burnout is a slow process- like recovering from a broken bone, it cannot be fixed with a week’s break. It is, however, possible. Here are some tips to help you both prevent and recover from burnout:

• Set firm boundaries around your time and expectations at work, learn to say “no”

• Take a vacation or leave of absence

• Reassess your goals (Are my career goals in alignment with my values? Do I need to make changes at work?)

• Talk to HR or a trusted manager at work about your responsibilities and its impacts

• Seek support by speaking to a Psychologist

• Keep up a self-care routine

• Create work life balance, prioritizing play, rest and social activities

• Build a support network

• Learn stress management techniques

• Don’t skip your lunch break at work

• Celebrate small accomplishments

• Exercise for the purpose of stress reduction, try yoga, tai chi, pilates, walking or swimming.

• Take up mindfulness meditation

• Overhaul your sleep hygiene

Are you are struggling with burnout? Speak to one of our Psychologists at Psychwest today. Book your appointment now.

Psychologist vs Psychiatrist – Which Mental Health Professional Should I See?

You are not alone if you are confused about what a Psychologist vs what a Psychiatrist does, these are commonly mixed up. This blog aims to distinguish between the two practices so you are able to make a more informed decision about your mental health care.

PSYCHOLOGIST

What training have Psychologists done?

Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate degree, 6-8 years of study/training.

What do Psychologists do?

Psychologists are trained mental health professionals, who specialise in human behaviour, cognition and emotions. Their focus is providing talk therapy as an intervention for various mental health conditions, interpersonal struggles, adjustment issues and more.

PSYCHIATRIST

What training have Psychiatrists done?

Doctorate Degree (Medical), GP experience plus Psychiatry degree, 11+ years of study/training.

What do Psychiatrists do?

Psychiatrists are trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of mental health disorders. They have a stronger focus on the biological determinants of mental illness and provide treatment with medication, brain stimulation therapies such as electroconvulsive therapy and talk therapy.

What are the main differences between Psychologists and Psychiatrists?

The main difference is that Psychiatrists are medically trained and can prescribed medication, while Psychologists do not have medical training and cannot prescribe medication. Psychiatrists tend to treat more complex and severe presentations such as Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder.

What are the main similarities between Psychologists and Psychiatrists?

Both Psychologists and Psychiatrists are trained to recognise, diagnose and treat mental health issues and disorders.

Which one is best for me?

Your GP can help you determine which would be best for you, but often times if you have a serious mental disorder, both will be necessary.  For example, conditions such as Bipolar Disorder or Schizophrenia will likely benefit from seeing a Psychiatrist for medication management and a Psychologist for talk therapy.

As a general rule, if you are experiencing depression, or anxiety symptoms, talking to a Psychologist is a good place to start. Medication can be managed through your GP. A psychiatrist may be necessary if talk therapy and GP prescribed medication is not alleviating symptoms, or your needs are very complex. Keep in mind that Psychiatrists in Australia have long wait lists, and a referral will be needed from your GP to get an appointment.  

I think I may have ADHD, should I see a Psychiatrist or a Psychologist?

Both are trained to assess for and diagnose ADHD, however only Psychiatrists can treat ADHD with medication (GP’S cannot prescribe ADHD medication either). Due to the long wait times and high expense of seeing a Psychiatrist, it can be beneficial to initially book with a Psychologist. They can provide a full comprehensive assessment and diagnose the ADHD, then take that report your Psychiatrist to determine if medication is a viable treatment option for you.

If you believe a Psychologist is the best fit for you, Psychwest has appointments available now. Book yours here.

How to Find a Psychologist That Is Right For You

Not every psychologist and client match is the right one. Sometimes, for many potential reasons, a pairing may not be the right fit.

Research has found that the rapport and bond between psychologist and client is one of the most important determinants of successful therapy. 

It is important to do your homework, and research potential psychologists before booking an appointment. This minimises disappointment and increases the likelihood of finding the right psychologist for you and your needs.

Things to consider when searching for a suitable psychologist

• What are my goals for therapy? Do I need help with relationship issues, stress, mental illness, grief etc.? Check that the Psychologists work with this presentation before enquiring.

• How long do I think I need to be in therapy for? Am I looking for a short-term solution, or do I have some deep entrenched issues that may need an extended period of time working through?

• Who are my ideal therapists? Are they younger or older? Do I have a preferred gender? Do I want someone who has the same culture or race as me? Do I want someone who has many years of experience or would I prefer someone newly trained? (There are benefits to both)

Tips for finding the right psychologist for you

When making an enquiry, request a brief phone call with the potential psychologist so you can get a feel for them and have an opportunity to ask about how they work before making a booking. Most places will encourage this practice and it is not uncommon. During the conversation, take notice if you feel comfortable and at ease; this is a signal that it could be a good fit. It is ok to keep looking until you find someone you feel good with.

Ask your GP if they have any recommendations. Often, GP’s build relationships with psychologists and get to understand how they work. They also get to hear feedback from their patients.

Check their credentials. Psychologists must be trained at a minimum in a 4 year Bachelor’s degree plus 2 years of supervised training or 2 years study (Master’s degree) and be registered with the regulatory board AHPRA.

What to ask a potential psychologist

• What are your areas of interest?

• Have you ever worked with (insert issue) before?

• What intervention do you use?

• How long have you been practicing for?

• What can I expect from the first session?

• What are your fees? Do you accept Medicare rebates/insurance?

We have a diverse range of psychologists here at PsychWest. You can check out a short description of the Perth Psychologists working for PsychWest on the about page on the website and request a chat with any of them anytime.

How Anxiety Affects Your Body

“What does anxiety feel like?”

“How do I know that what I am experiencing is anxiety or something else?”

As psychologists, these are questions that we often hear.

Anxiety shows up in many ways.  

It can show up in your thoughts as consistent and persistent worrying, unwanted automatic thoughts or spiralling/racing or intrusive thoughts, difficulty concentrating, and forgetfulness.

It can show up in your emotions as fear, disgust, panic, terror, dread, and anger.

It can show up in your behaviour as avoidance, checking, busyness, restlessness, and safety behaviours.

And most commonly it can show up in your body physically through racing heart, palpitations, breathlessness, muscle tension, shaking, trembling, twitching, sweating, flushing, pain (chronic or acute), tingling, tightness, stiffness, light-headedness, stomach ache (nausea, diarrhoea or constipation), weight loss or gain, frequent illness (colds/flus), insomnia and fatigue.

The physical effects of anxiety can be felt daily, and sometimes they can escalate into what is called a panic attack. A panic attack is a sudden, brief but intense onset of any of the above physical symptoms together with a feeling of impending doom, or feeling like you are about to die. These feelings can be scary, but don’t cause any harm.

Anxiety is a normal and necessary part of human functioning. As humans, we are wired to experience anxiety. It is the alarm system in our body, designed to engage all of our energy and attention to fight off threats. Every single person experiences anxiety symptoms in some form or another. It can often be adaptive: helping someone pass a difficult exam, run away from an angry dog, win a sports game or help in an emergency etc.

Anxiety can be a compass for when something doesn’t feel quite right in our lives. Often, anxiety can spike for no apparent reason- this is also normal. Our alarm system was developed millions of years ago when we had to fight off lions and bears and hunt for our food. It has not caught up to our modern world, and so it can be activated easily through minor threats and inconveniences.

People often report the most distressing parts of anxiety are the physical effects of anxiety. The positive about this, is that this is often the easiest part to treat or relieve.

How to relieve physical symptoms of anxiety quickly

• Deep belly breathing for 10 counts (see demonstration here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB3tSaiEbNY)

• Moderate paced 30-minute walk through nature (if possible)

• Ice pack to the chest for 10 minutes

• Cold splash of water to the face

• Grounding exercises (count down from 100, progressive muscle relaxation, 5,4,3,2,1 technique)

• Short guided visualisation (you can find many for free on Youtube)

• Take your shoes off and walk through grass or natural ground

• Yoga stretches for relaxation

When anxiety goes haywire

Normal anxiety can also develop into an anxiety disorder. This is when the threat system goes a bit haywire and becomes hyper vigilant, setting off frequently and consistently over a long period of time, to the point that it causes significant distress and dysfunction in someone.

What makes you more at risk of developing an anxiety disorder?

• Genetic disposition: parents or siblings with anxiety

• Trauma: the more high stress past events you have experienced the more likely to develop an anxiety disorder

• Depression: if you already have depression you are more likely to develop anxiety

• Constant stress: consistently stressful environments or multiple stressful events piling up

• Personality: some personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders (shyness, rigidness, sensitivity to criticism, fixation)

• Substance abuse: you are more likely to develop an anxiety disorder if you engage in drug or alcohol abuse

• Social isolation: consistent loneliness can lead to increased risk of an anxiety disorder

• Physical health conditions: some physical health conditions can lead to an anxiety disorder, or produce symptoms similar to an anxiety disorder.

What are the different types of anxiety disorders?

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

• Panic Disorder

• Specific Phobias

• Separation Anxiety

• Medication-Induced anxiety disorder

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Agoraphobia

What to do if you are struggling with anxiety:

Speak with a healthcare professional, your GP or Psychologist. There are many effective treatment options available.

Many of the Psychologists at PsychWest have significant experience working with anxiety and anxiety disorders. Make an enquiry today.