Science of Burnout
What is cortisol?
A stress hormone
What is Burnout?
A state of emotional, physical, and cognitive due to stressors in an individual's work, school, and personal life.
Name 3 Ways to Boost Your Mood when Burnt Out
Meditate, Journal, Enjoy Nature, etc.
**Answers may vary
True or False: When you experience burnout, you take frustrations out on others/have Outbursts
True
True or False: A short vacation or day off will "cure" your burnout
FALSE. Although burnout levels do decrease during vacation, burnout is not the same as day-to-day stress. The cognitive effects of burnout take time to be reversed.
What's one common cause of burnout?
- lack of control/support
- too much/too little to do
- problems with work/life balance
- conflict with others
- lack of clarity regarding expectations
What is the type of break that you take every week for a few hours?
Psychological symptoms are included in what stage of burnout?
Stage 2/Longer Lasting Effects
What is called to have abnormally low levels of cortisol in your body?
Hypocortisolism
What type of health condition is burnout?
A workplace syndrome
Name 3 Treatments of Burnout
Seek Support, Promote Equanimity/Boost Your Equanimity, Stress Management Techniques
Name 1 Physical symptom, 1 Emotional symptom, and 2 behavioral Signs of burnout.
Possible Answers
Physical: Feeling Tired/Drained frequently, Lowered Immunity, Change in appetite & Sleep, Headaches
Emotional: Sense of failure, Loss of Motivation, Detachment, Feeling helpless, trapped, or defeated
Behavioral: Procrastination, Withdrawal & Isolation, Outbursts, Using substances to cope
What are Two cognitive effects of burnout found by Researcher William McEwen?
1. Impairments in attention-shifting
2. Shrinkage/Damage to neurons
49.5%
What are the 4 A's of Stress Management?
Avoid Unnecessary Stress, Alter the Situation, Adapt to the Stressor, Accept the thing you can't change
Why do we sometimes procrastinate when experiencing burnout?
When we procrastinate we end up doing something that makes us feel good like watching something on, so when we are burning out our brains always look for a way to make us feel better; turning to procrastination as a solution.
What part of the body was shown to be enlarged when researched in people experiencing burnout?
Amygdala
According to the NIH, what percent of students have academic burnout?
20.5%
Eliminating unnecessary parts of your schedule falls under what category of preventing burnout?
Self-Reflection
Why does your body possibly experience lowered immunity during burnout?
When your body experiences such high levels of stress for prolonged periods of times, it decreases the immune systems’ white blood cells that help fight off against infections or diseases