Are Mental Health and Burnout Related?

First off, let’s clarify that for our purposes “mental health” refers to the ability to experience inner peace, clarity, and a sense of stability in our often chaotic world. In this instance, to describe mental health is not to talk about the disorders of mood or mind, but the presence of mind that comes from feeling in control and energized about living in general.  

That being said, our mental health is absolutely tied to our experience of burnout. If we are overwhelmed, overworked, and overextended, we are unable to walk with ourselves in confidence and peace - which affects our mental health. Fatigue and burnout increase the potential to experience issues like anxiety and depression - which are sometimes manifestations of the root cause of burnout.  

Therefore, it is so important to prevent and recover from burnout as soon as you become aware it is happening. Preserving our mental health isn’t a luxury, it is a necessity! Doing what we need to do to set ourselves up for success is vital to our well-being.  

From the most basic mental health standards: 

• Getting restful sleep 
• Eating well 
• Exercising 
• Feeling a sense of purpose 
• Maintaining quality relationships 

To the more sophisticated mental health supports: 

• Self-Care 
• Delegating activities 
• Removing distractions 
• Diminishing screen time 
• Reducing caffeine or other detrimental substances 

It is vital to protect our mental health and use our skills to set ourselves up for success. Protecting our mental health should be a main priority in all the choices we make. Teaching these skills to our families is essential for managing high-functioning relationships.  

How would you rate your mental health? Have you noticed a correlation between situational depression and feeling burned out? Have you noticed that being burned out makes it harder to use the coping skills that would otherwise help alleviate your pain?  

How do you know the difference between situational mental health issues and issues that may need deeper support?  

Consider this: 

Situational depression is usually caused by a short-term issue that has made an impact on us that is natural, considering the situation. Burnout reduces our coping skills and increases the symptoms of situational depression and anxiety. This means that our depression and anxiety will likely subside with the reduction of our fatigue and burnout. The better you feel physically, the better you tend to be able to feel mentally.  

If you have taken significant steps to recover from fatigue and burnout and still feel a strong sense of heaviness or anxious, it may be time to consult a mental health specialist to be certain that your needs are being met in every way possible.  

Our general mental health is deeply tied to living in optimum health overall. The more dialed-in we are to live a life that is healthy and happy, the easier it is to manage our healthy psyche and avoid situational depression and anxiety. This is a big reason why it’s vital to put your health first and make impeccable decisions to avoid burnout and fatigue.  

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