THERAPY FOR STRESS + BURNOUT

Online therapy saves you time

We all experience stress. Every. Single. Day.

Stress is your response to an external cause or event. For example, you may feel stressed when you’re faced with a tough decision, a stressful email from a supervisor, or an argument with your partner.

When these things happen, your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) – AKA your “Fight-or-Flight” system – activates. This causes your mind and body to go into action. These physical sensations and reactions are normal and are often manageable at lower levels. This reaction can even be leveraged when physical effort is required to optimize human performance. Typically, these uncomfortable stress reactions go away when the stressful situation is resolved.

Stress is not always bad for you.

So the belief that stress is ALWAYS bad for you has thousands of years of evolution to call BS on that. You are not descended from people who were never stressed, lying on their stone sofa, just waiting for warring tribes to invade or fierce animals to pounce.

Sometimes, you are able to manage your stress by using coping techniques and leveraging resources. For example, you might practice deep breathing, grounding, or exercise to cope with high levels of stress. You can increase exercise or time spent in meaningful relationships or activities.

But, what happens when stress doesn’t let up?

Stress becomes a problem when your reaction to these events becomes too intense or the quality of the stressor outstrips your coping abilities and resources. Living in constant stress is not normal, and it’s not something you should have to live with no matter what work or society says.

Prolonged stress can lead to anxiety, depression, or burnout, which are things that many professionals experience.

In our “work harder” (not smarter culture), MORE = BETTER. Yet often MORE = well, just MORE, which eventually = TOO MUCH. Yet it’s really hard to turn off that programming.

The Impact of Constant, Sustained Stress.

Constant stress can contribute to poor sleep, diet, and exercise habits, which are a recipe for burnout. Burned-out professionals often take a hit in their attention and productivity at work.

In general, burnout happens when you reach a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. This is caused by intense and prolonged stress, which, in turn, causes your body to activate the freeze response (from the parasympathetic nervous system, PNS) which can then force you to slow down and causes other unpleasant side effects. Burnout is actually your brain pulling the alarms and finally, the brakes, to get your attention.

At Momentum Psychology, our team of therapists understands this cycle of stress and burnout and we are here to offer support in order to overcome and manage these issues.

WHAT ARE COMMON SIGNS OF STRESS VS. BURNOUT?

Chronic Stress

Over-engagement: Attempting to take on more than you can handle (workaholism)
Overreacting in emotional situations
Feeling like everything has to be done right away, or being hyper focused on a task
Loss of energy
Weakened immune system, headaches, muscle tension, and stomach aches
Symptoms of anxiety

Vs

Burnout

Distancing yourself from your troubles
Downplaying the issues
More likely to under-react to emotionally charged situations (check out/space out)
Feeling helpless or stuck: you feel like you can’t do anything so why try?
Loss of motivation and low activity levels
Psychological and social difficulties become noticable
Symptoms of depression

WHAT IS BURNOUT?

Burnout at Work

The technical definition of burnout from the World Health Organization, ICD-11 focuses solely on burnout in the workplace or occupational context. Under the ICD-11, burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

OTHER FORMS OF BURNOUT

Although the ICD-11 has limited its definition to work-related burnout, the research literature recognizes more types of burnout:

Caregiver Burnout

Another common type of burnout in the literature is caregiver burnout.

Acccording to the Cleveland Clini, caregiver burnout is: “A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. It may be accompanied by a change in attitude, from positive and caring to negative and unconcerned. Burnout can occur when caregivers don’t get the help they need, or if they try to do more than they are able, physically or financially.”

Parental Burnout

Another common type of burnout in the literature is caregiver burnout.

A recent article defined parental burnout as a “state of intense exhaustion related to one’s parental role, in which one becomes emotionally detached from one’s children and doubtful of one’s capacity to be a good parent.”

The Harvard Business Review’s helpful Guide to Beating Burnout lists the following risk factors for work-related burnout:

Athletic Burnout and Overtraining Syndrome

There are three main dimensions of athlete burnout include:

physical and emotional exhaustion
a reduced sense of accomplishment related to one’s goals in training and competition
a loss of interest and care for sport(s)

RISK FACTORS FOR BURNOUT

The Harvard Business Review’s helpful Guide to Beating Burnout lists the following risk factors for work-related burnout:

Identifying strongly with work – lack of balance between work/personal life.

Working in a helping profession and/or doing “purpose-driven work” (healthcare, teachers, nurses, nonprofit employees, mission-driven executives)
High workload
Rewards don’t match effort.
Values mismatch
Unfair/inequitable treatment

Feeling that you have little or no control over your work
Trying to be everything to everyone
High standards/perfectionism
Unsupportive community
Anyone passionate about what they do, especially high performers
Groups with high stress due to other situational factors – people of color, women, etc.
Working parents

THE BENEFITS OF BURNOUT AND STRESS THERAPY IN CHARLOTTE, NC

Overcoming your troubles with chronic stress and burnout is possible. You can learn tools to minimize your stress and get back to enjoying your professional life again.

These Benefits Include:

Intervening before you have more serious problems at home, work, or school
Learning how to difficult thoughts and feelings effectively
Troubleshooting and overcoming self-destructive habits
Increasing your sense of confidence and competence
Improving your attention so you can focus on what matters most to you and stop worrying about the things that don’t
Learning to say “no” to requests or obligations that cause you to stress and don’t align with your personal goals and values

OUR APPROACH TO THERAPY FOR BURNOUT AND STRESS

We understand how hard it can be to be a busy working professional.

We have expertise in helping professionals cope with stress and burnout. Stress therapy offers them tools and techniques to cope with the symptoms of stress and burnout.

When working with people experiencing chronic stress and burnout, our therapists use evidence-based treatments such as:

After years of education and training in behavioral science, we believe this approach offers our clients the best opportunity to overcome the challenges they’re experiencing.

Ultimately, our hope is that you will be able to manage your stress and burnout more effectively so that you can do more of what matters to you!

Ready to take the next step? Begin Burnout and Stress Therapy in North Carolina and Beyond Today!

Stress and Burnout are two issues that often go hand in hand. While we all experience stress, when it becomes unmanageable it can lead to burnout which can cause numerous complications at both work and home. At Momentum Psychology our skilled team of therapists understands this vicious cycle perpetuated by stress and is here to help you work towards reaching your full potential professionally and personally. We utilize evidence-based treatment methods that include ACT, DBT, CBT, and Trauma-Informed Practices.

We currently offer online Burnout and Stress Therapy in North Carolina and all PSYPACT states including, but not limited to North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Georgia.

If you are ready to take control of your life and build Momentum moving forward to a bright future, follow the steps below to get started.

Get to know more about our skilled team of therapists here.
Fill out our convenient online contact form.
Schedule an intake appointment with our available therapists, Dr. William Hasek and Dr. Ashley Norwood (Dr. Newman currently has a lengthy waitlist)
Begin the journey to regaining control of your life

OTHER SERVICES OFFERED BY MOMENTUM PSYCHOLOGY

As well as having extensive training and experience in the treatment of burnout and stress-related issues, our team of therapists also offers a wide variety of online therapy services in North Carolina and all Psypact States. We work with lawyers, entrepreneurs, students, parents, and teens who are dealing with ADHD, trauma and loss, anxiety and panic, depression, and life transitions. We also offer SPACE, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions. Our goal is to help you find success both professionally and personally so you can gain Momentum to excel in a bright future.

RESOURCES OFFERED BY MOMENTUM PSYCHOLOGY IN CHARLOTTE, NC

For more free resources please check out the rest of our blog and other resources including books, apps, talks, and recent press. You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram where you can find more information on psychology, human behavior, and neuroscience. For even more helpful resources, please subscribe to our newsletter!

Momentum Psychology’s resources are for informational purposes only and are not intended to assess, diagnose, or treat any medical and/or mental health disease or condition. Our resources do not imply nor establish any type of therapist-client relationship. The information should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a qualified mental health or medical provider who could best evaluate and advise based on a careful evaluation.