At Elevé Therapy & Co, we treat burnout syndrome and the intersection between burnout and mental and physical health.
Burnout is not your fault, but therapy can offer insight and guidance to help you reclaim your energy and feel better in your daily life.
01. Professional Burnout
Do you feel unsupported or ill-equipped in your current role? Is the concept of a work-life balance laughable or even elusive to you? Or are you struggling deeply in your personal life, causing you to struggle to perform well at work?
If so, you may be experiencing professional burnout, a type of burnout specifically focused on the workplace. Some professionals may be more susceptible to job burnout, including executive professionals working in fast-paced environments, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, and small business owners.
In therapy, we treat professional burnout by:
- gaining awareness of how certain professional pursuits may be negatively impacting your physical and mental health
- examining the lifestyle factors that may be impacting your current stress levels
- unpacking the systemic variables contributing to burnout on a macro level
- implementing healthier stress management and self-care skills to integrate into your routine
- learning how to delineate your personal life from your professional life
02. Burnout in High-Achievers
Do you resonate with being a perfectionist or wanting to be the absolute best? Maybe you have imposter syndrome, causing you to feel like you need to constantly prove your worth to yourself or others. Perhaps you're in a competitive environment, like a rigorous graduate school program or high-level sport, and everyone around you is pushing themselves to maximum capacity.
High-achievers may experience burnout due to feeling like they're "on" 24/7. The idea of rest may be synonymous with failure, and this makes it hard to step back and take a break.
In therapy, we help high-achievers experiencing burnout by:
- recognizing the origins of high-achieving tendencies
- unpacking the concept that your worth is tied to your productivity or external successes
- fostering more self-compassion if you make mistakes or need to take a break
- realigning your priorities to ensure that you're living congruently with your core values
03. Burnout in Women
Are you feeling exhausted by all the emotional labor you take on within your household? Do you feel responsible for "doing it all" and doing it with a small? Maybe you feel immense pressure to balance multiple roles, including having a career, parenting young children, caregiving for other relatives, or managing a business.
If this is you, we can help you by:
- challenging unrealistic expectations that may be self-imposed or societal
- exploring options for external resources or supports (or establishing what may need to be delegated)
- establishing self-care routines that honor both your physical and emotional health
- processing underlying fears, needs, or emotions associated with feeling burnt out as a woman
04. Creative and Entrepreneurial Burnout
Do you feel disconnected from your initial passion, focused only now on grinding or making more money? Has running a business exacerbated certain mental health issues? Are you experiencing perpetual creative blocks, impacting your ability to produce? You're not alone, but creative and entrepreneurial burnout can definitely be lonely.
Our therapists can help by:
- rediscovering the core motivations that initially inspired your creative pursuits
- cultivating more joy and meaning in creation (and shifting away from external pressures when possible)
- learning how to regulate emotion and manage the stress that may come with running a business
- working through themes of imposter syndrome or self-doubt
- developing more efficient systems, routines, and workflows that build in time for rest and relaxation
05. Burnout in Relationships
Do you feel like you're emotionally depleted in your relationships? Maybe you relate to the idea of codependency- you take on others' physical or emotional needs because it feels too hard to say no. Or you just don't feel very satisfied with the people in your life- they just aren't treating you in the way you sense you deserve.
We help clients manage relationship burnout by:
- recognizing themes and risks associated with codependency
- learning how to establish healthy boundaries to preserve your energy and well-being
- identifying individual needs, values, and goals and orienting your routine to focus more on those
- practicing more self-compassion to cultivate self-respect and strengthen self-esteem
06. Existential or Purpose-Driven Burnout
Do you feel detached from yourself or your values? Are you questioning the purpose of work, life, love? Do you feel a deep sense of dread about the fleeting nature of existence?
Existential burnout can be hard to capture into words, but it can feel like a dark cloud hanging over your days. Unlike a mental exhaustion, this is more of an uncomfortable sense of dread. Things may feel pointless or unnecessary, causing you to struggle with purpose or motivation.
We help clients with these symptoms of burnout by:
- offering a safe, non-judgmental space to explore questions about purpose, meaning, and existence
- identifying themes of burnout that may be contributing to dread or detachment
- identifying core values and discerning how and where to infuse them in daily life
- practicing more mindfulness to help you stay grounded in the present moment
- building more resilience and capacity to cope with life's inherent uncertainty
FAQs
being 'too tired' or 'too stressed.' Burnout can intersect with gender, race, socioeconomic status, and other identities. Similarly, it is often amplified in certain cultures, particularly when 'hustle culture' or perfectionism is reinforced.
Some risk factors that may contribute to burnout include:
Some risk factors that may contribute to burnout include:
- physically or emotionally taxing labor that chronically feels excessive
- unclear expectations about how to successfully perform certain responsibilities
- misaligned values (being in a role that clashes with your personal values)
- intense micromanagement or limited autonomy
- personality traits of perfectionism or anxiety
- inadequate social support
- abusive or harmful work environments
- financial insecurity or other financial stressors
Burnout symptoms aren't always obvious, especially in the early stages. Burnout signs vary in type and intensity, but it's important to be aware of some of the common variables, including:
- sense of detachment or disconnection
- negative attitude or cynicism toward your responsibilities
- heightened sense of emotional exhaustion
- impaired performance or difficulty making decisions
- increase in procrastination or avoidance
- desire to escape/numb emotions through substance abuse, overeating, compulsive shopping, etc.
- withdrawing from relationships or personal interests
- exacerbated depression or anxiety
- physical signs, including muscle pain, headaches, GI problems, and body tension
Burnout is not entirely within an individual's control, and there's no guaranteed solution for preventing burnout. This is why it's so important for mental health professionals to name and validate the systemic factors often contributing to the problem. Our therapists recognize that burnout transcends current responsibilities- it's deeply intertwined with interpersonal, relational, and socio-emotional stressors.
That said, may help you understand and reconcile early warning signs of burnout. It can strengthen your overall mental health, making you more resilient to dealing with stress. Finally, therapy also provides a supportive environment to understand themes of overcommitting yourself, perfectionism, or people-pleasing tendencies.
It depends on what has caused and is currently maintaining your burnout. Despite common misconceptions, treating deep burnout isn't just about taking some time off or engaging in more deliberate self-care (although these strategies can certainly help).
Instead, it's important to consider taking a more comprehensive approach for managing burnout. This means assessing the main life stressors impacting you regularly and discerning what types of change are and aren't in your control. It also may entail reevaluating parts of your life contributing to burnout, including draining relationships, unsupportive work environments, or harmful habits. While everyone has different needs and thresholds, treating burnout may entail:
Instead, it's important to consider taking a more comprehensive approach for managing burnout. This means assessing the main life stressors impacting you regularly and discerning what types of change are and aren't in your control. It also may entail reevaluating parts of your life contributing to burnout, including draining relationships, unsupportive work environments, or harmful habits. While everyone has different needs and thresholds, treating burnout may entail:
- strengthening your existing social support system
- engaging in specific activities that promote your physical well-being
- setting clear boundaries within your professional and personal relationships
- developing practical strategies for coping with work-related stress
- untangling perfectionistic thinking that may be enhancing
Yes, sometimes. Certain lifestyle changes or external improvements may naturally reduce burnout.
However, in many cases, burnout worsens progressively over time. For example, you may feel some mild dissatisfaction with your job. But a month later, you may start waking up with complete dread at the idea of going to work.
If you notice burnout or suspect impending burnout, try to slow down and reflect on what you need. It's much easier to treat burnout in the preliminary stages than when it's more severe.
Burnout Therapy in San Diego, CA
Elevé Therapy & Co is a modern group therapy practice specializing in professional and personal burnout. We also specialize in women's mental health, perfectionism, and the needs of creatives/entrepreneurs.
Many clients enter therapy after experiencing chronic stress for a long time. They feel they are "at capacity," but they may not feel like they're allowed to ask or receive help. Many blame themselves for how they feel, and some lack the community and connection needed to feel supported in their lives. Choosing to address burnout- regardless of its specific cause or type- is truly one of the best gifts you can give yourself.
Our experienced therapists offer flexible online services for adults residing within California. Working through burnout takes time, but therapy can be a valuable first step for feeling supported and learning new tools for taking care of yourself.
Contact us today to get started.