Countering the Winter Burnout!

Hey there, everyone; Brendan here. I've been thinking a lot recently about another one of those aspects of life we all seem to know of, but may not think about in regard to ourselves: winter burnout.

We've discussed other topics like this before, and today I wanted to look a bit more into this idea and how we can counter it. Feeling a bit more worn out under the perpetual overcast that winter often offers isn't anything new, but the effects of this kind of burnout can be more nefarious, and affect aspects of life and work. 

What We're Dealing With

This burnout is both a cause and a consequence, and that's what makes it especially potent. Because of the shorter days and pressure to get things done at work and at home (not to mention tax season coming soon, blech), it can feel like you're not accomplishing as much in a given day, even if you are. Add to that the mental burdens of early darkness and it's no wonder these feelings of morose melancholy are so prominent in the winter months! 

(Personally, I also believe that some measure of this burnout comes from the falloff after the end of December festivities. There's an awful lot of celebrating going on in that month, and it permeates so much of culture and our daily experiences that when it's gone, we don't entirely know how to compensate. That's my perspective, anyways!)

Psychologically, burnout is linked to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and a general decline in motivation due to lower serotonin levels and disrupted circadian rhythms. The lack of outdoor activity and social interaction can further contribute to feelings of fatigue, irritability, and decreased productivity. There are a variety of coping strategies that can help you with overcoming these feelings, and that's what I really wanted to focus on today. 

What We Can Do About It

First of all, I wanted to mention that there is absolutely no shame in asking for help. There's definitely a stigma around seeking assistance, as we've discussed in previous blogs, and I'm very glad to see that people are becoming more aware of this. It isn't always easy to know what to say, but give yourself the benefit of the doubt and try; there's no harm in finding support from those that care about you! If you feel that you need help knowing what to do with stuff like burnout, SAD and other conditions, here's a link to some potentially beneficial resources. 

There are things that you can do at home, though, to counter the burden of the burnout! This excellent blog from the Harvard Review was one of the first guides I read about simple internal techniques, and it provides a variety of related lifestyle tips related to both mental and physical health. The blog goes into the concept of resilience, something we've talked about before here too!

It's amazing how even doing small things, like accomplishing simple tasks and crossing them off a list, can help your brain feel more at ease. One of the things that I've been trying to learn to do myself, and that I suggest as a strategy for overcoming these feelings, is to try and pace yourself on your tasks. Regardless of how good you are at multi-tasking, try to take things one step at a time and make sure that they're done and done correctly. It will help create a positive feedback loop in your mind, rather than having a dozen half-completed duties scattered about and pressuring you to be completed. 

Do your best to keep yourself level-headed and remember that you are doing better than you might think. At some point I'll have to do a blog on what constitutes an appropriate level of self-critique, but that's for another day. For now, I thank you all for reading, and wish you all the best in whatever you get up to this week. See you next time!