When Passion Turns To Exhaustion: How Overworking Can Make One Burnout.

There are times I just stare at my laptop screen, feeling completely drained, wondering why I ever chose this job in the first place. It's not a matter of either I love the work or not, cause when the stress builds up, even passion will turn to frustration. I’ve been there so trust me, I know very well what I am saying.

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Sometime ago, there was this job I started, I was just so serious, I was full of energy, eager to impress, willing to take on extra tasks just to prove myself. I am always there to lend a helping hand to whoever ask for it, late night calls and all made me feel honored and important. I thought I was just being "hardworking". I thought I was building my future. But slowly, something changed. One E went and another E came, want to know the "E"....I mean the "enthusiasm" faded, and then "exhaustion" took over. Work started to feel somehow, demands and expectations seems never to end, those things I was enjoyed now felt like a burden. I am no more so eager to wake up and dress up for work, and when I go, I kept counting the hours up to closing time, but then, it is now a routine, it was then I knew this isn't just about getting tired...I am burning out.

And burnout won't just make you physically tired, it would drain you mentally, emotionally and all, one would start reacting to things in such a way one isn't supposed too, you snap at little things, you get distant from people, you avoid conversations, you hardly think straight, there's no motivation to keep going. And then, back then, I think I should just quit and disappear to give self some rest, but then again, to get a work, even to get this wasn't easy at all, so that again isn't the best option, its just essential to find a balance.

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To avoid getting to a point of burning out, one, set boundaries, that was what I did, it wasn't as easy as it sounded, but it's important to set boundaries, here in my part of the world(Nigeria), people have the habit of glorifying suffering in the name of hard work. If you’re not going and coming, grinding and hustling24/7, people think you’re not serious. But the reality is, if you don’t rest, your body will force you to. I learnt to say no. No to extra work that wasn’t mine. No to attending to some calls and emails at late hours. I stopped feeling guilty for not working extra hours too.

Also, I did some thing which looked simple but it does helped greatly, after working for long before, I do just eat there in front of the screen, still working, just not to lag behind, that doesn't mean I won't work extra hours, but now, I take time off the desk to go eat, I do some little sight seeings, do some outside walk, eat out and I made friends with colleagues who made work more bearable. I laugh during meetings instead of taking everything too seriously, instead of listening with rapt attention, taking note of every single thing, not as if I wasn't serious, but I balance things, now, when things get heated up during meetings, am always the first to ease the tension in the room, sometimes I just say or do something funny, and everyone, even if angry or tensed would losen up and these small things added up.

Now, theres absolute rest, not the kind of rest that you decide to do but couldn't and keep waking up every now and then, now my mind and brain do rest, unlike then, they always keep working. I started spending weekends doing things I loved, I watch movies, go out with friends. Slowly but definitely work stopped feeling like a monster.

It is of importance to out oneself first, in a country like ours, where success is often measured by how much we work, it is very easy to tie our entire/while identity to our careers. But we are humans first. If work is makes you miserable, it’s okay to take a break.

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There's a common Yoruba phrase/word here that people do say..."emi ise gu n ju emi eniyan lor"....it means "Work/job life/longevity is longer than human life"
meaning there will always be work to do, but ones life is short, so prioritize yourself/ your life too.

Burnout happens slowly, and recovering from it as well isn't instant. There's the need to pay attention to signs and to take action early so to avoid getting lost in that cycle. Work will always be there, what about you?

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