I have shared multiple posts recently on burn-out, as I believe this topic is oftentimes brushed under the carpet. Today, I am continuing to talk about it.

In these colder, darker months it is so easy to hit burn out. It is equally as easy to fall into a slump of laziness. The two are intertwined and it can be very hard to distinguish one from the other. We all experience laziness and burn out during our life times, especially around this time of year, so don’t feel as though you’re alone in this. Today, I am explaining the difference between the two and how to come back out from both of them.

Let’s first describe them both.

What is laziness?

Laziness is not wanting to do work and especially not get out of bed. It can be caused by a decreased level of motivation, lack of interest and confidence. A vicious cycle is born here: a lack of motivation then in turn causes heightened levels of laziness. Laziness is all about knowing that we have stuff to do but just not wanting to do it.

In winter, laziness is very common. Our bed is just too comfy to leave! The way to recognise it is to be brutally honest with ourselves.

Have you been in a lazy slump recently? It’s ok if you have been, and better yet that you can recognise it. Why are you feeling lazy, why don’t you want to do this work you’ve been putting off? These are the first questions to ask yourself. Nine out of ten times your answer will be “it’s cold and dark; I just can’t be bothered.” It’s fine to say that, but remember that in the real world, this isn’t an excuse.

Laziness comes with making up tons of excuses for yourself. Again, it’s ok – we all do it! We procrastinate SO MUCH during these periods. We then make ourselves feel worse about ourselves due to this procrastination and it goes round and round.

It’s ok to have lazy days and times in our life – sometimes we need the rest – but when it gets to be a daily occurrence, for a while too, we need to take a step back and examine why we feel this way and why we are lacking motivation. Sometimes the answer to these questions is that we’ve entered burnout.

What is burnout?

Burnout is characterised by the feeling of physically and not mentally being able to carry on. It’s not about being lazy at all; we just literally cannot go on like this.

I first experienced burnout aged 15 after my mock GCSE exams. It was January too, a very dark, long and miserable month. After the week of exams was over, I did not have the motivation to do anything. I couldn’t get out of bed, and I felt so overwhelmed and sad. Being the high-achiever that I am, I felt like I had failed. I thought “I can’t have a break, I’ve got more learning to do, and I need to get straight As in my actual exams” and “you have no time to rest”. This is a very typical conversation with oneself for a high-achiever like me. I simply didn’t realise that I was experiencing burnout.

My parents asked me what would help. They saw how sad I was, and my twin sister too (we were both of that mindset of the all-or-nothing approach to academics). So, my dad took us out of school for a few days to go on a short holiday. This helped at first, as I always preach that in order to get out of that slump or anxiety patch, immediately remove yourself from the situation, and that’s what we did.

However, not even a week later when we returned, I felt the pressure again. I felt it all the way up to the end of my GCSEs. I didn’t know how to address it from a mental point of view. I know better now.

So, how do you recover from burnout? Rest. Period. Take time off from everything, and not just for a few days. This is obviously hard if you work or go to school. In that case, ask for help! If you are feeling the pressure at work and have a tremendous workload (or at school) ask your supervisor/tutor if they can help take some of that work off you. At work, you’re in a team, and that’s what teamwork is all about. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask for support.

If you’re experiencing burnout right now, remember that you’re not being lazy. You are… well, burned out! The only thing you can do is rest. Say no to extra events and just focus on you and getting better. If you’re a high achiever, I know how hard this can be, especially to even admit it to yourself. We all experience it, so you’re not alone. You cannot carry on if you are burned out, so take that rest. You are allowed to rest! Please remember that 🙏.

What are the differences and similarities between them?

As I said at the beginning of this post, laziness and burnout are very similar concepts, but yet they are so different.

They have similar symptoms:

• Lack of motivation
• Unwilling to participate at work
• Limited concentration & focus
• Exhaustion

But the symptoms of burnout are more varied and concerning:

• Wanting to be productive but can’t
• Isolation
• Feeling of ‘drowning’
• Depression
• Trouble sleeping or insomnia
• Short temper
• Hygiene issues & neglecting self-care
• Mental exhaustion
• Feeling apathetic or numb to life

As you can see, burnout is a more exacerbated issue and it is not laziness. You may feel like your being lazy, but if you physically cannot carry on with this workload, you have hit burnout.

It’s very hard to find a work-life-balance, especially if you are a high-achiever. There are ways to do so, though. Have a look at my other posts to gain more insight into creating this balance for yourself 😄

Signing off,

Pepetoe x