NEW YEAR, SAME OLD BURNOUT

There are so many buzzwords that follow the millennial generation; words and phrases like “woke,” “cancel, and “can’t even’’ are essential to the millennial vocabulary. One word that has been increasingly in use is the word “burnout.’’

This concept of “burnout’’ isn’t really a concept when you’re a millennial trying to make ends meet while building up a career, and for some, juggling parenthood all the while. It is a very real experience that some might just shrug off as ‘’life,’’ but it has disproportionately affected millennials more than any other generation.

Author Anne Helen Petersen released a book titled Can’t Even: Millennials Become the Burnout Generation where she defines burnout as always being exhausted, feeling like everything is work and living one accident away from eviction or illness. Basically, there is no margin for error for those living with burnout.

In fact, burnout has become such an issue that in 2019, the World Health Organization defined workplace burnout as a part of International Classification of Diseases. And now during the pandemic, everyone, not only millennials, are experiencing burnout for a multitude of reasons.

There is so much economic and emotional instability due to the pandemic that burnout is becoming into a serious health issues that could lead to hospitalization.  Many major life decisions, like having children, are also being taken into consideration because of burnout: many millennials can’t deal with the stress of regular life and can’t imagine one with children.

Since, we are starting a new year, however, it would be a good time to take a breather and try to ease some of the burnout. It might seem futile at first, since the pandemic won’ be over in the year and many will still be economically unstable for a while. Some things to try is prioritizing self-care. Yes, “self-care’’ is another millennial buzzword, but it’s meant to be perceived as taking some time for oneself to regain energy or relax.

Another thing to try is breaking the routine. Many of us who work from home, especially, are stuck from going to the desk, to the couch and then to bed. Stepping out for a bit of air or getting into a new hobby can freshen up a mundane routine.

Burnout isn’t something that we can outrun, especially when issues outside of our control can change up our whole lives. The first to do is acknowledge it and work from there.