Blog Post #108: Burnout Risks for Type C
Our most recent podcast guest was the amazing Dr. Debbie Sorensen, author of ACT for Burnout and the ACT Daily Journal. Debbie is also the co-host of the Psychologists Off the Clock podcast. She shared some important perspectives and guidance for over-giving Type C people who are under chronic stress from taking on too much responsibility. Here are some highlights!
Type C people are susceptible to burnout because of our drive to give to others; we ignore our own needs and tend to suppress physical pain and anger.
Classic signs of burnout - from chronic stress in the workplace - are exhaustion, disengagement, cynicism, feeling less effective, and a decrease in motivation to do the work.
Work can be overwhelming - we can be barraged with constant emails, meetings, and requests for help. Sometimes we feel like we can’t keep up, and we can lose our passion and energy. We may call it in and do the minimum.
Burnout can manifest as emotional exhaustion where you feel like you don’t have anything left to give. You feel so depleted - your energy and enthusiasm are gone.
It’s common to blame ourselves - we berate ourselves for not being able to keep up and stay on top of everything.
Burnout can also manifest as feeling easily annoyed with people or feeling resentful or irritable. We may snap at people we wouldn’t normally be frustrated by.
Burnout can happen to all different types of people - age, profession, gender identity. There is no one set profile. But we often find it in people engaged in their careers and emotionally invested in their work. People who overly care.
When you say yes and take on responsibility for things, stress builds - but it’s more than that. Sometimes it’s an emotional thing, you’re responsible for making sure everyone is happy. You’re attuned to everyone. You feel responsible for their happiness. You feel a sense of hyper-vigilance. This style can lead to burnout, it’s exhausting to do this all the time.
Type C’ers can even take on responsibility for the problems of the world - climate change, war. It’s important to mitigate this and remind yourself - I alone can’t solve this problem, I can do my fair share, what feels right to me, but I can’t take personal responsibility for the big problems facing the world.
Setting boundaries, saying no, assertive communication - these are critical skills for Type C people to learn.
We can use the wisdom of burnout to make better decisions. We must ask ourselves - where can I say no to get myself to a better place? We have to pace ourselves. We have to face the discomfort.
There are internal shifts that people can undertake. Type C people can be critical and harsh on themselves in a situation that’s already hard. Learning self compassion and being kind to yourself matters.
Setting up behaviors that will sustain you in the long-run is also important, like getting good sleep and putting screens away. Better habits will help you recharge yourself.
Employers are usually pretty motivated to keep you and keep you happy in your job, it’s important to remember this if you are considering asking for a different work situation.
Prioritizing yourself is key - going to bed earlier, asking for more help. Developing the ability to ask for help is a new behavior for many Type C’ers.You have to face some uncomfortable emotions - like worrying if people will be mad at you.
It’s easy to slip back into saying yes too much. We have to catch ourselves earlier on in the cycle, before we get too busy and too stressed and neglect sleep and downtime. When we catch ourselves early, we can avoid burnout territory.