One of the main causes behind many of the problems you see in the pictures is burnout.
A survey of 11,000 desk and frontline workers in eight countries (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UK, and the US) reveals that roughly half of the global workforce is currently grappling with it.
If left unchecked, burnout can cause a myriad of problems, including fatigue, feelings of isolation, decreased immunity, sleep disturbances, etc.
To learn more about these things, we got in touch with Jourdan Travers, LCSW, a licensed clinical therapist and Clinical Director of Awake Therapy—a telehealth company that provides online psychotherapy, counseling, and coaching to individuals, couples, families, and organizations in over 40 countries worldwide.
"Burnout isn't only hard to describe; it's also hard to tell if we're experiencing it because it can be hard to know if we're tired from a stressful week or have crossed the line of being too exhausted to function," she told Bored Panda.
"Sometimes, we have to push ourselves to meet a deadline or give something our maximum effort, but it's important to note that we can only sometimes provide that level of exertion. That's not sustainable or realistic."
According to Travers, typical warning signs that we've entered burnout include:
- a lack of energy;
- feeling tired, drained, and overwhelmed;
- having trouble falling and staying asleep;
- reduced performance at work;
- a sense of hopelessness.
Since burnout is so difficult to identify, we can also make mistakes when addressing it—or whatever it is that we think we're experiencing.
According to Travers, who also contributes to the website Therapy Tips—a news and publishing division of Awake Therapy—the list of unhealthy coping mechanisms includes "isolating from others, abusing substances, self-harming, impulsive spending, angry outbursts, and nearly any behavior that would cause you to ask a friend, 'Are you okay?'"
Instead, we should try to establish healthy habits.
"One of the best ways to avoid burnout is to recognize your signs of stress and take breaks as needed," the therapist said.
"It's important to assess your schedule realistically and include essential activities in your daily life, such as getting 7-9 hours of sleep, eating a healthy diet, and engaging in physical activity."
It's easy to underestimate the power of time spent away from work.
But one study published in the Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being journal suggests that activities on weekends, which provide considerably more opportunities to get away from the grind, help reduce burnout and increase your energy tremendously.
So don't feel ashamed if you feel the need to spend Saturday afternoon scrolling memes on the sofa instead of planning for Monday. Detach and relax!