Don’t wait until you become too unwell

Murat reflects on two experiences with burnout, drawing attention to his symptoms, untreated eating disorder, and the lack of support at work.

 

I worked for a mental health charity as a Peer Employment Coach for six years. During this time, we had lockdown and I caught COVID-19 twice. I first started experiencing burnout when I was given the responsibility to manage a new peer support service as well as four other services, my own caseload, and three peer support groups.

These responsibilities came with a high workload: keeping four different client databases up to date, registering and discharging clients, signposting clients to support, and promoting our services. I felt so pressured by my managers and the CEO to meet deadlines, as well as quarterly and monthly KPIs (key performance indicators).

In my personal life, I was also dealing with my eating disorder and grieving over the deaths of my grandfather, my close friend, and an ex-service user who died by suicide. It got to the stage where I was overworked and decided to leave the role.

In 2023, I started a new job with the NHS.

"Looking back, I can see the signs that caused my relapse with burnout. Within a week of being in the new role, I wasn’t able to sleep or eat and neglected my self-care. I lost my appetite and people were telling me I was losing weight.

I struggled to find a healthy work-life balance; taking my work home with me and working overtime. I wasn’t speaking to my friends or family, using work as an excuse to get out of meeting them."

– Murat

At work, I couldn’t concentrate on my tasks. I’d get irritated very easily. I developed a sharp pain in the back of my head, which I’m still suffering from. My body would tense up every time someone called my name. I wasn’t taking my annual leave and had to be forced by my managers to take it.

I didn’t know I was burning out until I spoke to a colleague who shared her experiences with me. That was when I realised that I needed to do something about it. However, I was scared of being unemployed again, not being able to find another job and being discriminated against by employers because of my mental health. But as my symptoms of burnout worsened, I had to leave to focus on my wellbeing.

I accessed support from my GP, my employment specialist, and my mental health team. My medication was changed and I was referred to further support for my eating disorder. My employment specialist helped build my self-confidence and find suitable job roles. She gave me the emotional support and encouragement to try employment again. She also helped me make reasonable adjustments at work, such as starting at a later time due to my struggles with sleep and speaking to employers on my behalf.

"A year later, I still experience the side effects of burnout, but I’m in a place where I can handle it better.

I’ve learnt that I’m a lot stronger and more resilient then I give myself credit for. I’ve learnt that I have a good support network, that I need to reach out to them whenever I need to."

– Murat

Looking back, I wish I had someone at work I could’ve spoken to, someone who understood mental health and who I could trust. It also would’ve been helpful to have access to or knowledge of Employment Assistant Programmes whilst I was working, rather than having to wait until I was in too deep and too burnt out.

My advice to others is to speak to someone. Reach out for support wherever you can – from a professional or people close to you. Don’t wait until you become too unwell or until someone has to intervene.

Want to know more about burnout?

Read our latest Burnout Report and access helpful insights and resources for employees and employers.

Find out more

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