How can people recover from burnout?

Written in association with: Dr Hana Patel
Published: | Updated: 13/04/2023
Edited by: Conor Lynch

Burnout, which can be defined as one eventually reaching a level of exhaustion and breakdown as a result of living a high-paced, chaotic life for a prolonged period of time, can detrimentally affect all aspects of an individual’s life.

 

In this article, Dr Hana Patel, a highly revered London-based general practitioner, provides an overview of the different kinds of burnout, and tells us how one can recover from it.

What is emotional and professional burnout?

Emotional burnout refers to when people suffer from stress to such a level that it can affect our mood, our body, and our relationships, especially when it feels out of our control. This can make us feel anxious and irritable, and can affect our self-esteem.

 

Professional burnout, meanwhile, is recognised as a mental health disorder, caused by unmanageable stress at work. As with all health conditions, burnout can affect some people more than others.

 

Is burnout classified as a mental health issue? Is it a form of depression?

Experiencing stress over a long period of time can also lead to a feeling of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, often called burnout. Unfortunately, people with burnout can also have a low sense of self-worth, and can have thoughts of self-harm or suicide.  

 

What are the signs or symptoms of burnout?

Signs of burnout include a sense of feeling tired, helpless, and detached most of the time. People can feel overwhelmed, take longer to complete tasks, and typically have a generally negative outlook on life.

 

How can people recover from burnout?

Treating burnout can be a long process, involving changes at work, support from friends and family, changing work-life balance, diet and exercise. People can change their response to events and situations which will make them feel better, even without their work environment changing. 

 

If you feel like you are currently suffering from burnout, make sure to contact Dr Hana Patel today via her Top Doctors profile today

By Dr Hana Patel
GP (general practitioner)

Dr Hana Patel is a versatile and experienced general practitioner in family medicine and life and mental health coach in the Southeast London area. She specialises in well-man and male fertility checks, menopause, paediatric checks, over 50's health checks for men and women, and memory health checks. In addition to her practice in family medicine, Dr Patel currently practises as an mental health and life coach, and offers qualified and regulated coaching supervision.

She first received her medical degree in 2005 from The University of London, and continued to further her medical qualifications through rigorous trainings and degrees. These include, but are not limited to, specialised diplomas in leadership and management, postgraduate qualifications in family planning, women's health, elderly medicine, and a Master's degree in medical education and strategic leadership. Dr Patel has trained with institutions such as King's College London, University of London, and University of Kent. In 2010, she received her qualification from The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

Currently, Dr Patel practises mainly in mental health and life coaching, along with coaching supervision. She has a passion for mentoring, aiding both fellow qualified doctors, future doctors, and her patients. For many years she was providing these services solely to colleagues before she decided to open them up to all clients, as well. Due to both her background as a general practitioner and personal experiences, Dr Patel is able to provide a unique holistic approach which is individualised per patient and session.

Dr Patel's passion and dedication to coaching, mentoring, and education can be seen via her roles as an Academic mentor for Health Education England, a General Medical Council examiner and carrying out coaching and mentoring for primary care within the NHS. She truly embodies all that coaching requires, giving her patients a trusted and high-quality service alongside long-term care. University of Kent has made her an Honorary lecturer, which she does in congruent with teachings and trainings around the country and international lectures.

Having presentations and research resulting in published works, Dr Patel is internationally known. She is presently a section editor for the RCGP medical journal for GP trainees all around the world, InnovAiT

Dr Patel is partnered with the Wellness Medical Laboratory for the interpretation of blood test results. Dr Patel provides the following consultation options:

  • 30 minute blood test interpretation consultation: £130
  • 60 minute blood test interpretation, lifestyle modification and health coaching session: £200

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