Most people think a boundary is created to keep us “safe” from other people and that it’s appropriate when someone else’s behavior gets “bad” enough.

Burnout is a big topic and we’re just scratching the surface in this series of four episodes. While learning to complete the stress cycle is so important, it’s an incomplete approach to managing and, perhaps more importantly, preventing burnout. There are several other factors at play, including your mindset.

I really love talking about mindset because helping people learn to manage their mind is such a fundamental part of the work I’m lucky to do with my clients.

We tend to be very poor self-reporters of our stress levels because, as a society, we’ve normalized exceedingly high levels of stress, even wearing it and talking about it like a badge of honor. And we’ve just come to accept the prominence of certain stressors in our lives. But we really need to distinguish our stress from our stressors because burnout is caused by chronic stress, not stressors.

Quarantine has exacerbated burnout for so many people. According to the American Psychological Association, we’re facing a national mental health crisis that could yield serious health and social consequences for years to come.