In today’s fast-paced, connected world, social fatigue is becoming a common problem. According to the British Mental Health Foundation, 74% of people in the UK have experienced at least one feltthat are too overloaded with interactions with other people.
At the same time, it is not only personal communication in real life that leads to exhaustion. Results of numerous studies provethat social media can influence levels of anxiety and depression. And another British survey showedthat 70% of young people experience social fatigue and overload due to the pressure of online communities.
While socialization is important for overall health and well-being, everything is good in moderation. Otherwise, you risk overexerting yourself trying to communicate with everyone at once, and facing what experts call social burnout.
What is social burnout
This is a condition in which we feel tired, exhausted and exhausted by communication. In addition to emotional and physical exhaustion, the main symptoms of social burnout also include irritability.
Part of this feeling is due to the fact that we receive too much stimulation from other people who want to “snatch” a piece of our time and attention. So our natural reaction is to shut down. Social burnout can change not only our mood, but also our behavior. We try to protect ourselves, so we try to isolate ourselves or become irritable and short-tempered.
Each person has his own maximum level of socialization, after which communication turns from fruitful and fun to tedious. Therefore, there is no universal limit that would avoid social burnout. Some people feel great on a walk with a friend, but at a big party they want to hide under the bed. It all depends on the nature and level of introversion or extroversion.
How to avoid social burnout
1. Set reasonable limits
Set your communication limit and don’t exceed it to keep your social battery charged. For example, get into the habit of checking your schedule at the beginning of each week and choosing which meetings you’re willing to spend your time and energy on and which ones would be better off rescheduled. When doing this, consider not only social events, but also your home and work responsibilities.
Try to plan everything so that contacts with other people are meaningful, but do not drain you. Perhaps some weeks you will enjoy attending various events, and some you will want to stay at home. This is fine. The main thing is to adapt the schedule to your needs and remember that personal boundaries must not only be set, but also protected.
2. Change the format and duration of communication
You can regulate the timing, duration, and format of any communication to prevent social burnout. For example, instead of forcing yourself to socialize at a party and stay until the very end, decide in advance that you will only come for one drink or stick to dessert. This will save energy.
In addition, nothing prevents you from correcting existing plans. For example, if you have dinner with friends every Friday but find yourself too tired this week, reschedule the meeting for Saturday or just skip it. Or, when you don’t have enough energy for personal communication, invite your friends to video chat.
3. Communicate your needs honestly and clearly
When you feel like social burnout is about to set in, alert those around you that you need a break. This way you will save yourself from a flood of invitations that you are unable to accept. At the same time, try to be friendly and frank. For example, you could say, “I’ve been feeling really tired lately, so I want to spend more time focusing on myself.”
In addition, you can outline a period after which you will be ready to communicate again. Just don’t rush through it trying to please everyone, and don’t take too short a break. Take as much time for yourself as you need. If you understand that you are only willing to attend some meetings for now, for example with a small number of participants, say so directly.
Setting boundaries and expressing yourself is a process that becomes easier with practice. So try not to stop, even if it seems difficult.
How to cope with social burnout
Preventing this condition is much easier than recovering from it. But even if you reach exhaustion, you can still bounce back. An effective way to do this is to take a break and slow down.
Once you start noticing symptoms of social burnout, rearrange your schedule to make more time for self-care and include activities that calm and recharge you, such as meditation or yoga. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, drinking water, getting outdoors, and making time for the activities you love that make your life more active, joyful, and fun.
As with everything else, moderation is important in communication. Strive for a balance between the time you spend on yourself and the time you spend on others. And if you feel like you’re running out of energy, don’t hesitate to take a step back, politely decline any meetings, and double down on your alone time.
How to get comfortable in society 🧐