Keep a Journal to Find the Root Causes of Burnout & Fatigue

Journaling is a wonderful tool for capturing thoughts, exploring gratitude, and expressing our inner feelings - but did you know it can be a valuable research tool as well? Sometimes our fatigue and sense of burnout can be so all-encompassing that we don’t have the perspective we need to see the root causes. Journaling can help.  

Journaling over time can expose elements of our fatigue and burnout that may go unseen day to day. Let’s look at some ways to use journaling to spot the root causes of fatigue and burnout.  

Bullet journals- Bullet journals are formed from snippets of information that are easy to capture. Creating a system of symbols or short phrases that correspond with various feelings is one way to track your day.  

Handwritten journals- Blank-page journals that have no set structure are perfect for expressing free-flowing thoughts and writing whatever comes to mind. Having no set structure for this process allows creative and subconscious-driven content to flow.  

Prompt journals- Thematic journals with pre-written prompts are an excellent way to focus your thoughts in a specific way. Journals that are designed to get you thinking in a certain way can help focus your attention and spark ideas in a general way that helps resist fatigue and burnout. Asking yourself direct questions that get you thinking can help you trigger some “light bulb moments” about your situation.  

Doodling journals- Art therapy is a fantastic way to reveal underlying issues that aren’t making themselves front and center in your conscious mind. Drawing, coloring, doodling, or otherwise being creative is a wonderful way to explore your thoughts and feelings. 

Bible journals- There is a fun trend right now of doodling and creating art inside your Bible. There is no better resource to help identify our innermost weaknesses, stresses, hopes, and fears than the Bible. Finding and illuminating passages that resonate with your soul can show you inklings of what is causing your fatigue and burnout.  

Once you’ve found a method of journaling that works for you, spend a few weeks to a month engaged in the process before starting to review the data. Are there any patterns surfacing? Do you see some ideas popping out at you?  

The information you gather may be just what you need to start thinking about changes you can make that will bring you relief. It may be information that you can share with your physician or counselor. No matter if you share this information or keep it for your personal record, there is a benefit in journaling to relieve the symptoms of fatigue and burnout.