I've been reading a book called Burnout: the Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. It's pretty good (although explicitly geared towards female-identifying people), and one of the main ideas is that:
Just because you resolved the stressor doesn't mean you've dealt with the stress.
Think about it this way: imagine you've seen a lion. Your body goes into fight or flight mode (or it freezes), and your whole system is flooded with a bunch of chemicals and hormones to make sure that your body and mind act in a way that will keep you safe. If you fight the lion or flee from it, all those hormones have a job and are used by your body. You walk away with your life, and then you rest, because you just beat a lion.
Unfortunately, our bodies don't know the difference between a deadline and a lion. So we activate that same bunch of chemicals and hormones - our hearts can race, we can focus more clearly, we might feel jittery, and we either get the work done, or we don't.
But what most of us do not do when faced with deadlines, or any of the other stressors that can come up during the day, is complete the stress cycle. We resolve the stressor, but we don't give ourselves the chance to get all of that physical and emotional and mental energy a place to go. We hop to the next task, or maybe we get some fitful rest while feeling guilty that we aren't done. But the stress stays - and every time that cycle restarts without completing, we just build up more and more of a tolerance to the stress response.
And when we're tolerating the stress response, it takes more and more pressure to get it to be effective. A deadline a week away used to get us moving, and now it's more like three days. Or we feel the adrenaline kick in, and we ignore it, avoid it, or work on something else less scary. We get stuck in the feelings of stress and pressure, and that stuckness is what contributes to our burnout.
The good news is that there are ways, scientifically proven ways!, to complete that stress cycle. Here are a bunch of ways that they offer:
Physical exercise - one of the most effective, as it "tells your brain that you have successfully survived the threat and now your body is a safe space to live." Any movement will do!
Breathing - deep, slow breathing to downregulate the stress response
Positive social interaction - "reassure your brain that the world is a safe, sane place and that not all people suck!" Check ins on the Thrive Network or poms in the chat room are great for this, as is smiling at people on the street or saying hello to acquaintances in the hallway.
Laughter - Maru is always great for a laugh!
Affection - people, pets, all counts!
Crying - strong recommend from me if it's safe to do so!
Creative Expression - see this article for more!
Rest - Active or passive, they both can help
But, in general, you have to DO something to complete the cycle. You have to acknowledge the stress and take a step to assure yourself that you're safe. The threat is over, or it's time to take a break, and you'll be back tomorrow, or after lunch.
Adding more stress, or saying you'll break later, only adds to the feeling of being stuck, and the actual biological conditions that that creates. So experiment with doing things - at the end of a work day, a week, or even a pom - to complete the cycle. And let us know if it helps!