3 Signs You Are Hitting Gender Transition Burnout!

Nov 9

Anyone who has taken steps toward gender transition knows just how challenging and life-consuming a transition can be.

Whether it is the social, legal, medical, or even surgical part of the transition, external and internal stressors are inevitable.

And depending on your circumstances, your support system or lack of it, your coping style, and your access to resources, among many other things, transition-related stress and exhaustion will manifest in each person differently.

There is, however, one common denominator. Transition burnout. A period during which you feel utterly mentally and physically exhausted to keep going on.

The challenge with transition burnout is how it tends to sneak up on you, suddenly showing up one day, uninvited and unexpected.

That’s because you often ignore signs leading up to burnout, pushing them aside as you stoically continue confronting your challenges.

Here are the three most common signs you are hitting transition burnout!

#1 INCREASE IN NEGATIVE SELF-TALK

One of the most common signs of transition burnout entering your life is an increase in how you talk to yourself—specifically, your negative inner chatter.

“I hate myself for being born this way.”
“I look ridiculous.”
“They won’t accept me.”
“I am not trying hard enough.”

While it is common to feel some level of negativity from time to time when you notice a shift in increase, when you find yourself overly critical, that’s a sign of feeling burned out.

That’s because psychological exhaustion sucks all the positive thoughts and feelings out of you, leaving you face-to-face with your inner critic.

If you find your inner dialogue antagonistic toward yourself most of the time, focus on how to re-frame negative thoughts into positive ones. It is a sign to pause and practice compassion, kindness, and love toward yourself.

#2 FEELING HOPELESS

Starting to feel hopeless is a sign of transition burnout and a giant red flag screaming for redirection.

Hopelessness is a sign of looming depression and feelings full of dread and despair, and you can spot it by hearing the absolutes you use in sentences:

“I will never pass.”
“Nobody will ever love me.”
“I will always remain alone.”

Never, always, can’t, won’t, etc., are all show-stoppers on your way to your authentic self. They are party poopers entering your life uninvited to drag you down into the hopeless spiral, robbing you of your hope.

If you feel hopeless, recognize this as a big red light urging you to stop. Pause.

Recognize you can’t nor need to go through this alone. Reach out for support, even if it is an online community or an online support group.

Acknowledge that these feelings will also pass and are not permanently rooted in your life.

Take time to practice self-care, even as small as sitting in silence, walking, or taking a warm bath.

#3 BEING FORGETFUL

This is a classic sign of burnout in work, relationships, transitions, or parenting. Forgot where you placed your keys, your phone, and your laundry? Missed an appointment or an important meeting? Arrived at the grocery store only to find you left your wallet at home?

All of these and more are classic signs of burnout. In your case, it can be as specific as forgetting to take your hormones, making a doc appt, or going to a support group.

Forgetfulness is often the very first sign of burnout. That’s because as your mind feels up with stress related to transition, there is less space for it to manage other things in your life.

If you notice yourself forgetting things or misplacing things in the wrong places, it’s time to recognize that you may be handling more stress than you know.

Look at this as an opportunity to focus on yourself and to assess what challenges you are struggling with before letting them hit the wall of hopeless or negative thinking.