Do you feel burned out?
Do you know the feeling, when you force yourself to play more without really having the motivation? You start getting tired of your teammates, you get more frustrated when not hitting your shots and you start to lose confidence.
It doesn’t matter if you are a pro player or not, experiencing burnout is a real thing, and actually, 64% of you on Instagram answered “yes” when asked if you had felt stress or burnout symptoms lately.
After reading this article you will know why burnout is so common among CS:GO players, how it feels to be burned out, and what you can do to prevent it – and recover from it.
What is burnout?
According to helpguide.org, burnout is:
“a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress”.
In the case of playing CS:GO, the stress comes from the requirements of playing the game. It is the mental energy you use to stay focused and make decisions based on what’s happening in the game. It is the physical stress that comes from sitting in the same position for longer times. Naturally, your body needs to move regularly to stay healthy. You might also start dealing with negative emotions like frustrations, anger, fear of failure, or anxiety. These emotions drain your mental energy and can cause motivation to disappear.
If you don’t manage to let go of the stress factors, they can quickly build up and turn into burnout.
Why do some CS:GO pro players burn out?
Looking back at the CS:GO pro scene in 2020, several players, including Glaive and Xyp9x, from the Danish team Astralis had to take a break from CSGO due to the stress and burnout symptoms they felt. A big reason why this happens is because of for this the heavy load of stress that comes from playing many hours, traveling to various tournaments around the world, and the high pressure and competition between the teams.
Traveling a lot can be stressful due to jetlag and constantly changing environments. In the earlier years, CSGO pro players would sometimes travel directly from one tournament to the other. All this time away from home gives less time to rest and take care of one’s body and mind. The high workload builds up stress and fatigue and if players don’t manage the stress they eventually burn out.
How does it feel to be burned out?
Burnout is a gradual process and is not something that happens overnight. First, the signs and symptoms are subtle, but it gets worse as time goes on. You can think of the early burnout symptoms as red flags that tell you something is wrong and needs to be fixed.
The early symptoms of burnout will often be a feeling of being tired or drained of motivation most of the time. You could also start experiencing muscle pain or headaches. Trying to push through these symptoms, and continue as you have done, will only cause additional physical and emotional damage.
On the emotional side, you might start to deal with self-doubt, anxiety, and low tolerance to tilt and frustration. At the same time, your body needs to deal with an increased amount of the stress hormone cortisol, which works with certain parts of your brain. It regulates your fight-or-flight response and controls your blood pressure. Too much cortisol over a longer period can damage the body and cause problems for your health.
As mentioned earlier, if you don’t manage to let go of the stress coming from playing, but instead keep pushing forward by playing more, you will sooner or later start to feel some of these burnout symptoms. These burnout symptoms will probably affect other aspects of your life as well.
Tips you can use right now
I have met many people who play CS:GO for up to 10 hours a day, and this amount of hours will most likely lead to some sort of burnout in the long term. So what can you do to avoid burning out and keep your energy and motivation high?
Take breaks from playing
It’s important to take shorter breaks in between each game, but also take longer breaks away from the CSGO. These breaks will help keep your motivation and focus high.
Practice good sleep habits
Sleep is the most essential thing for your well-being and it allows the body and mind to recharge. Without proper sleep, you will soon begin to break down.
Tips for better sleep
- Get outside in the morning to receive direct light
- Avoid looking at a screen 1 hour before bedtime
- Have a consistent sleep schedule
- Stop drinking coffee or energy drinks 8-10 hours before sleep
- Be active throughout the day
Exercise regularly
Exercise is not only good for your physical health, but it also gives you a mental boost. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym every day, small workouts at home or a run outside could give you great benefits.
Learn to manage your stress
If you don’t manage your stress, you will likely experience burnout symptoms sooner or later. The best way to manage stress is by focusing on a healthy lifestyle.
