Signs Of A Burnout
Burnout can be crippling and annoyingly avoidable. Everyone wants to be first across the finish line but if the cost is feeling like a drained battery, is it really worth the agro?
The truth is that it isn’t, and many people (including myself) struggle with finding the perfect balance between work and rest. If I’m honest with myself, I always feel pretty burnout - I work full time, run a small freelance business, and I’,m seemingly adamant to have a social life. Why shouldn’t I be able to manage all three in unison? I’m horrible at saying no, I always put in 100% and more often than not, the other things in my life begin to suffer (or at the very least, get completed in the middle of the night).
Burnout is a real issue, back in 2019 the World Health Organisation recognised it as an occupational hazard, but there’s more too it than work. Over exertion is a long term issue, not specific to a job, but instead a lifestyle.
I’ve spoken several times about the pressure to build a career for yourself in your 20’s, and burnout comes hand in hand with that. There’s only so long anyone could feasibly push themselves to work until 10pm every single day.
Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion. it occurs when you experience long-term stress from work, or you’ve been in a physically or emotionally draining situation for some time. Without proper thought, and a good work/life balance…burnout is inevitable. Look for the signs and prevent it before it dominates you.
Symptoms and signs
We all have says where we feel overwhelmed and under appreciated - when dragging ourselves out of bed takes a little more determination than normal. If you feel like this most of the time, you may be suffering from a burnout.
It’s a gradual process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can creep up on you. The signs and symptoms are subtle at first, but get worse and worse as time passes. Think of the early symptoms as red flags that something needs to change in your life. If you pay attention and actively reduce your stress, you can prevent a major breakdown. If you ignore them, you’ll eventually burnout.
Physical signs and symptoms of burnout
Feeling tired and drained most of the time
Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses
Frequent headaches or muscle pain
Change in appetite or sleep habits
Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout
Sense of failure and self-doubt
Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated
Detachment, feeling alone in the world
Loss of motivation
Increasingly cyclical and negative outlook
Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment
The difference between stress and burnout
Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn’t the same as too much stress. Stressed people can still imagine that if they can just get everything under control, they’ll feel better.
Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough control. Being burnt out means feeling empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of any motivation, and beyond much caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress feels like you’re drowning in responsibilities, burnout is a sense of being all dried up. And while you’re usually aware being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens.
Dealing with burnout
Whether you recognise the warning signs of impending burnout or you’re already past the breaking point, trying to push through the exhaustion and continuing as you have been will only cause further emotional and physical damage. Now is the time to pause and change direction by learning how you can help yourself overcome burnout and feel healthy and positive again.