5 Signs of Burnout

Introduction

Burnout is a state of utter mental, bodily, and emotional depletion brought on by continuous and severe stress. It occurs when you are emotionally depleted, overburdened, and unable to meet endless expectations.

Burnout saps your energy and renders you cynical, bitter, hopeless, and powerless. It decreases productivity, leaving you feeling drained and unable to contribute further.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as “a syndrome caused by chronic stress that hasn’t been correctly managed.”

While burnout is commonly viewed as an occupational condition, it can occur anywhere. Our lives can get so occupied with assisting others, maintaining the household, and even doing the things we enjoy that we forget to take a break and relax. When this occurs, burnout may result.

The good news is that burnout doesn’t just appear. Gradually, one stressor is added to another until you can no longer cope. Several signs and symptoms indicate impending burnout that you should be aware of.

If neglected, these symptoms will worsen, resulting in total burnout.

5 Signs of Burned Out

In our previous post, we enumerated three types of burnout symptoms. You can check the post here. Let’s go deeper into the topic and discuss the signs of burnout. Here are five burnout signs that you should be aware of.

You Constantly Feel Exhausted

Do you struggle to get out of bed in the morning to go to work? Do you frequently have spells of extreme fatigue that make it difficult to move?

Do you feel as though your shift has lasted forever?

This feeling of physical and emotional tiredness is the first indicator of burnout. Burnout causes you to feel exhausted, depleted, and incapable of coping. Even if you have just awoken, you will have a complete lack of energy to perform any activity.

You Develop Cynicism

According to Psychology Today, cynicism is the second indication of burnout. Cynicism is a blatant disregard for work and working conditions, bordering on insensitivity and negativity. You will view your job and all upcoming tasks as annoying and highly stressful. You would also develop a cynical attitude toward your coworkers and begin to separate yourself from them.

You Feel Useless

Another typical symptom of burnout is a sense of incompetence or the sensation of inefficiency or ineffectiveness. A person suffering from burnout lacks creativity and has trouble focusing on daily chores at home or work. It would result in decreased productivity and an absence of accomplishment.

You’re Depressed

When you feel ineffective, exhausted, and cynical, it’s not surprising that you’ll develop depression. According to research, the burnout sensation primarily impacts one area of your life (the reason for the burnout), whereas depression affects every aspect of your life.

Depression may occur from burnout. However, this is not always the case. According to studies, those prone to depression are more likely to experience burnout.

Physiological Signs

Several physical signs indicate burnout, with sleep disturbances being the most indicative. Several studies have found a correlation between difficulties getting asleep and keeping asleep and burnout. A severe sleep disorder increases the likelihood of contracting various illnesses, including burnout.

Other physical signs of burnout include: 

• Headaches
• Stomach aches 
• Digestive problems
• Constant fatigue
• Frequent illness
• Frequent muscle pain

Conclusion

These burnout signs necessitate a lifestyle adjustment to avert a total breakdown. Taking a vacation or a brief work break is a temporary solution. It is necessary to make purposeful, healthy adjustments to your work schedule and life to avoid these burnout signs from getting worse.

In our next article, we will discuss another aspect of burnout. Be sure to check them out by following us on FB or Twitter. Thanks for reading. You may check our other articles below.