Are You Burnt Out?

Feeling worn out from work or life pressures? Are you getting sick more often or dealing with persistent headaches? Does the idea of heading to work or engaging in activities you used to enjoy make you feel anxious? Or maybe you've hit a stage where you just feel indifferent? If any of this resonates with you, it’s possible you’re facing burnout—a form of stress-induced fatigue that can affect various aspects of your life.

What Does Burnout Mean?

Burnout happens when someone feels emotionally drained, often in a work setting where stress levels are high and there's a lot of interaction with others.

If someone is dealing with burnout, they might feel completely wiped out and overwhelmed by what others expect from them. They could lose interest in their work, start avoiding social gatherings with coworkers, cancel meetings or practices, have emotional outbursts, and generally not seem like their usual self.

Burnout is a response to ongoing or long-term stress.

It typically has three key aspects:

1. exhaustion,

2. cynicism (a decreased connection to the job),

3. and a sense of reduced professional competence.

In simpler terms, if you’re feeling drained, starting to dislike your job, and questioning your abilities at work, you might be experiencing burnout.

Since most people spend a large chunk of their waking hours at work, feeling miserable about your job, dreading each day, and not finding any joy in what you do can really impact your life.

This impact often manifests as burnout symptoms.

Long-term stress at work can really take a toll and lead to burnout, but it’s not just work that can cause this; other life situations like caregiving, relationship issues, parenting, or financial struggles can also pile on the stress and lead to burnout.

So, what are the signs of burnout? You might feel drained, get sick more often, feel emotionally spent and struggle to handle everyday tasks. If you don’t tackle it, burnout can seriously impact your ability to function.

Signs You Might Be Experiencing Burnout

Being aware of the signs can help you gauge if the stress you're feeling is taking a toll on you.

Here are some key indicators to watch for:

Stomach issues

Elevated blood pressure

Feeling completely drained and emotionally spent

Lack of motivation

Feeling overwhelmed

A sense of helplessness

Emotional detachment

Seeing others as the source of your problems, leading to cynicism or indifference

Pulling back from social interactions, which can harm relationships

Self-doubt, which can erode self-esteem and lead to depression

A low mood

Feeling like you’re achieving less than you should

Worrying that you’re becoming someone you don’t want to be.

Weakened immune system (frequent illnesses)

Persistent headaches

Trouble sleeping

Difficulty focusing

Feeling down

Sense of worthlessness

Diminished interest or enjoyment

Thoughts of self-harm

Exhaustion

Physical Signs of Burnout

When you're dealing with burnout, your body tends to show some telltale signs. Studies show that common physical symptoms of burnout include:

- Digestive issues

- Elevated blood pressure

- Weakened immune system (getting sick more frequently)

- Frequent headaches

- Trouble sleeping

Since burnout stems from ongoing stress, it's important to recognize how this stress impacts your body overall. Just because you're under chronic stress doesn't automatically mean you're burnt out, but if left unaddressed, it can lead to burnout over time.

Chronic stress can manifest physically through increased aches and pains, fatigue, and changes in your appetite. All these signs can indicate that you might be experiencing burnout.

Signs of Mental Burnout

Burnout takes a toll on your mental and emotional well-being. Here are some typical mental symptoms you might experience:

- Trouble focusing

- Feeling down

- Sense of worthlessness

- Lack of interest or enjoyment

- Thoughts of self-harm

Burnout stems from tough situations rather than being a sign of weakness or a lack of resilience.

How to Deal With Burnout

Reclaiming your personal power and sense of control is crucial for bouncing back from burnout.

Don’t wait to seek help—reach out to a health professional as soon as you can. Addressing issues early makes them easier to handle.

Consider getting counselling, therapeutic or skills-based support can really help you figure out who you are, how you operate, and what you need. You can contact me here to explore therapy options.

Burnout often stems from challenging situations, especially related to work, so it’s important to work on improving your work environment.

Set clear boundaries. Everyone has their own way of establishing boundaries, but knowing what you want and don’t want can help you manage your mental, physical, and creative energy better. Be explicit about what you will and won’t do, and clarify your responsibilities. If your boundaries have been crossed or weakened, it might be time to reinforce and communicate them again.

Focus on keeping a healthy routine—make sure you get enough sleep to support your mental and physical well-being, and carve out time for creativity, emails, social media, and regular meals.

Equally important is scheduling downtime and engaging in hobbies or spending time with friends and family outside of the industry.

Consider any other lifestyle changes that could help lower stress or bring more tranquility into your life. And don’t forget the basics: prioritise your diet, exercise, and overall fitness.