We’ve all been there. You’re working hard, grinding away day after day, week after week. Suddenly, you find yourself feeling exhausted all the time. Your patience is running thin, you’re making more mistakes than usual, and you just can’t seem to muster the motivation to keep going.
If this sounds like you, then you might be experiencing burnout. It’s important to be able to recognize the signs of burnout so that you can take steps to recover before it starts to impact your health and well-being.
In this article, we will go through the 7 Telltale Signs of it and ways how to recover from burnout.
What is Burnout?
According to psychologist Christina Maslach, Ph.D., burnout is more than just feeling worn out. It is a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged or excessive stress.
It typically happens when emotionally drained, you’re stressed out, and unable to keep up with the continual expectations. As the overwhelming stress continues, you begin to develop negative feelings and lose motivation and interest in things that once brought you joy, or it can affect your mental and physical health as well.
Burnout is a global phenomenon, affecting people in all corners of the world. In a Statista survey from 2021, Poland had the most burned-out workforce, with 66% of respondents indicating they were feeling it. However, Czech Republic wasn’t too far behind at 59%. The United Kingdom and France placed third and fourth respectively.
Even at the low end of employee burnout in Europe, exhaustion was still close to half the population, with 46% and 45% of responders respectively feeling exhausted.
Since we want to get a handle on this issue, we must understand its causes. The following section will give an overview of these causes so that we can better understand what needs to be done.
What are the Causes of Burnout?
According to a recent study in the National Library of Medicine, women experience more burnout than men, especially in the age group of 35-44 years. However, this level decreases with age for both sexes.
Although it is more common among women, burnout may be experienced differently by each individual. Some experience job burnout, lack of control over work schedules and tasks (elderly parents), unsupportive workplace environment, home life spilling into professional settings, insufficient job resources, and unrealistic job demands on employees who are already stressed by other aspects of their personal lives.
But the root cause is always the same: feeling overworked and underpaid. Burnout, however, is not just a result of demanding work or having too many obligations. Burnout is influenced by a variety of other variables, such as your character and way of life.
Your daily activities and perspective on the world might contribute just as significantly to high levels of stress as your obligations at work or home.
The 7 Telltale Signs of Burnout
Now that we understand a bit of background about burnout and its causes, it is also important to identify the signs of burnout. It could be emotional or physical symptoms. Maybe you experienced burnout without even knowing. Here are the following:
1. You’re Feeling Exhausted All the Time
If you’re constantly feeling tired, even after a full night’s sleep, then it could be a sign that you’re burned out. When you’re stressed, your body releases the hormone cortisol, which can lead to fatigue.
Feeling emotionally exhausted all the time or noticing that it takes you longer to accomplish familiar tasks could be warning signs. Also, if you find yourself depending on caffeine just to get through the day, this is a sign that something might be wrong.
2. You’re Not Eating or Sleeping Well
Humans are creatures of habit. We all have a certain way we go about sleeping and eating, but when your routine changes just slightly it could mean you’re suffering from burnout!
When we’re stressed, our appetites can change and we may not feel like eating or we may overeat. Likewise, our sleep patterns can be disrupted when we’re worried or anxious. If you’re not sleeping well or find that you’re turning to alcohol to help you sleep, this could an indication that you are experiencing burnout.
3. You’re Feeling Irritable and short-tempered
Getting irritated is a common sign of burnout. Stress can make us more impatient, angry, and frustrated. When we feel overwhelmed, it’s difficult to maintain our composure.
If you find yourself snapping at people more often than usual or feeling like everything and everyone is getting on your nerves, it might be time to take a step back and assess your stress levels.
4. You’re experiencing recurring illness
Are you frequently getting sick? If so, it might be time to take a step back and reevaluate your lifestyle. A healthy body often takes care of minor irritations like colds and coughs before they become serious issues, but a burnt-out body might not.
Your immune system can be impacted by stress and weariness, making you more susceptible to infections that you would otherwise be able to fight off easily. So it is important to make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly.
5. You No Longer enjoy Activities That Used To Make You Happy
When we’re burned out, it’s common for us to lose interest in activities that we used to enjoy. If you find yourself not wanting to go out with friends or skipping workouts because they no longer bring you joy, this is a sign that something needs to change.
If you’re experiencing a sudden loss of interest in activities that used to make you happy, it’s a pretty clear indicator that you’re experiencing burnout.
6. Your level of enthusiasm has changed
If you’re usually the most enthusiastic person in the room but find yourself dreading work lately, it can also be an indicator that you’re burned out. It’s not uncommon for people to experience a fading of enthusiasm as they become overloaded and bogged down by their obligations.
Maybe you need to take on fewer projects or delegate some of your responsibilities. In any case, if your lack of enthusiasm is starting to affect your work performance, it’s time to take action. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a real slump.\
7. You want to isolate
When you’re burned out, you may feel like you have nothing in common with others and that it’s just easier to be alone. You may lose interest in socializing with other people and always choose to stay in rather than go out.
Of course, some introverts enjoy their alone time, but if you find that you’re isolating yourself more than usual it could be a sign that you’re burned out.
Ways How to Recover From Burnout
After knowing the following burnout symptoms, the next thing that you should know is your burnout recovery plan. Here are some coping strategies on how to recover from severe burnout.
- Take a break. Haruki Murakami once said, “No matter how tired the body gets, one must never let the exhaustion enter one’s thoughts.” Step away from your business for a few days or even a week and allow yourself some time to relax, manage stress, and rejuvenate. Simply disconnecting from work for a little while can make a world of difference.
- Reconnect with your passions. Find out what makes you happy and do more of it. Are there hobbies that you’ve been meaning to pick up? Now is the time.
- Connect with others. Connecting with others is important. Whether it’s socializing, talking to a professional, or laughing more as research suggests it has a variety of health advantages, including a decrease in stress hormones and an increase in the production of immune system cells.
- Get organized. You can create a schedule or daily routine and stick to it, use lists to keep track of tasks or delegate responsibilities to others. Having a plan can help you to focus and feel less overwhelmed by your obligations.
- Make time for yourself – Make sure to schedule some leisure time for yourself every day, even if it’s only a few minutes. You can have regular exercise, read your favorite book, enjoy your hobbies, or take a relaxing bath. This can help reduce high stress and create positive emotions to prevent burnout.
- Seek professional help. If you’re finding it difficult to cope with your stress or manage your responsibilities, consider seeking professional help. A therapist can help you to identify the source of your stress and develop coping mechanisms and stress management techniques to deal with it.
Conclusion
Burnout is a serious issue that can have a major impact on our health and overall well-being. If you think you might be experiencing burnout, it’s important to take steps in your recovery process as soon as possible. Talk to your doctor or therapist about your concerns and make sure to take some time for yourself—you deserve it!
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