Symptoms of Burnout

Our culture values hard work and productivity more than almost anything. It is ingrained in us that in order to be a valued member of society we must work tirelessly to climb the ladder. While hard work can be incredibly fulfilling, this attitude can easily become toxic and negatively affect your health and your relationships with others and ultimately lead to burnout.

Burnout is a very real risk for the hard worker –  the WHO recognises it as an “occupational phenomenon”. If we do not make time for ourselves and those that we love we can begin to feel depleted of energy and exhausted by our work, leaving less space for us to put effort into the things we love most. Burnout can have significant consequences for every facet of your life, which is why it is essential to take some time to unwind and give yourself some grace.

Some symptoms include:

• Feeling constantly tired or drained
• Feeling trapped and defeated
• Feeling lonely
• Negative thoughts
• Cynicism
• Self-doubt
• Procrastination
• Feeling overwhelmed

There are many factors that may contribute to one becoming burnt out. You may feel that you lack control over decisions that affect your job (e.g. schedule, workload, lack of resources) or that it is unclear what is expected of you. Dysfunctional dynamics in the workplace, feeling isolated that you lack in social support (at work and/or outside of work), or work/life imbalance are also major contributing factors.

All  of us have bills to pay and many of us have families to support. Considering this fact in conjunction with the ingrained belief that your productivity defines your inherent value, it is easy to see why burnout is such a common phenomenon – an average of 77% of people will experience it during their lifetime, some more than once.

If you think that you may be burnt out, there are many ways in which to combat it. Perhaps the most important is to seek help, either from professionals or those you care about. Perhaps even consider exploring what options you have with your supervisor or seeing whether or not an employee support scheme is available to you. Sufficient sleep, regular physical activity, mindfulness and proper nutrition can also go a long way to alleviate your symptoms.