7 Signs of a Burnout (And Best Way to Prevent It)

Heavy workloads, stressful work situations, and relationship problems are a part of life. However, relentless pressure can take a toll on you, leaving you frustrated and out of sorts. This depilating condition is named burnout. Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to burnout, which can have a devastating effect on your personal and professional life.

But what are the signs of burnout, and how can you prevent it?

Fatigue, irritability, professional inefficacy, isolation, weak immune system, and a desire to escape are some common signs of burnout. The good news is that once you identify burnout, you can follow tips for burnout prevention to revert to your active and happy self. In most cases, situational variables are the primary contributors to burnout. Thus modifications in job, mindset, and routine are frequently necessary to address all underlying concerns.  

Unfortunately, burnout isn’t always obvious. With that in mind, we’ve developed a guide to help you spot the signs of burnout. Whether you are experiencing burnout yourself or wish to offer a hand to someone in your social or professional, below is a list of some of the most helpful ways to prevent and combat burnout.

What Is Burnout?

Herbert Freudenberger coined the term “burnout” in the 1970s to characterize a severe stress disorder that causes extreme physical, mental, and emotional tiredness. It makes it difficult for individuals to deal with stress and carry out day-to-day obligations.

People experiencing burnout often believe they have nothing more to contribute. They may even take a negative attitude toward life and experience a loss of hope. Burnout may occur in individuals who are continuously subjected to excessive amounts of stress.

Helping professionals, such as physicians and first responders, are particularly susceptible to experiencing burnout. People caring for children and the elderly can also experience this form of intense weariness, in addition to those whose exhaustion is caused by their careers. A research article available at Frontiers revealed that even parents might also experience burnout.

Burnout cannot resolve on its own, and if left untreated, it can result in serious medical and mental disorders such as depression, heart disease, and diabetes.

What Are the Signs of Burnout?

Many people confuse burnout with the stress of daily life. This makes it essential to understand the common signs of burnout such as chronic fatigue, irritability, negative lookout, inefficacy at work, change in appetite, change in sleeping pattern, isolation, a desire to escape, and a weak immune system.

Let’s take a look at these telltale signs of burnout in detail.  

1. Fatigue

Have you been feeling drained lately? Feeling emotionally and physically exhausted is one of the most prominent signs of burnout. 

You may feel more tired than usual and even experience physical symptoms, including headaches, back pain, and muscle ache. The feeling of exhaustion is unlikely to go away on its own or even with a good night’s sleep.  

2. Irritability and Negative Lookout

Burnout can cause individuals to lose their temper more frequently with friends, coworkers, and family members. Normal pressures, such as preparing for a work meeting and completing domestic chores, can become overwhelming when things don’t go as expected. 

Consequently, people experiencing burnout tend to take out their frustration on those around them. They experience a negative outlook on life. Feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, and decreased motivation are common.     

3. Professional Inefficacy

Inefficacy refers to a lack of skill, accomplishment, and productivity. People experiencing this symptom of burnout fear that they will not be able to succeed in particular circumstances or complete certain activities. It frequently co-occurs with tiredness and cynicism since individuals can’t perform at their best when they’re out of fuel and disconnected from their tasks.

Burnout can also begin with inefficacy if you lack the resources and support to accomplish your work effectively. This component can also be activated by a lack of feedback and meaningful appreciation, which leaves you questioning the quality of your job and feeling unloved.  

4. Change in Eating or Sleeping Patterns

Burnout may manifest as a change in your sleeping and eating habits. When experiencing burnout, you may eat and sleep too little or too much.

5. Isolation 

Burnout can lead to mental health issues such as despair and anxiety. Those suffering from burnout often feel overwhelmed. Consequently, they may cease interacting and confiding in friends, family, and coworkers. Isolation is often a coping mechanism. However, in most cases, it does more harm than good for the individual experiencing burnout. 

6. A Strong Desire to Escape  

People with burnout who are dissatisfied with the never-ending demands of their jobs may fantasize about fleeing, quitting, or taking a solo vacation. They feel trapped in their lives and daydream about escaping the rut. In severe circumstances, they may turn to drugs, alcohol, or food in an effort to dull their emotional agony and escape from their reality.

7. Weak Immune System

Like other forms of prolonged stress, burnout can weaken your immune system, making you more prone to colds, flu, and sleeplessness. Frequently getting sick is one of the most ignored signs of burnout. 

Is It Burnout, Depression, Or Something Else?

The symptoms of burnout coincide with those of anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue. Therefore, it can be challenging to identify burnout in certain circumstances. One technique to determine if you are experiencing burnout or something else is to notice if the feelings are constantly there or disappear when you are removed from stresses that may be contributing to the burnout.

If emotions of exhaustion, melancholy, and apathy subside once you leave the workplace, this is symptomatic of burnout and not depression.

Depressive symptoms do not disappear if you change your environment. Sometimes, burnout can also appear with less evident signs, such as weight gain, poor sleep, or falling sick more frequently.

How Can You Prevent Burnout?

You can prevent burnout by focusing on your needs and making certain lifestyle changes. It also helps to have strong interpersonal relations in your life that offer support. Maintaining work boundaries is also essential to prevent burnout as it promotes a healthy work-life balance. Finally, it is important to understand that there is no shame in reaching out for help.

Here are some tactics that can help you prevent and combat burnout.  

Self-Care Is Key

It is crucial to recharge your physical and emotional energy by emphasizing diet and exercise. Physical exercise is not only beneficial for our physical health, but it may also improve our mood. If you are constrained by time, consider mini-workouts and brief walks to develop a regular fitness routine.

Also, don’t forget to take some “me time” to indulge in activities that promote serenity and well-being, such as meditation, writing, and appreciating nature.

If you’re having trouble fitting these things into your busy schedule, take a week to evaluate how you are spending your time. You may do this on paper, in a spreadsheet, or with one of the several accessible applications. For each block of time, write what you’re doing, who you’re with, how you’re feeling, and how beneficial the activity is.

This can help you identify possibilities to restrict your exposure to non-essential tasks, people, and circumstances that put you in a bad mood. Increase your involvement in those that improve your energy and create room for a pleasant, relaxing time away from work.

Make Room for Fun

We all have favorite activities, such as exercising, listening to music, and socializing with friends. Whatever your favorite activities are, schedule them regularly to take your mind off of work, he explains.

However, keep in mind that focusing our activities and interests only on outcomes creates an additional source of pressure. So, make sure you pick hobbies that you enjoy.

Evaluate Your Mindset

Rest, relaxation, and replenishment can alleviate weariness, reduce cynicism, and increase productivity, but they do not address the underlying reasons for burnout. You may return to the same demanding workload, unacceptable conflicts, and few resources at the office.

Therefore, you must examine your thinking and assumptions closely. Changing your viewpoint can mitigate the adverse effects of burnout. For example, if weariness is a major issue, consider which jobs, even significant ones, you may outsource to free up time and energy for other essential responsibilities. If you feel ineffective, consider what aid or growth you can seek to alleviate pressure.

Take the time to consider the position you’re burned out from and recall why you started. It might assist you in viewing your circumstance more positively. Burnout drives many individuals to hyper-focus on the unpleasant parts of their work or career. This makes the work or role appear more intolerable. Remind yourself of the positive aspects of the position.

Reduce Occupational Stressor Exposure

Additionally, you’ll need to focus on activities and relationships that continue to induce unhealthful stress. This requires calibrating colleagues’, clients’, and even family members’ expectations regarding what and how much you’re ready to take on.

You may face resistance. However, it is important to understand that you are making these adjustments to increase your long-term productivity and safeguard your health.

Seek Out Healthy Relationships

The most effective cure for burnout is seeking meaningful human contacts and continuous personal and professional growth. Having relationships with coworkers helps prevent the onset of burnout. This may be more difficult if you work remotely, but it is still essential. If you discover a connection or common interest with a colleague, foster the relationship.

You can also find coaches and mentors who can assist you in identifying and pursuing good learning and relationship possibilities. Volunteering to counsel others is an extremely effective method of stopping a bad cycle.

Given the impact of situational factors on burnout, it is probable that other members of your company are also suffering. Your sense of control and connection will rise if you come together to provide mutual support, recognize issues, and generate and push for solutions.

Set Work Boundaries

One of the greatest ways to prevent burnout is to establish clear work and home boundaries. Routines help you establish these limits. For example, you may want to stop reading emails beyond a particular hour each night or shutting off notifications after work hours.

Sit down and make time and space to assess your feelings. Identify what and who in your life depletes or overpowers you. Now acknowledge that these are the places where you must establish boundaries.

Maintain a Healthy Sleep Schedule

Keeping a regular schedule for sleeping and waking can help you achieve a good work-life balance. Make sure you get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night.

If you work from home, make sure you do not do your job in bed. Similarly, it is best not to check your email before bed at night. The idea is to ensure that your sleeping area is just a place to sleep and not work.

Reach Out for Help

It is always preferable to prevent or promptly solve existing problems than to choose to put out fires later. Therefore, do not hesitate to reach out for help the minute you notice any signs of burnout. Seek assistance if you are unable to manage burnout or if it has lasted six months or longer. You can discuss the situation with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Another option is to look for support groups that might link you with others who are willing to listen and share similar experiences. Apps for guided meditation and stress reduction are also readily available. Try using apps that offer guided visualizations and progressive muscle relaxation, both of which are good self-care tools for daily stress.

It is also a good idea to opt for therapy. Therapists can provide ongoing assistance to create adjustments to your limits and behaviors over time. In addition, a therapist might help you evaluate if you are suffering from something other than burnout, as many burnout symptoms coincide with those of depression.

The Bottom Line

Burnout is your body’s way of telling you when it is overworked. It manifests as extreme mental, emotional, and physical tiredness. Many times, the signs of burnout coincide with other conditions, such as depression. Therefore, it is important to be self-aware and actively look for signs of burnout.

Burnout might feel overwhelming. However, it is not a permanent condition. By knowing the symptoms and applying the tips for burnout prevention, you will be able to recover and create a preventative plan to fight burnout.

If you or someone you know is experiencing burnout, think of it as an opportunity to propel towards a more stable career and a happier, more fulfilling life!