3 Symptoms of Burnout & How To Treat Them
Here’s how to spot the effects of cumulative workplace stress, aka burnout, and manage it for better mental and physical health.
Note: I am not a mental health professional. The information presented in this article should not be used for self-diagnosis or to replace a medical diagnosis from a mental health professional or your primary care physician. The following information is for educational purposes only.
Burnout is far more complicated and is not as busy or overwhelmed. The World Health Organization, WHO defines burnout as “a syndrome that results from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Three dimensions characterize it:
- feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
- reduced professional efficacy.
Burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life (WHO 2019).” Burnout may not be a medical condition. However, it’s a syndrome that can affect your physical, mental, and overall well-being when not addressed.
Burnout doesn’t only have emotional or mental symptoms, but it may also carry physical harm to one’s body. Fatigue, frequent headaches, loss of appetite, and lowered immunity are some unpleasant side effects you can experience during burnout.
In this article, I will give you insights into recognizing symptoms of burnout and dealing with it for your greater good!
Quick Breakdown of Burnout
Before we discuss the symptoms of burnout and treatment options, it’s essential to understand what burnout is. Burnout is a syndrome that affects millions of workers globally. In short, it’s an extreme form of mental exhaustion that manifests into physical, emotional, and psychological warfare. People who experience burnout often experience similar symptoms to depression, which may cause them to overlook it.
However, understanding the critical difference between depression and burnout will help you to identify when you or a loved one truly need professional help. One of the key differences between the two is that burnout doesn’t typically last long and can be resolved with some self-care and relaxation. However, people who suffer from long-term generalized depression require a professional diagnosis from a mental health specialist and medication.
If you are experiencing signs of depression, you must talk to a mental health specialist. But, if you’re experiencing other symptoms, such as exhaustion, lack of proficiency, and mood changes due to your work life, continue reading to learn more about some of the most common signs of burnout.
Symptoms Of Burnout
Burnout usually results from a gradual build-up of stress, which manifests significantly more at one point, referred to as “the crash.” However, burnout may often lurk without you realizing it, so it is essential to recognize it early on.
Spotting the early warning signs of burnout in a coworker, employee, boss, someone with whom one is in a relationship, a family member, or a friend can be difficult. The condition can develop over weeks or months as the person’s response to work-related stress evolves.
These conditions can affect a person’s life in various ways, which is why you must know about them.
Here are the three most common signs of burnout:
Chronic Exhaustion
Don’t think you are being lazy; instead, identify the fact it’s an outcome of burnout. Exhaustion becomes a part of you when you are burned out, just like second nature.
Think about it: Have you ever woken up from your comfy bed to find yourself as exhausted as someone after an entire workday in the fields? If that’s the case and it happens regularly, full-on burnout is likely incoming.
Those experiencing chronic exhaustion typically feel better after adequate rest and time away from work. However, before reaching this point, you should lower your workload, increase the demand, and take time off for rest. Everyone needs rest regardless of their work field, and making time for it is essential.
Asociality
It is not a cold, flu, or fever that will hit immediately. Instead, the symptoms will reveal themselves one after another. You will start alienating yourself from others, whether your family, friends, or coworkers. Cynicism will hit you, disengaging you from worldly joys and delights. Burning out is not a phase that will pass. Instead, it will flush you away in its darkness and loneliness.
Asociality will likely occur when you invest too much energy in navigating socially demanding environments or people. Getting to the end of social exhaustion can feel like you’re on the brink of a breakdown. But since our society emphasizes social interaction and stimulation, you may only recognize the signs once you’re in the middle of burnout.
Social exhaustion doesn’t happen overnight. However, being mindful and in tune with your mental health can help you recognize early signs and prevent burnout later.
Inefficacy
According to the dictionary, inefficacy lacks the power to produce a desired effect. However, when talking about burnout, this translation changes. In burnout, inefficacy is the feeling or emotions of being incompetent and unable to achieve anything.
When you are burned out, it’s hard to concentrate on work, and numbness overcomes your entire body, making you lose control over your habits. Are you feeling demotivated, discouraged, demoralized, and, well, just numb overall? If that’s the new anthem of your life, and you feel like you’re lacking the productivity and achievements you once were capable of, then it is highly likely that you are en route to burnout!
How To Deal With It
As I mentioned, burnout can be accompanied by mental and physical health symptoms. If left untreated, burnout can make it difficult for a person to function well in everyday life, so let’s look at what you can do to get your body and mind back to before the burnout.
Get Some Perspective
If you’re having trouble with burnout, it can also help to get some perspective. The more you can learn about the condition and what you can do about it, the better off you’ll be
Sites like The Vibe Hut provide interesting insights in this regard. You can learn how to make mindfulness a superpower and overcome the anxiety that often accompanies feeling overstretched. You can also discover the true meaning of self-care and why wellness influencers aren’t always right.
Seek Help
Classical burnout can lead to dark thoughts in many individuals, which may seem right because everything is meaningless!
However, it is just a filter through which everything appears meaningless, so this is not all there is to the story. To find the meaning of existence again, communicate your thoughts and feelings with the people around you.
We are social beings, and conversing with the right person can be a saver during the darkest moments!
Below are some common mental health resources for people experiencing dark thoughts or having problems with mental health.
- USA: Call 988 for the National Suicide Hotline
- United Kingdom: Samaritans is a free crisis line in the UK and a significant mental health resource to write down. You can contact this organization in several ways, such as via email, mail, phone, or their self-help app.
- South Africa Suicide Hotline: Call 0800 567 567
- Asia and India: Call 1553 (+63) 917-899-8727 or (02) 7-989-8727 for the #ThereisHelp at the National Centre for Mental Health Crisis Hotline in the Philippines.
Mindfulness
Though it may not be accessible during burnout, try to consciously and neutrally pay attention to your inner self. Realize that burnout is just a state, and you get further away from it with each breath. So be mindful of your worst conditions, choose not to respond emotionally, and you’ll see them pass by seamlessly.
In the workplace, it’s easy to experience the pressures of keeping up with constant demands. However, mindfulness can increase productivity, improve work efficiency, and make it more enjoyable. Some of the best ways you can start practicing mindfulness is:
- Establish a routine outside of the to-do list
- Take short breaks
- Meditate throughout the day
- Set healthy intentions
- Drink and eat healthily
- Break down the tasks into manageable chunks.
Prioritize Yourself
Put yourself before anyone else, whether it be family or work. Self-care is an essential ingredient in baking a blissful life. Prioritizing yourself is the best thing one can do for themselves. It prevents other factors from overpowering you and creates much-needed balance.
Some much-needed self-care will increase productivity, boost energy levels, and create inner happiness. Without self-care, you risk harming your physical and psychological self. Developing a proper self-care routine before we experience burnout is one of the best ways to ensure we always put ourselves first.
Furthermore, this will help you prevent future burnout, so pay attention to this aspect!
Focus on Meaning
Suppose your roles and responsibilities prevent you from taking immediate time off. Instead, you are connecting your current project to a larger personal goal (i.e., finishing this project will financially help you realize an idea of yours). However, remember that this may only provide temporary relief if that’s the case.
Sometimes, the best way to avoid burnout is to focus on the things you love. One of my favorite podcast hosts, Rob Dial from the Mindset Mentor, once said, “You’re not burned out because you’re doing too much. You’re burned out because you’re not doing enough of what makes you happy.” You have to love what you do and be motivated by it. If you’re not, then you’ll more than likely have burnout.
Take A Break!
Think about it – How often do you happen to have a day or two where you’re doing NOTHING…? In the past, human life was simple because we were bound to survive. We woke up, hunted, and picked fruits; it was already getting dark when we returned to camp.
However, nowadays, we have WAY more tasks of different types, and that is precisely why burnout exists in the first place. So take some days off from anything and everything and focus on what makes you feel calm and relaxed.
This way, your body and brain can rejuvenate, and you’ll return to total working capacity!
Concluding Thoughts
Even the most miserable tasks shouldn’t suck your life force. You can prevent burnout through proper planning, self-care, and adequate rest. Though symptoms of burnout may be similar to general depression, it’s essential to know that it’s not the same. Burnout is temporary and can go away with time and lifestyle changes.
Though burnout may be exhausting, think of it this way – It is just an opportunity to reevaluate your priorities, passions, and current employment agenda. Take the much-needed break! If you’re experiencing the symptoms mentioned in this article, take a break and shift your focus to your well-being.
The secret to everything else is there – Your health and well-being.
Keep those on point.
