Are you constantly feeling exhausted and can’t imagine how you will keep up with your current pace? Maybe you are feeling stuck in a never-ending stream of work and can’t seem to break through the feeling of being overwhelmed. Though it may sound like a buzzword, burnout is real. Not every person will experience burnout in the same way. But many people who experience burnout share similar feelings. In this article we will help you answer the question, are you burnt out?
WHAT IS BURNOUT?
Burnout is the overall state of mental, emotional or physical exhaustion. It’s a form of chronic and seemingly never-ending stress. Burnout is not something that happens overnight. Instead, burnout is the buildup of stress over time. Burnout can be caused by stress from work or other more personal life stressors. If you are experiencing the following symptoms, you could be burnt out.
YOU’RE EXHAUSTED
Physically, mentally or emotionally, burnout steals your energy and leaves you tired. If you are feeling more tired than usual, so much so that you’d call it exhausted, you may be suffering from burnout. Burnout is different from simply staying up too late and feeling tired. This is an underlying and constant form of exhaustion that isn’t remedied by a good night’s sleep.
YOU’RE UNMOTIVATED
When you are exhausted you don’t want to do anything. Work, socializing, playing with your kids all feel like “work” and you don’t have energy for any of it. All your energy is usually being funneled into the major stressor in your life, which for many people is work or family responsibilities. When you’re burnt out, you aren’t motivated to go above and beyond or even do simple things for yourself. Instead, you tend to scrape by doing only the bare minimum.
YOU’RE EXPERIENCING NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
It can be hard to see through the fog when you’re burnt out. If you are suffering from burnout you may find yourself being more pessimistic and negative than you typically are. You might dread going to a job you used to love. Or you might find that little things that usually wouldn’t bother you have become a major problem. The exhaustion associated with burnout often can leave you feeling a daily irritability and in general not feeling satisfaction or happy in your life.
YOUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE SUFFERING
When you’re burnt out you don’t have the energy to do anything extra. So, if you feel like you don’t have the energy to nourish your relationships, you might be dealing with burnout. This can affect many different relationships. It can start with not having time for your friends or other social relationships. You may start saying ‘no’ to outings that you previously would go to. This can mean not feeling ‘present’ with your kids or your spouse and easily getting agitated with those around you. All of these can be signs of burn out.
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?
Burnout is exhausting. But there are things you can do to break through and regain your typical self. Leaning into your support networks, attending therapy, or even making small changes to your day to day life can help.
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