Burnout is a state of chronic stress where you lose your ability to focus and find it virtually impossible to to rest, recuperate and re-energise.
There are many factors that can contribute to burnout, from being overworked to physical exhaustion and even emotional or relationship trauma that may be difficult to escape.
When you experience burnout you will usually feel ineffective, unproductive and detached from being the best version of yourself.
But the worst part of all is that burnout can slowly creep up on you without you realising it, affecting everything from your physical and mental state to your work performance and your relationships with loved ones.
Here, we discuss five clear signs of burnout and suggested ways to get back feeling clear, energetic and being your healthy best self.
1. Mood Swings
Even if you’re not the most upbeat outgoing person, you shouldn’t wake up grumpy and downcast every single day.
But when you’re burnt out, it's common to feel irritable, anxious and even short tempered.
If simple things are continuously setting you off or you find your moods are effecting your personal or work life, you’re probably burnt out.
Whilst overcoming mood swings is not always quick or easy, by consciously rewiring your perspective or reaction to things in your environment, you can go a long way to balancing out unwanted mood swings.
Look on the bright side, practice being grateful, have a "glass-half-full" mindset, and see things as they are but not worse than they are - and this should help as a starting point to balance out your perspective which greatly impacts your mood.
Learn more in our blog How to Balance Mood & Reset Your Nervous System
2. Energy Levels
One of the clearest ways to tell if you’re burnt out is your energy level or constant lack thereof.
Of course, one long day at work doesn’t make you burnt out and neither does occasionally going to bed earlier than normal. However, if you notice a pattern of always feeling tired, sluggish, run down and unmotivated, this is a sign that you may be suffering from burnt out.
A really clear indicator of burnout is when you're suddenly feeling tired during times when you’re not used to feeling that way, like midmorning or right after work. Also, when you notice that you have trouble sleeping through the night or even falling asleep at all, despite how exhausted you are.
These are common signs of burnout. And a simple way to counteract this is to add more balance into your life by setting firmer work hours so that you're allocating time for your personal life and general self care.
Once you leave work for the day, don’t check your email, don’t answer work calls or texts, and immerse yourself in activities that calm and re-energise you, rather than drain you out.
Learn more in our blog 5 Daily 'Musts' To Boost Your Energy Naturally
3. Know Your Vices
Some people naturally turn to their weakness or vices when they’re upset or stressed, and this can become even more pronounced when burnout takes hold.
When you find that the only way to cope with stress or anxiety is to rely even more on certain vices such as junk food, alcohol or constantly bingeing on netflix, you could be in the throes of burn out.
Whilst moderation is key and life is to be enjoyed, once you become dependent on habits that impact your physical, mental and emotional health in a negative way, it can compound the problem and make it very difficult to overcome signs of burnout.
When you have burnout, your priority should be to reduce your toxic load and to consciously seek out activities that can help nourish your body and mind in a positive way.
Go for a brisk walk every single day out doors, run a hot salt bath, tune into a positive, educational or motivational podcast, do a round of deep breathing, or go to the gym for physical workout.
The point is, there are always activities you can choose to replace your vices that aren't serving you and that could be exacerbating the problem of burnout. It just means making smart, conscious choices that will help you to reset, recharge and re-energise rather than add to the problem.
Learn more in our blog 7 Ways to Deal With Anxiety & Find Inner Peace
4. Physical Symptoms
Maybe one of the scariest symptoms of burnout is the physical toll it can take on your body.
It’s not just tiredness or changes to your weight and body composition that can occur over time, but it is also a direct link to increased risk of sickness and disease because of the impact that burnout has on your immunity.
It can be anything from constant headaches, migraines and fatigue, to digestive problems and muscle and joint pain that show up when you're burnt out.
When your body becomes depleted, your immune system quickly follows suit, which makes you vulnerable to infection, inflammation and dis-ease.
5. Stress & Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are like "silent killers" because they're one of the less talked about causes of disease in today's society.
It’s incredibly important not to underestimate the seriousness of stress in your life. It can effect your physical and mental health, your personal relationships, your performance at work and your overall happiness in life.
In short, recognising stress and dealing with it right away isn’t easy, but it can impact every aspect of your life if you let it. Whilst it’s important to ensure you’re in a work and home environment that isn’t constantly causing you stress, it’s equally important to train yourself to deal with stress effectively.
A great skill is to be able to focus only on the things you can control and less on the things you can't that give you grief.
When you’re feeling anxious or stressed, first ask yourself if it’s over something you can control or change. If not, it’s time to force yourself to move onto something else, whether it’s a productive activity, self-care, or quality time with friends and family.
If it is something you can control, make a plan to figure out how to change it so that it doesn't automatically stress you out. Having an action plan can be enough to bring your stress levels down, so that you’re not risking your health and happiness.
Easy tips to help you de-stress:
- Try a detox bath
- Use essential oils designed to balance your mood
- Make yourself a homemade, healthy, delicious meal
- Do an activity that brings you joy, like yoga, reading, playing or listening to music
- Meditate with the help of an app such as "Daily Calm"
- Walk your dog every day
- Spend time outdoors in nature and practice earthing regularly
Learn more in our blog Stress Management Without Harmful Addictions
The Main Take Away
Burnout is a genuine problem that can effect everyone at different times in life.
When you experience burnout, there are clear signs that indicate that it's time to make simple lifestyle changes that can help you to get back on track.
The important thins to realise, is that burnout isn’t something you can turn around overnight. However, by recognising the signs of burnout and then by making some conscious adjustments like we've shared with you here, you'll go a long way to getting over burnout and returning to the best, happiest, most productive version of yourself.
Tolman Self Care.
