Burnout has become a buzzword over the years. It is still not a concept many people can wrap their heads around. Burnout is specifically related to work, and should not be applied to any other life experiences. Some characteristics of burnout are feeling exhausted, experience negativity or cynicism and feeling less effective at work. Find out more about the signs of burnout in professionals and how they can seek help for this issue.
Signs of Burnout
The signs of burnout are not always so obvious. It depends on the person and their way of coping. Read on to find out if you’re displaying any of the most common symptoms.
- One of the telltale signs of burnout is the inability to get excited about work. A lack of interest or enthusiasm about what you’re doing, even including the projects that used to get you excited, is the number one sign of burnout. You don’t get the same level of satisfaction anymore, in your work life.
- When there’s a lack of excitement about work, you stop putting in the effort. It can often lead to a negative and ever apathetic attitude.
- With an apathetic attitude comes a disinterest in daily tasks. And that leads directly to poorer performance at work. People who are burnt out just don’t care enough any longer to do things well.
- Are you constantly fatigued all the time? Do you feel an over exhaustion? These are common indicators of burnout. And it won’t only be a lack of physical energy, you could also feel emotionally drained.
- Along with burnout, there are usually some physical complaints. Some of these are insomnia, headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, and gastrointestinal pain. Of course, there could be other reasons for these ailments, but if you’re experiencing them in conjunction with the symptoms above, then they are probably an indicator of burnout.
So if you are in burnout, what can you do to help yourself? The most repeated advice is to take a break – and that can help a little bit. But merely taking a vacation will not solve the issue, because you’ll go right back to your ways afterward. The point is not to just press pause, but to make some active changes.
Changing your attitude starts with learning to recognize the negative habits and thought patterns you have, and then work to stop them when they do happen. For e.g., you don’t have to do everything perfectly. It’s ok to not be perfect. While changing these thoughts is in your hands to a large extent, changing your workload isn’t. You will need to approach your boss to have a frank conversation about the fact that you’re overworked. There is a professional way to handle that talk, and you can speak to a therapist or to your HR rep about that.
Burnout can lead to fatigue, which can lead to using prescription drugs, over the counter medicines, or other substances to cope. Don’t let yourself continue that slippery slope if you are already down the hill. We are here to help you pull out of it, get back on track, and recover your life, health, and work. For more information on sober living programs for men and women as well as recovery programs, call (877) 377-3702.
