5 Signs you’re heading for burnout.

Coined in 1974 already, the term “burnout” didn’t really become a buzzword until Anne Helen Peterson’s article How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation in 2019. By summarising her experience of consistently pursuing more without real satisfaction, she made the term more accessible. She broke down the barriers so we could have more honest conversations about how easy it is for your work to take over your life if you don’t have parameters in place to protect your mental well-being in the long run.

Let’s continue that conversation.

It’s often easier to understand something when you know what it isn’t. So, burnout isn’t feeling tired or stressed, it’s not disliking your job, it’s not feeling sad, it’s not laziness, and it’s never an excuse.

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Burnout is the result of feeling constantly overloaded without the opportunity to rest and recover, leaving you feeling perpetually exhausted, annoyed, and unaccomplished.

In short, you’re no longer in control. The car is heading off the cliff, and you’re buckled in with no way to stop it.

The difficult thing about burnout is that you won’t wake up one morning knowing: “Ah, I’m reaching burnout. Let me make some changes.” No, that would be too simple, and we humans are complex creatures. Instead, it creeps. Like a fog slowing building and building until you realise you cannot see straight anymore.

Getting back from that is hard and can require a total reworking of your life, habits, and work. Recognising the signs that you’re heading for burnout earlier could avoid a total crash.

Here’s what to look out for:

1.       FATIQUE

One of the earliest signs of being burned out is feeling mentally exhausted and empty. Nothing excites you as deeply anymore, and you find yourself pretending to be motivated to take on a new project or task. This further perpetuates the problem, of course, because your intrinsic energy levels are fast depleting.

If you’re often feeling low energy at work, don’t ignore it. Take the time to consider why work is so draining and consider what you can do to better sustain you during the workday.

2.       DISCONTENT & DISENGAGED

From burnout stems a deep hopelessness. Your mind and body start to shut down to protect you from the constant onslaught of stress, deadlines, and expectations to perform.

This can lead to active discontent. You may feel hostile and annoyed towards your co-workers or managers. If left unchecked, your behaviour could spiral out of control leading to angry or emotional outbursts.

Or it could lead to feeling apathetic and disengaged. You’re taking your hands off the wheel because, to be frank, the prospect of disaster no longer scares you. Feeling disillusioned with the reality of showing up every day just to be bogged down with what now feels like meaningless work, can make you dismissive to fix theproblem or change your situation.

Regardless of whether you experience hopelessness as discontent or disengagement, both are signs that you need to start paying attention to your mental well-being at work.

3.       STRUGGLING TO COMPLETE SIMPLE TASKS

If you’re struggling to get through even the most basic tasks on your to-do list, you’re very likely heading towards severe burnout. It feels like you’re putting in the same effort, working the same hours, yet your output keeps reducing – to no fault of your own.

This is where it becomes increasingly important to realise that your shortcomings are not a result of laziness or a lack of work ethic. Your mind, spirit and soul are so tired that your capacity for creativity shrinks into nonexistence. That’s why it feels like you can’t get anything done.

If you’re overwhelmed with your to-do list and chasing the dream that it will end, instead of chasing your actual dreams, it’s time to stop. Stop what you’re doing. The solution isn’t working more.

You can’t hustle your way out of burnout. Look at what you’re doing and not doing, and try to detangle what matters from everything else that doesn’t.

4.       NEGATIVE COPING MECHANISMS

Negative coping habits aren’t always as obvious or severe as excessive drinking or self-harm. Erosive behaviours can take the form of unhealthy eating habits, neglecting hobbies or people, doom scrolling etc. It’s anything you grasp at to distract from the day-to-day dissatisfaction.

Although any unhealthy coping mechanism offers temporary escape, it’s also preventing you from getting to the root cause of why you’re feeling burned out and disconnected.

5.      PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS

Prolonged stress can also take its toll on your body. Don’t dismiss regular headaches, constant nausea and illness, or disruptive sleep patterns. It can very likely be your body succumbing to the crushing pressure of your workload and responsibilities.

Often your body may experience stress before you have cognitively put together the puzzle. That’s why it’s so important to be connected to your physical self as much as your emotional and mental self. You are part of a whole.

If your body is suffering, learn to listen to its cry for help.

Remember, burnout is deceitful. The hopelessness can convince you that you’ve lost control forever – that the car going over the cliff is inevitable and that you have to accept your fate. That’s not the truth.

You do have the power to take back control and change your circumstances. The first step is recognising the signs of burnout present in your life and realising that to continue in this way is unsustainable.

It’s okay to admit that you’re struggling and need help. You deserve so much more than what you’re feeling right now, so keep faith. There’s always hope!

If you’re feeling like you might be heading to or suffering from burnout, please reach out to a friend you trust or get in touch with us. We’d love to have an open conversation about how you feel.

Let’s talk: