11 Signs of Burnout
Posted on November 03, 2014 by Diantha Boardman, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
This is part one of a three part series on Job Burnout
Stress is a biological response we experience when we are faced with a threat that we don’t think we have the necessary resources to deal with. Once we have determined that something is a threat, our bodies respond with increased heart rate and respiration, decreased digestive activity, and a flood of different neurochemicals in our brains. Once the stressor has been resolved, our bodies calm down and return to a state of homeostasis.
Burnout is a result of long term exposure to multiple high intensity stressors that cause a state of physical and mental exhaustion. For the purposes of this post, I’ll be talking about burnout as it relates to one’s job. This kind of stress develops gradually over time which can make it harder to recognize right away. I had some some experience with burnout a few years ago and I was surprised to discover that my situation is not unique; there are a lot of other millennial women are burning out before the age of 30.
Burnout can have significant negative consequences for your health, sanity, relationships, and job performance if left untreated, so here are some signs to look for:
1) Chronic Exhaustion/Fatigue. This is more than just low energy or feeling tired; it’s a state of physical and mental exhaustion that leaves you feeling drained and depleted.
2) Forgetfulness or Impaired Concentration. You have difficulty staying on task, finishing work on time, or remembering things and this didn’t used to be an issue.
3) Easily Irritated. Little things have started getting under your skin and you have a growing list of frustrations.
4) Insomnia. At first you may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep a couple nights out of the week but over time things get worse. After a while, no matter how exhausted you might be, you can’t seem to quiet your mind down and get some rest any night of the week.
5) Frequent Mood Swings. You’re angry. You’re depressed. You’re anxious. You’re excited. You’re apathetic. You are an emotional yo-yo and may wonder if your PMS is getting worse or if something else is wrong.
6) Social Isolation. You stop going out as much, you cancel plans with friends a few times, and you start avoiding too much interaction with you’re co-workers. Over time you that socializing takes more and more effort and you’re spending more time alone. Disengagement is one of the biggest signs of burnout and can lead to trust issues and feeling like you can’t count on others.
7) Loss of Motivation. Every day it gets harder and harder to get up and go to work. You feel disillusioned, uninspired, and under appreciated.
8) Guilt. It seems like you’re constantly working but still struggle to get things done which makes you question your own competency and feel guilty for not fulfilling your work obligations on time.
9) You Get Sick A Lot. Chronic stress can lower your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to infections, colds, and the flu. Stress can also cause headaches and frequent aches and pains.
10) There’s Always Too Much To Do. Your workload is excessive and you frequently work long hours to try and stay on top of it but you constantly feel overwhelmed. Forgetfulness, lack of motivation, and time off for sick days has contributed to this feeling as well.
11) Increased Alcohol Use. Or drug use. Or stress eating. If you went from having a few drinks with friends over the weekend, to going straight to the nearest Happy Hour every day after you clock out, WARNING! While this may help take the edge of the burnout initially, it’s a pattern of behavior that leads to addiction, among other various negative consequences.
If you think you might be burning out but aren’t quite sure, check out the Burnout Self Test from MindTools for some clarification. Now that you know what burnout is and how it can effect you, my next post will be about the causes and risk factors for burnout.
I look forward to your feedback and if you liked what you read, please share it with your friends on social media. :)
Thanks for reading!
