Stress is a part of everyday life for most of us, but there are some signs of burnout that you would be wise not to ignore, because they could be your body’s last ditch effort to tell you that you need a break!
We all know the typical symptoms of burnout, which are fatigue and exhaustion.
If you’re running at 100mph for too long, sooner or later you’ll start accumulating wear and tear!
However, there are many smaller, more subtle indicators that you’ve pushed yourself to the limit and need to hit the brakes before you do permanent damage to yourself.
Here are the seven signs of burnout that may not initially be something you recognize as a warning bell:
- Anger at the drop of a hat.
Anger can be a justified and normal emotion. But have you ever felt like your nerves were frayed before you even walked out the door in the morning?
It may not even be anger, but rather a feeling of irritation and restlessness. However, if you find yourself stressed and tense in every area of your life, this is a great sign that your brain needs a break from stress.
- You feel like your best isn’t good enough.
When you push your emotional and physical resilience too far, you begin to chip away at your reserves and break down the building blocks of your productivity.
It’s not always because you’re doing a poor job (although you’re exhausted, at least possibly!), but it could mean you’re feeling frustrated, anxious, cynical and unhappy.
It’s hard to feel positive and optimistic about your successes when you’re approaching burnout, so no matter how tempting it is to push, and even more so, you have to do the opposite to get the bounce back in your step.
- No matter how tired you are, you can’t turn it off.
Another unusual sign of fatigue is that you experience insomnia, shaky legs, or an inability to get your mind to quiet down, even if you’ve been craving the moment your head hits the pillow all day.
Unable to catch some rest when you need it most? This is a typical sign that you are getting too close to your limit.
Lack of sleep can make all other indicators of fatigue worse. Irritability, depression, and health issues are greatly exacerbated by discomfort, so this is a big flashing neon sign that you’re headed for some tough times if you can’t tone it down.
- You always seem to get sick.
We all know that our mental health and physical health are intrinsically intertwined, and this is never more apparent than when we stress it too much and our body starts giving us warning signals.
If you have a persistent headache, seem to have a never-ending cold, or have aches and pains for no apparent reason, your body is trying to send you a message – it’s time to listen!
- Your job doesn’t seem that important.
In most cases, signs of burnout stem from putting in too much overtime or failing to take a well-deserved time off from professional life. However, this is not always the case, and it can be anything from studies to volunteer work, family commitments to DIY jobs – burnout is not just a work-related issue.
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Wherever you put more of yourself into it, most likely, you will simply begin to care a lot less.
Employers look for initial symptoms of burnout such as frequent absences, late attendance, decreased productivity, and decreased performance. These aren’t necessarily signs that you’re thinking of moving on or that you’re not trying hard enough — but that you’ve been trying too hard for too long, and need to step back, even if only temporarily.
- Everyone in the house is on your bad side.
Burnout can affect everything from your health to your relationships. Besides the emotional effects of trying to keep your car engine running on fumes, you will find that interpersonal relationships quickly begin to deteriorate.
This can manifest itself in many ways, from being unusually short-tempered with your children to neglecting your partner or starting countless arguments with friends you usually get along with.
Relationship deterioration, along with other signs of burnout, is another sign to watch out for because it could mean you’re projecting your exhaustion outward, which can lead to serious consequences.
- Your appetite is as low as your self-esteem.
Reaching a tipping point can be extremely damaging, and when you need as much rest and nutrition as possible, you will find your body rebelling against you.
Mother Nature isn’t easily fooled, and even if you’ve had enough caffeine to run a marathon, your appetite won’t be able to keep up. This is because, just as with sleep, your natural rhythms are out of balance and will only be able to correct themselves if you take a hard look at your depleted energy levels.
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When you eat, everything likely tastes like cardboard because it is associated with your lack of interest in work or relationships – your senses have been dulled by the effort required to keep going when you shouldn’t. So it is difficult to find any pleasure, even from your favorite meal.
