Burn-out

What Is Burnout? 

The term “burnout” is pretty self-explanatory. Just imagine a spent match. You find yourself feeling figuratively burned out when you’ve experienced prolonged periods of emotional exhaustion and physical fatigue. 

Burnout meaning:

• It’s the result of prolonged emotional overload and stress
• You’ll experience physical (over)tiredness and emotional moodiness
• Burnout is your body reacting to having insufficient periods of relaxation following exertion

Please note: Burnout is not the same as emotional exhaustion. You’ll experience emotional exhaustion after a short period of stress or overworking. Burnout is the result of prolonged periods of stress or overworking.

How Do You Know If You’re Burned Out?

You can recognize burnout by looking for these six key signs:

• Symptoms of stress
  Are you experiencing physical exhaustion, problems concentrating/remembering things or trouble sleeping? Worrying and feeling agitated are also symptoms of stress that might be signs of burnout. 
• Losing control
  You’ll feel like you’ve lost control over your life or you’ll experience a sense of helplessness. Burnout makes you feel like there’s no way to tackle your problems or change your situation. 
• Daily activities
  The symptoms you’re experiencing will make daily activities difficult or even impossible. You’ll notice it both at home and at work, whether you’re on the go or attempting to socialize. 
• Indecision
  You can’t make decisions. Instead, you find yourself doubting everything and unable move forward. 
• Insecurity
  You feel insecure about yourself and the choices you’re making. Feeling insecure tends to make you withdraw. 
• Irritability
  Small setbacks will start to seem like major inconveniences. You’ll find yourself getting irritable, meaning you’re more likely to lash out at other people.  

What Are the Symptoms of Burnout?

Typical signs of burnout include:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Heart palpations
• Stomach pain or bloating
• Digestive problems
• Insomnia

Physical Symptoms

You’ll experience the physical symptoms of burnout both during stressful situations and also at other points throughout the day. An example of this might be the fatigue caused by sleepless nights. A lack of sleep makes you irritable. Fatigue also causes a range of other physical symptoms. Burnout makes your body feel incredibly heavy. You’ll find it difficult to stay active – even walking to the grocery store will feel like a long trip.And do you find yourself suffering with headaches or dizziness, for example? These could be symptoms of burnout. Chest pain and heart palpitations are some of the most serious physical symptoms. 

Mental Symptoms

You’ll feel burned out – like you’re running on empty. You’ll also have trouble remembering information and what you’re supposed to be doing. You’ll get the sense that you’re no longer in control and that you’re just going through the motions. This will make it harder to sleep at night because you’ll lie awake worrying about everything.You’ll start to think that it’s all out of your hands and there’s nothing you can do to improve the situation. You’ll become tearful and find yourself crying at random moments. The mental symptoms of burnout mean you can no longer function the way you used to, whether that’s at work, at home, or when you’re on the go. You’ll have trouble concentrating, sleeping and remembering things. 

Causes of Burnout 

Burnout occurs when you don’t have a proper balance between exertion and relaxation. The main causes of burnout are stress at work, certain personality traits and specific situations:

• Work stress
  Stress at work is the leading cause of burnout. After a while, constantly being under pressure at work just gets too much. If you stay stuck in this downward spiral for too long, it will eventually lead to burnout. 
• Personality traits
  Being a perfectionist increases your risk of burnout. And do you have trouble setting boundaries? This personality trait also makes you more susceptible to developing burnout.
• Specific situations
  There are certain situations that increase your risk of burnout. Caring for a family member or another ill person in your vicinity can have a major impact on your mental and physical health.

The Effect of Burnout on Your Health

Burnout has a detrimental impact on your health. Common effects include:

• Trouble sleeping
• Forgetfulness
• Reduced immunity
• Problems with concentrating
• Physical fatigue
• Symptoms of anxiety
• Insecurity
• Impact on social interactions

Help and Treatment for Burnout

Treatment for burnout works best if you continue to do as many of your daily activities as possible and stay active. Burnout treatment consists of three stages:

1. Acknowledge and accept
   Only once you’ve acknowledged and accepted the extent of your burnout you can begin to relax again. Assess whether you can continue to work or if it’s better to take a break. 
2. Create structure
   Identify what’s causing you to feel stressed and find ways to structure your day. Think of solutions that will help you to manage energy-draining situations better in the future and stop you from getting too stressed. 
3. Put solutions in place
   Put these solutions in place so that you’re better able to manage stress. Slowly introduce more activities to your routine and regain that sense of control that you lost. 

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