How to Tell When You’re Feeling Burned Out
Many people think of burnout as simply being incredibly tired; however, burnout can occur after a long week, working without any breaks, or being a parent who does feel supported and have to do everything–mental load, work, household responsibilities, daily responsbilities for their children. Burnout is much more than a physical exhaustion; it has in fact been called the “triad of depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and feelings of detachment.”
Here are some additional signs of burnout:
Pessimism
Pessimism is a major red flag that someone is experiencing burnout. And they won’t just feel pessimistic about whatever it is that is causing them big stress (job, child(ren), household responsibilities, mental load, relationships), they will feel pessimistic about life and the world at large.
Sleep Issues
Burnout makes it incredibly hard to get a good night’s rest. Either a person finds it hard to fall asleep, lying there wide awake for hours and thinking about all the things that they have to do, or they fall asleep and then wake up throughout the night to move around or their child(ren) wakes them up. When we don’t get enough quality sleep, it makes it difficult to cope with stress, which makes it hard to sleep, and the vicious cycle continues.
Sudden Physical Ailments
A major sign of burnout is suddenly experiencing physical symptoms that you never have before. For instance, many of my clients, with no prior history of GI upset, headaches, and muscle tension (shoulders, lower back, etc.) that begin to have chronic issues.
Is it Time to Speak with Someone?
Burnout shouldn’t be taken lightly. You shouldn’t try to ‘tough it out’ and get on with things. Now is the time to make your mental health a priority. If you would like to speak with someone about what has been bothering you, please reach out to me.
Sources:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/burnout/unusual-signs-of-burnout/
https://positivepsychology.com/burnout/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout