Physical and emotional exhaustion from an activity that offers little reward or enjoyment can cause a mental state known as burnout.
After repeated exposure to stress such as work, or parenting, we may feel tired, cynical, stressed and depressed, and left with little desire to return to the situation. Especially if we feel we lack control over what we do, are perceived to be treated unfairly, feel overloaded and do not receive the support we feel we deserve. When suffering from burnout, performance levels drop dramatically and so does your physical and mental health. Therefore, it is important to be able to recognise these signs early and act on them to prevent burnout from occurring.
Signs and Symptoms
Common symptoms and signs of burnout include:
- Insomnia and difficulty sleeping.
- Chronically fatigued and exhausted
- Unable to concentrate and pay attention to tasks or other people.
- Forgetfulness and finding it difficult to retrieve memories.
- More prone to illness and physical pain, such as muscle aching and chest pains.
- Loss of appetite or forgetting to eat altogether.
- Low motivation and performance levels.
- Pessimistic about work, school or relationships.
- Using distractions such as drugs and alcohol.
Finding ways to effectively control and manage burnout can provide many positive benefits for yourself, work, and school, improving the quality of work and relationships with others, and importantly, rediscovering your confidence and passion.
