Many people think of burnout as simply being incredibly tired after a long week or month of work or school studies. But burnout is much more than physical exhaustion; it has been called the “triad of depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and feelings of detachment.” 

Here are some additional signs of burnout:

Pessimism

Pessimism can be a major red flag that you’re experiencing burnout. It can be normal to be pessimistic about things that are causing you big stress such as your job, school, or a relationship. BUT, when you’re finding that you’re also feeling pessimistic about life and the world at large you might be experiencing burnout.

Sleep Issues

Burnout makes it incredibly hard to get a good night’s rest. You might be finding that it’s super hard to fall asleep, and you lie there for hours trying to get to sleep. Or, you do fall asleep, but wake up multiple times throughout the night. Or, even worse, both happen. Then, the next day, because you haven’t had enough quality sleep you find coping with everyday stress much more difficult. So, now stress feels even bigger, which then makes it hard to go to sleep the next night. And, now you’re in a vicious cycle of poor sleep that makes it harder to cope with stressors, and so on. This is a big contributor to burnout.

Sudden Physical Ailments

A major sign of burnout is suddenly experiencing physical symptoms that you never have before. Stress and burnout will show up (notice that we said “will” and not “may”) in your body. There are many different signs and symptoms, but some super common ones are GI upset, headaches, and a general increase in feelings of anxiety. These symptoms can become chronic as well as lead to worsening physiological ailments if the stress and burnout are left unmanaged.

Is it Time to Speak with Someone?

Burnout isn’t something to take lightly. It can significantly impact your mental, emotional, and physical health and negatively impact all aspects of your life. Trying to ‘tough it out’ and get on with things won’t make it go away. Now is the time to make your mental and physical health a priority.

We can help.

At The Sparrow Center, we have therapists and a traditional naturopath that can help. Reach out today to get started feeling better.

Sources:

https://www.everydayhealth.com/burnout/unusual-signs-of-burnout/

https://positivepsychology.com/burnout/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout