Throughout our lives, we play multiple roles. We can be a parent, a friend, a professional, a sibling, a sports person, and so on. Balancing all these roles can be challenging. We are only human, and we have a limited amount of time every day. When we have too much in our plate and do not have the tools to appropriately balance all of our roles, we can end up experiencing burnout. But, how can we identify if we have burnout? What symptoms can help us recognise that we are burning-out?
What is Burnout?
Burnout has become a popular term in recent years, but what does it entail exactly? The WHO refers to burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. This is a very broad definition of burnout and, upon researching, I was flabbergasted to find that there are approximately 130 symptoms of burnout. 130 symptoms that are currently known. However, this does not mean that you need to have all 130 symptoms in order to be struggling with burnout. It simply means that burnout is a diverse syndrome that manifests in different ways for each person. Every person has different symptoms and if we count all the symptoms that people can have, it adds up to 130 symptoms (and counting).
Also, it is important to mention that burnout has recently been found to not only be related to occupational stress. It can arise from imbalances between different life domains. For instance, parental burnout has become increasingly common among parents, and social media burnout is a new term that describes the negative impact that excessive social media use can have on our lives.
The Symptoms of Burnout
Even though burnout can have different manifestations and be caused by different life imbalances (e.g., work, parental life, or social media use), there are three symptoms that seem to permeate throughout all those struggling with burnout. These symptoms include: exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced performance. These symptoms encompass the three dimensions of burnout, the physical dimension (exhaustion), the cognitive/emotional dimension (cynicism), and the behavioral dimension (performance). Here we explain some common symptoms experienced in each domain.
Physical Symptoms:
- Headaches,
- Tinnitus (ear ringing),
- Muscle tension and back pain,
- Gastrointestinal complaints (stomach problems),
- Experiencing breathing problems or chest tightness,
- Feeling sick more often because your immune system may be more vulnerable,
- Sleeping problems: You might find yourself going to sleep later, or it takes you more time to fall asleep. Or, you might wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep. Or, you might suffer from disturbed sleep where you wake up many times during the night.
- Lastly, as discussed, one of the most common symptoms is exhaustion. Individuals with burnout suffer from low energy and fatigue. They might feel tired all the time - even after having a healthy night’s rest. It does not matter how much sleep you got, it still feels like it isn’t enough. You may sleep 10 hours, go for holidays, or sleep-in an entire weekend, but you still feel tired and fatigued.
Emotional or Cognitive Symptoms:
- Restless mind,
- Memory loss,
- Lack of motivation,
- Concentration problems,
- Rumination (overthinking during the day or night),
- Cynical approach about life,
- Indifferent to things that once brought you pleasure or joy (e.g., lack of interest in your hobbies),
- Pessimistic thinking: Individuals with burnout can struggle with negative thinking about work or life as a whole. They might find themselves being more cynical about life, and more sarcastic or bitter.
- Sadness: People with burnout might feel very sad and feel like crying all the time. They might struggle with finding meaning in life and ask questions such as: “What is the point of working?” “What is the point of life?” “What am I even doing here?”
Behavioral Symptoms:
These physical and cognitive/emotional symptoms can translate into real-world behavior. These behaviors can lead to reduced productivity and performance at work or other domains of life. Some behavioral symptoms include:
- Easily irritated,
- Absenteeism at work,
- Getting distracted very often,
- Procrastinating and postponing tasks,
- Feeling more agitated and aggressive. For instance, you could find yourself speaking to a client in a way you would have never imagined before.
- Inability to make decisions due to overthinking about every little thing. This can lead to changing your mind all the time and postponing little and big decisions.
- Relationship struggles: All these changes and built-up tension might affect your interpersonal relationships with your coworkers, friends or family.
Understanding Burnout
It is important to note that all the symptoms above can interplay with each other. For instance, if you are having sleep problems because of overthinking and could not have a nice rest, you might feel more irritable during the day, which might prompt you to be more aggressive with your coworkers and friends, ultimately impacting your relationships. Likewise, experiencing headaches and muscle tension can lead to reduced concentration and memory issues, which can hinder your performance at work and your willingness to engage in the hobbies you once loved.
So, do some of these burnout symptoms resonate with you? Do you think that you might be experiencing burnout? This video might help you self-reflect further.
Treating Burnout
If these symptoms hit close to home, we invite you to reflect on how long have these symptoms been present. During what period of time did these symptoms arise? For instance, they might have arisen after you changed workplaces, or when your baby was born. Think about the content of your symptoms, are you worried about work, family-life, or other aspects of your life? Some behavioral tendencies, such as perfectionism, or disorders, like depression, can fuel burnout. Using CBT techniques could help you identify which tendencies can be rendering you vulnerable to burning out.
Whatever the reasons behind your symptoms, it is not advisable to self-diagnose. So, if you suspect you have burnout, we encourage you to seek professional help. By seeking a professional, you can receive an assessment and knowledgeable support to help you prevent or treat burnout.
Remember, you are not alone. Burnout has become increasingly common in our fast-paced world, and you are brave for seeking answers and help. If you need a hand, here at AntiLoneliness we would be happy to support you. Take care!
What's Next
- Visit All Courses, and find the tools to balance your life and learn how to prevent and recover from burnout.
- If perfectionism is getting in the way of balancing your life, get the FREE guide "How Much of a Perfectionist Are You?" and find out which perfectionist tendencies you struggle with.
- Sign up for my newsletter here and get the FREE 40-page guide/workbook on Self-Care filled with practical tips that can make your life more peaceful and balanced.
- Book recommendations on Burnout, Stress and Anxiety:
- Watch our videos with Psychology tips and insights on Burnout, Relationships, Perfectionism, Anxiety, etc.
- Don't let burnout pull you down, contact me and start your own therapy journey in order to get you out of this negative circle.
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