Am I burned out or just tired?
Am I burned out or just lazy?
Am I burned out or do I just hate my job?
Coming to the realization that you’re burned out can be harder than you think. When you’re living a busy life and just barely treading water with all the things you have to get done at work and at home, it can be hard to even have the time or energy to take a step back and really reflect on how you’re feeling.
If you’re wondering if you’re burned out, here are 5 things to look out for:
1. You can’t perform at your job the way you used to. It’s hard to concentrate and give 100% effort when you feel overwhelmed, unmotivated, and run down. When you’re burned out, it can feel like you have nothing left to give.
2. You have intensely negative or anxious thoughts and feelings about your job. Every time you go into the office or start your work day at home, you feel dread, frustration, or panic and negative thoughts start flooding your mind. You might notice these feelings in your body as well, like heaviness pulling you down or a pit in your stomach.
3. Taking breaks doesn’t help much (or at all). Taking vacation time or sick days doesn’t help because you know you’re going to go back to the exact same situation. Enjoying any time off can also be hard if you’re constantly thinking about work.
4. Your physical health is suffering. You might notice you keep getting sick or having headaches or digestive issues. Insomnia can also become a problem, which usually makes everything worse.
5. You’re not enjoying your personal life anymore. Burnout at work tends to seep into other areas of your life because the negative thoughts and emotions can stay with you long after your work day is over. Burnout also saps your energy, making it harder to motivate yourself to do things you used to enjoy, and harder to actually enjoy yourself when you do manage to do them. At this point, you can start to feel hopeless.
The first step towards recovering from burnout is accepting that you are burned out. Then, you can start thinking about what changes are in your power to make that would make your days less stressful.
It can be hard to think clearly and see the big picture when you’re burned out. Talking to someone you trust about how you’re feeling can help you get perspective and feel more hopeful. Talking to a therapist specializing in burnout can be helpful as well.
If you are struggling with burnout, please reach out to book a free consultation with me.
Photo by Tangerine Newt on Unsplash
