Burnout is Everywhere
Lost productivity caused by workers' burnout, depression and anxiety costs the Canadian economy almost $50 billion a year, according to a new report.
While the symptoms of burn out may vary for individuals and within different professions, one thing that does not vary is the critical physical and mental health concerns caused by burnout.
1.Chronic Fatigue
It is one thing to feel fatigued due to a sleepless night or lack of attention to nutrition, but it is another to be fatigued all the time no matter what you do.
Although chronic fatigue may slowly creep up on you, it serves as a red light that something’s wrong and needs to change. If you become aware early enough, you can make the necessary changes to your workload and routines to help prevent complete burnout in the long run.
3. Lack of Focus
If you are trying to focus on a task but find your mind is drifting elsehwere you will feel frustration and concern. The inability to focus on tasks for long periods of time can be a symptom of stress or burnout. This can result in missed deadlines at work, inability to achieve important goals, feelings of overwhelm and procrastination.
4. Physical Symptoms
Burnout can have a devastating effect on your physical health. From muscle aches and back pain to gastrointestinal problems and weight fluctuations, burnout can not only cause pain and discomfort, but it can lower your immune system. Catching one cold or flu after the other is a sure sign your immune system is struggling to keep up. Unfortunately, if burnout gets to this stage, the only thing you can do is stop (before your body does).
5. Anxiousness
Anxiety may be defined as worry, nervousness, or a feeling of dread or uncertainty and is another symptom of burnout. Although anxiety may be related to other mental health issues, it may serve as a signal for you that you need to slow down.
6. Insomnia
From lying awake all-night thinking about work to waking up and being unable to go back to sleep, insomnia can have a very serious impact on your physical and mental health. Habitual sleeplessness can have a negative impact on your memory, eating habits, physical activity, overall energy levels and mood.
7. Depression
Depression and burnout are strongly related to each other. From fatigue and muscle aches to lowered immune system and feelings of worthlessness, depression can manifest from burnout. If you are challenged with depression due to burnout, the key would be to quickly identify and eliminate the causes of your burnout that have lead to depression
8. Anger
Anger is a secondary emotion and serves as a signal that something else is wrong. Anger can result from feelings of sadness, fear, worry, and other overwhelming emotions. By being in a state of burnout, the experience of such feelings may lead you to default to anger instead of addressing your primary emotions. The key to working through your anger is taking the time to identify and understand the emotions that are causing it.
9. Lack of Enjoyment
Although you may not love what you do for a living, you can find other hobbies and interests that bring you joy. For those experiencing burnout, enjoyment is lost in all aspects of life. Once you realize this may be the case for you, it is important to take heed to reduce your workload and start aggressive self care. Although it may take some time before you can take pleasure in things again, you will recover.
10. Isolation
When you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or burnt out, you may have a tendency to shut yourself off and retreat into your own space. Isolation can be a risk when you are alone with your thoughts and it will definitely make the situation worse if you let it. Feelings of not belonging or rejection can be made worse by cutting yourself off from the world.
11. Emotional Detachment
Emotional detachment, as it relates to burnout, occurs when you begin to remove yourself emotionally from your work, family, and friends. Related to isolation, detachment causes a general sense of disconnection from others and your environment. Signs of detachment can include taking more sick days than usual, not getting work done on time, avoiding social situations and ceasing to return calls and emails.
12. Feelings of Hopelessness
Hopelessness is like walking in a dark tunnel without a light in at the end of the tunnel to guide you. You don’t know what direction you are going; you don’t know when you will see the light and you may start feeling like nothing is going to change. Depression and hopelessness are closely linked together and one of the more serious results of burnout.
Once you get to this stage of burnout, it is difficult to get well by yourself. While it is important to understand your feelings, it is equally important to talk to someone and/or seek the support of a physician, clinical counsellor or a qualified executive coach who can help you identify your burnout and start working to fix it.
You can recover from burnout by taking immediate steps to address it. I know, because I have recovered from burnout. Take advantage of my Confidential, Free 15-minute coaching call, I will help you get started on the road to recover from Burnout to Breakthrough. https://jennifergrantinternational.com/book-a-consultation