How to Identify and Overcome Burnout

Everyone has experienced stress in their lives, but have you ever noticed when you just couldn’t seem to function anymore? Perhaps your work is sloppy, you’re constantly exhausted, and you’re experiencing unpleasant physical symptoms. These are tell-tale signs of burnout, a significant feeling of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion related to your personal or professional life. Burnout can impact your day-to-day life significantly, causing numerous negative consequences if it goes untreated. By learning how to identify signs of burnout, you can be more mindful of the work you put yourself through in your daily life and overcome any symptoms you may be feeling. It is in this way that you can take control of your life and be successful.

Understanding Burnout

Burnout can happen to anyone because it has to do with the stress and pressures you put on yourself. Burnout is often associated with the workplace, but you can also experience it due to home and personal responsibilities. It can leave you feeling tired, cynical, unproductive, and even physically ill. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” People often continue to push themselves even when they feel burnt out because they believe they cannot take a break. However, this can only cause more problems. This is why it is crucial to know the signs and symptoms of burnout to identify them early on.

Who Gets Burnout?

Burnout is usually associated with work and the workplace. However, anyone can become burnt out if they have significant stress on their plate. For example, a stay-at-home parent may feel burnt out if they take care of the kids, clean the house, cook dinner, and do numerous other things without a break. A college student can become burnt out if their workload keeps increasing as they continue working on one assignment. Therefore, it is not just workers that experience burnout, but anyone experiencing significant amounts of stress.

Identifying Burnout

The best way to tell if you are burnt out is to examine your life as a whole, including thoughts, feelings, and relationships. There are multiple ways to know if you are experiencing burnout, and identifying the syndrome early on is the best way to combat it. You may have burnout if you experience the following:

• Extreme Fatigue: Those that have been under enormous amounts of stress typically feel exhausted. Mental and physical fatigue is common, causing changes in appetite, sleeping patterns, emotions, and more. No matter how much you sleep you get, it won’t change this feeling until you address the source of the problem.
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• Irritability: Everyone can get touchy if they are stressed, but being burnt out can cause you to become irritable with those around you. Minor things can cause you to lose your cool, and the problem is exacerbated by new tasks filling up your to-do list. This feeling won’t go away until you finally slow down and take a break.

• Eroding Relationships: Humans are not the best communicators when stressed, which is why burnout can cause your relationships with others to break down. You may become more isolated since you feel overwhelmed, which can exacerbate how you already feel.
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• Frequent Sickness: Continuous stress can cause your immune system’s efficiency to decrease, making you more susceptible to illness. Therefore, burnout can cause you to feel sick more often, both physically and mentally. You may experience headaches, stomach aches, depression, or anxiety. Addressing burnout is the only way to relieve these symptoms.

How to Overcome Burnout

It is natural to want to be the best at what you do, but that doesn’t mean you should push yourself past your mental and physical limits. The best way to combat burnout is by making some changes to the ways you are handling stress or organizing your priorities. For a direct approach, you could talk to your boss, professor, spouse, or whoever could help you through this time. However, you should also practice self-care to help manage stress and prevent burnout in the future. 

Great ways to combat burnout on your own are to take care of your mental and physical health. You can do this by eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, exercising, and taking breaks every so often. You can also try stress-reducing practices such as meditation or yoga to help prevent burnout in the future. These activities will increase your productivity, your mood, and your overall well-being. If you need further support, consider contacting a mental health professional.

Burnout is a common problem in today’s world because of the limits people push themselves to, which often comes with the price of severe stress. This stress can lead to burnout, which affects your overall mental and physical health. Being able to identify burnout and overcome it can keep you living a happy and healthy life. However, if you need more support, NorthStar Transitions is here to help. We understand the pressures you are under and want to ensure your stress doesn’t lead you down a darker road. Stress can often lead to self-medication, which can wreak more havoc in your life. NorthStar utilizes both traditional and holistic treatment methods to address your needs. We can help you overcome addiction, mental health, and other problems you may be facing. Visit our beautiful Colorado facility or give us a call at (303) 558-6400 to learn about our programs. Healing starts at NorthStar.