1. Lack of motivation. When you lose enthusiasm about anything that you do or you do not have the internal motivation to do it, then there is a good chance that you are experiencing burnout. Some other signs may be finding it hard to get going or having difficulties waking up in the morning.
2. Feeling exhausted. If you feel tired all the time, then that is a clear sign of burnout stress. This can manifest itself as emotional, physical or even mental exhaustion. It is the feeling of not having the energy to do something. You may start a job with complete focus, but somewhere along the line you feel tired and just stop.
3. Frustrations and negative emotions. Do you feel that what you are doing does not matter anymore? Or are you disillusioned with everything that you do? Or do you feel pessimistic with what you do? While everybody experiences some negative emotions, when this becomes abnormal, it may be burnout you’re experiencing.
4. Slipping performance at work. If you are not sure that you have burnout, you should compare your current job performance with previous years. Since a burnout tends to take a long time to manifest, taking a long-term review might reveal whether you are in a temporary slump or you are experiencing a serious burnout.
5. Decreased satisfaction. If you have the tendency to feel less happy about everything taking place around you or what you are doing, then chances are you may have burned out. You might feel dissatisfied even with what is taking place in your own home, in the community or even in social activities.
6. Experiencing health problems with no clear causes. Over a long period of time, stress caused by this may manifest itself in you in the form of health problems. These may include digestive issues, obesity, depression and heart diseases. Before you seek any medical attention check whether what you are experiencing comes from stress and burnout.
7. Preoccupation with work at home. You may not be working at that particular time, but if you are spending time thinking about work, then your work is interfering with your ability to recover from the stresses of the day. For you to recover, take time off work, when you can, and get rested without thinking of anything concerning work and do some activities instead.
8. Being careless with yourself. If you are not taking care of yourself, you may be experiencing burnout already. Some of the signs are drinking too much, smoking excessively, eating a lot of junk food or leading a sedentary life. Besides these, you might be relying on sleeping pills in order to sleep.
9. Personal problems at home and at work. If you are having too many conflicts with people at work and at home, then there may be a more serious underlying issue. Apart from this, you might not feel like talking to anyone at home or at work and would rather isolate.
10. Lacking ability to concentrate. Burnout may also interfere with your ability to concentrate. For instance, when you are burned out, your mind focuses only on negative elements. You might also be more forgetful and find it difficult to remember the simplest things.
Elena Eleftheriadou is a therapist and coach working primarily with healthcare professionals with a purpose and passion to help them communicate more effectively, diminish stress and prevent burnout to improve their work-life balance.
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