We all have occasional stressful days, and they usually do us no great harm. But start feeling stressed most of the time, and you could be heading towards a burnout.
Burnout creeps up on you. You think a good night’s sleep is all you need. But you never seem to get one, and so you gradually become deeply exhausted.
You feel drained, listless and depressed. You begin to doubt your skills, and the value of your work. Everything looks bleak and it’s difficult to find the energy to care, let alone do anything about it.
You’re especially at risk if you’re overworked, undervalued, and have little control over your schedule. Or your work’s either monotonous, chaotic or relentless. Or you have a ‘I can do everything’ attitude. Or you ignore your long hours and excessive workload, and don’t make time to relax or socialise. Take on too many responsibilities. Lack close, supportive relationships. Don’t get enough sleep.
How you look at the world and what you do to unwind is also important. High achievers rarely see disaster coming, because of their passion for what they’re doing.
As you slide towards burnout, every day becomes a bad day, and it feels like nothing you do makes a difference. You become forgetful, lack concentration, and everything starts piling up. You feel unwell more often, and your appetite and sleep habits slump. You start to feel a sense of failure and self-doubt. Pessimistic, irritable, anxious and negative.
Things will only get worse. So the moment the thought of burnout crosses your mind, start making some changes.
Eat better, take exercise, and create a good sleep routine. Start saying no more often. Turn off your phone every evening. Take up something different, like a new skill or sport.
Pay attention if your symptoms get worse, or they will gradually become disabling. You’ll start withdrawing from responsibilities and friends, using food, alcohol or drugs to cope, or taking out your frustrations on others.
Your values and priorities
Slow down and get some support. Simply having someone listen to your feelings can be enormously helpful.
Re-evaluate your values and priorities. Burnout can be an opportunity to rediscover what would really make you happy, and to change course.
Tackle your issues at work. Organise your time and priorities, assert yourself more and express your needs. Clarify your job description. If you’ve been doing exactly the same work for a long time, ask to try something new. If you’re in a toxic work environment, start planning to get out.
Take relaxation seriously and make time for it. And think positively about even your smallest achievements. Because gradually, these simple affirmations will help you rediscover the joy in your life again.
