5 Signs You Are Experiencing Burnout
Could I Be Experiencing Burnout?
If you have been feeling uninterested, overwhelmed, and exhausted when going to work it is possible you may be experiencing burnout. More and more providers are recognizing burnout as its own separate issue outside of stress and anxiety. There are a lot of overlapping symptoms and some key differences too. Most importantly burnout will have you feeling more detached from your job or tasks. In the opposite, stress and anxiety often drive you towards the job or task.
Experiencing burnout does not only happen in the office, it can also occur in the home when you are a caretaker.
It is also important to recognize that burnout does not just occur at work but a person can experience burnout with being in school, playing a sport, and in the home when there are caretaking responsibilities happening. For the purpose of this blog I will be using the terms “job” or “work” but I wanted to point out the importance of these other areas burnout may show up in as well.
Over time chronic stress builds up and can cause the feelings of burnout. It leaves you feeling disinterested, dissatisfied, and more negative about the job, task, or environment. You disengage and are not able to give your best efforts. If you have struggled with anxiety, depression, or perfectionism in the past there is a chance you could be more easily susceptible to experiencing burnout as well.
Check out these blog posts to learn more information about Understanding Anxiety, What is Perfectionism, & Imposter Syndrome: When You Feel Like a Fraud.
I am an anxiety therapist in Wilmington, NC. I specialize in working with high achieving women in Maryland and North Carolina providing anxiety counseling for women experiencing anxiety, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and burnout. If you are interested in learning more about getting started in therapy or scheduling your free 15 minute consultation, click below.
Signs of Burnout
There are a lot of signs of burnout but these are the 5 most common signs of burnout that are reported by clients. These signs of burnout are often experienced in all stages of burnout too.
1st Sign of Burnout: Feeling Negative and Pessimistic
One of the top indicators that burnout may be present is experiencing cynical or pessimistic thoughts and feelings about your job. At times it is common to feel or think negatively about your job but when burnout is present it is happening much more frequently.
You may feel like you are no longer making an impact in the work you are doing. There is no reward internal or external that you are receiving.
Not only may you be feeling more negative about your actual job but also your work environment as whole, including your coworkers as well.
2nd Sign of Burnout: Loss of Motivation and Hope
Similarly with experiencing feeling and thinking more negatively about the job there is also a loss of motivation that occurs.
Most common symptoms of burnout include experiencing pessimism, exhaustion, lack of motivation, reduced work performance, and physical symptoms such as headaches.
You may begin to withdraw from responsibilities. Feel like giving up or not caring as much. Every day tasks are hard to complete.
You may start to have thoughts around what is the point in doing this particular job or task any longer.
3rd Sign of Burnout: You Are Feeling it in Your Body
You may also experience physical symptoms as well. It is common for tension in the body to be present. You may also experience headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and stomachaches more frequently as well.
4th sign of Burnout: Emotional Exhaustion
The chronic stress constantly coming over you will also leave you feeling intense emotional exhaustion. Understandably feeling the overwhelm and tired is also a major contributor to the other signs already mentioned.
Along with motivation, when your energy is low from feeling exhausted it is hard to get things done.
5th Sign of Burnout: Change in Your Work Performance
Creativity gone. The spark is gone. The small things are even feel like too much to get done.
It becomes more difficult to concentrate to even get tasks done. You may find yourself daydreaming or wishing you were doing different things. Where you once used to be on top of deadlines you may now find yourself procrastinating or just not getting the work done.
For more information on signs and symptoms of burnout check out this helpful blog post:
Burnout: What To Do When It Is More Than Just Hating Your Job
Treatment for Burnout
Treating burnout is still being studied but researchers have found using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and mind body therapies to be very helpful. These treatment modalities make a lot of sense to use for burnout treatment.
Mind body therapies such as meditation and breathing exercises can be helpful ways to reduce feelings of burnout.
CBT focuses on identifying how thoughts, feelings, and actions are connected and then working to reframe, restructure, and challenge thoughts to allow for different outcomes in what we feel and actions taken.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help people with burnout to identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that may be contributing to their distress. For example, someone who is burned out from work may have the thought that they "should" be able to handle everything that is being asked of them. This thought can lead to feelings of inadequacy and frustration, which can then lead to avoidance behaviors such as procrastination or numbing out with alcohol or other substances. ACT can help this person to learn to accept their thoughts and feelings without judgment, and commit to taking action in line with their values, which may involve setting boundaries at work or seeking additional support.
Mindfulness can help treat burnout by helping to stay focused and in the present moment.
Mind body therapies are helpful to reduce stress as well as other mental health and physical health issues. Mind body therapies may include things like acupuncture, yoga, acupressure, mediation, tai chi, massage therapy, and breathing exercises.
Check out these other helpful blog posts:
Reduce Feelings of Burnout Today
You can recover from burnout and if you are ready to start working on reducing your feelings of burnout today, reach out and schedule your free 15 minute consultation.
I am a therapist in Wilmington, NC. I work with high achieving women experiencing anxiety, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and burnout. You can also learn more about me and my therapy practice.
I provide online therapy to anyone located in Maryland and North Carolina.
Learn how to get started in therapy with me today or schedule your free 15 minute consultation.
By: Laura Rippeon, LCSW, LCSW-C
Updated 3/12/23