Burnout has become a well-known term used to describe the state of exhaustion experienced after a period of prolonged stress. It is certainly not a new phenomenon - people have been pushing themselves to their absolute limits for centuries. But in recent years we've started to find the language to describe these experiences and have started to evaluate whether there are other, healthier ways to go about life. As a society, we have become less accepting of feeling stretched too thin, being constantly tired, and all of the other possible symptoms that burnout brings on. I see this as a positive shift. There are often less strenuous ways to approach daily life, but it can be challenging to take a step back and re-evaluate when you're swept up in the middle of it.
The Lead Up
When we become accustomed to high levels of stress, it starts to feel like the norm. But having this feel like the norm does not make you resistant to the detrimental impacts of prolonged stress. This is why it's so important to know your unique symptoms of prolonged stress that may indicate you are on a path to burnout. It is much easier to intervene before it reaches burnout than to recover from burnout altogether. So what are your unique signs that you are operating at a level of stress that is leading you down the path to burnout? Having a clear understanding of this can help you gain insight into whether something needs to change.
Here are some common signs:
Insomnia
Lack of appetite or eating to numb
moodiness and irritability with loved ones
Feelings of dread
Compromised immune system
Numbing activities (e.g. Netflix binges, alcohol, over eating)
Neglecting certain aspects of your life that you greatly value
Agitation or feeling like you can't fully relax
Feelings of guilt when you have some downtime
This is by no means an extensive list, but perhaps a good starting place to evaluate where you're at. When I started to learn my signs, this became a very objective guideline for me to make the necessary changes in my life to reduce my load. It's not worth your health, it's not worth taking years off your life. Almost always there is some change we can make in our lives to let go of some stress and live with more ease. It's just hard to see this when we're wrapped up in the midst of it.
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