Love Yourself by Watching for These 4 Signs of Burnout
Love Yourself by Watching for These 4 Signs of Burnout
On this blog, we focus primarily on physical health but mental health is just as important. During February, the month of love, it is important to show some love to yourself as well as others by taking care of yourself. As the saying goes, put your own oxygen mask on before assisting others. There is a lot of talk about maximizing time and leaning into the grind, but if you are not careful to check in with yourself, you can run the risk of burnout. “Burnout can be difficult to describe. However, it’s not a medical condition. According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, burnout is defined as ‘physical, emotional or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.’
You may not realize you’ve hit burnout until it’s too late when you’ve crossed the line between ‘really tired’ and ‘too exhausted to function.’ Alternatively, you might be the type of personality who likes to stay busy, and might not recognize when you’re doing too much.” If you suspect this might be happening to you, the Cleveland Clinic recommends watching out for these four signs of burnout:
1. Fatigue. “Fatigue is a major symptom of burnout and can affect all areas of your life.” Dealing with the pandemic over the last few years has only served to amplify these feelings and although many people have returned to life and business as usual, the effects have never fully resolved for some people, especially those who are still living with a “new normal.” Fatigue does not always present as just ordinary tiredness, but you might notice that simple tasks are taking longer to complete and you are noticing a sluggishness that has developed when managing your to do list. This could be a sign of fatigue, so it is crucial to keep an eye on yourself.
2. Apathy or dissatisfaction with work. We have all had days when we would rather stay in bed than go to work—it can be hard to motivate yourself when your bed is so cozy. However, this situation becomes more of an issue when you notice it happening with an overwhelming regularity. You might ask questions like, “‘What’s the point? The work that I’m doing, is it really making a difference? Do I even really enjoy what I’m doing anymore? Or am I just kind of going through the motions?’ This indicates a lack of satisfaction in the work you’re doing.”
3. Headaches. “Tension headaches are a common burnout side effect.” Of course, if you notice a change in your physical health, it is always a good idea to check in with your doctor to ensure there is not another underlying cause.
4. Changes to sleep patterns or diet. Even the most freewheeling of us have our routines and habits that we employ; it is what we do as humans. Changes to these habits, such as eating more or less than usual, or sleeping more or less than usual, can indicate that something might be amiss.
If you suspect you might be experiencing burnout, one of the biggest steps you can take to aid the situation is to recognize that you have it and then seek help from a professional. “Seeing a therapist is often a good first step to tackling burnout.” Another step you can take is to build breaks into your schedule. No one can keep grinding 24/7, no matter what your favorite social media influencer might say. “We have to be able to step away from the computer, or step away from whatever that source of stress is, to attend to our health and well-being…it’s important that we all do a daily, maybe even hourly, check-in with ourselves, to see, ‘How am I doing emotionally? How am I doing physically?’”[1]
Another step you can take to help combat burnout is to make time to exercise, perhaps during a scheduled break in your day. If you are unsure of where to start if you are new to adding a fitness break to your day, talk to your doctor for recommendations and check out our blog for ideas. Yoga is often a good starting point as it is very customizable to all fitness levels and it can encourage practicing mindfulness, which “revolves around the idea of trying to be as emotionally present as possible.” It is also important to establish boundaries with work if you suspect you might be experiencing burnout, especially if you work from home. When you work from home, the lines between being on the clock and being off the clock can get very blurry. If it helps, you can set alarms throughout the day for lunch, breaks, and quitting time. It is also important to establish boundaries with clients and coworkers, such as letting it be known that unless something is on fire, anything that arises after-hours can wait until the following workday. Working from home does not have to mean you are always on the clock—you need time off to recharge and do things you enjoy, whether that be taking time for self care or exploring a hobby. You deserve to give yourself as much love as you give to others and caring for your own health, including your mental health, is an important element of that self love. Remember—it is important to be mentally strong as well as Bodē Strong!
[1] “Burnout: 5 Signs and What to Do about It.” Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, Cleveland Clinic, 19 Apr. 2022, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/signs-of-burnout/.