Understanding Burnout Symptoms
what are burnout symptoms?
Learn to recognize burnout symptoms and take action.
Likely you’ve heard about “burnout” from friends or colleagues suffering symptoms, news reports, or perhaps you’ve googled the term for yourself. Burnout is becoming increasingly common. In 2021, a study by Indeed found that 52% of participants were suffering from burnout, which is a higher number than pre-pandemic times (Forbes.com).
But was is burnout exactly? According to Verywellmind.com:
Burnout is a reaction to prolonged or chronic job stress and is characterized by three main dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism (less identification with the job), and feelings of reduced professional ability. More simply put, if you feel exhausted, start to hate your job, and begin to feel less capable at work, you are showing signs of burnout.
While burnout used to be associated specifically with workplace stress, THANKFULLY there is growing recognition that people can experience the same negative effects due to the stress of parenting, caregiving, and other types of things.
Here are some tips from a therapist in Tacoma on the signs that you may be dealing with burnout.
So what are some signs that you may be suffering from burnout?
An underlying sense of anger, resentment, or cynicism.
This is one of the most common symptoms of burnout that clients mention when they seek out counseling. Increased irritability, more fighting with your spouse, or perhaps feeling a shorter fuse than usual with kids. Maybe you notice that you blow up at the little things you used to shake off, like traffic delays.
A telltale sign of burnout can be a feeling of resentment toward your work or toward the stresses contributing to burnout, like parenting. Much of this irritation can come from a feeling of a lack of control. If you are frustrated at your job from things that you cannot change, like a lack of support from leadership, inability to do your job effectively, or if your workplace clashes with your values system, this can wear you down over time and lead to undercurrents of resentment and anger.
2. Increase of escapist activities like overuse of social media, overeating, drinking to excess, etc.
Do you have trouble coming home from work and binging on too much Netflix and junk food? Are you extremely tired and yet you can’t stop the late-night phone scrolling? Has a drink or two (or more) become a too often used strategy to take the edge off?
This is another very common sign I see with my clients that you may be dealing with burnout— over-indulging in escapist behaviors such as over-eating, overuse of social media. If you notice an over-reliance on these behaviors, especially if you feel unable to curb them, they might be a symptom of a deeper burnout problem.
3. You are starting to experience physical exhaustion, increased illness, or chronic health issues due to stress.
Sadly this is another common sign I see in my clients that indicates burnout, and that is physical health problems. Stress will build up in our bodies if we don’t have an adequate way of releasing it. This can manifest in numerous health problems such as fatigue and exhaustion, poor sleep, gastrointestinal issues, chronic headaches, chronic muscle tension and pain, heart palpitations, panic attacks, adrenal fatigue, depression, anxiety, and having a run-down immune system where you get sick more often.
get help for burnout—therapy tacoma
Don’t suffer alone! Counseling can help. Reach out to a therapist and they can help you assess the causes and symptoms of workplace/life stressors and if you are dealing with burnout, as opposed to anxiety and depression due to other causes. They can help you relieve symptoms in the short-term and find solutions to create a better outlook for you long-term so you’re not dealing with high levels of stress indefinitely.
Looking for Tacoma therapy? I work with women in Tacoma, WA and in WA state who are dealing with burnout. I would love to chat to see if we are a good fit. Call me today for a free 15-min phone consultation to start going from burned out to thriving in life again.