Five ways to know your you experiencing burnout

From chronic fatigue to disrupted sleep patterns, here are a few ways by which the body can show burnout.

Burnout happens when we are exposed to stress for a prolonged period of time. We feel frustrated, demotivated and unwilling to get back to the work that gave us joy earlier. Burnout in our workplace can also show up in our personal lives.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Alisha Lalljee, psychologist, special educator, and psychotherapist, said, “Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion caused due to prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or even romantic relationships.” The psychologist further noted five ways by which the body can show burnout.

5 ways by which the body can show burnout
Chronic fatigue:

You feel persistently tired and drained, even after getting adequate sleep. Daily activities seem overwhelmingly exhausting, and you struggle to stay alert or energetic. You may have constant headaches along with pain or tightness in the neck, shoulders, or back.

Sleep disturbances:

You have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling unrested. Your sleep patterns are disrupted, leaving you feeling more tired than usual.

Changes in appetite and digestive issues:

Either a loss of appetite or overeating can occur. Some people eat more as a coping mechanism, while others might find they have no interest in food. Stress can lead to stomach problems such as nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, or abdominal pain.

Frequent illness:

Increased susceptibility to colds, infections, or other illnesses can be a sign of burnout. Your immune system might be weakened due to prolonged stress and exhaustion.

Emotional exhaustion:

Avoiding work or social interactions, and isolating yourself from others, is seen commonly during burnout. A lot of procrastination is seen where a person would keep putting a task away and would struggle to meet a given deadline. This would lead to a temporary phase of having memory gaps, where a person would have difficulty in remembering details or completing a task.