Nearly everyone has felt tired and weighed down at some point. Studies have shown that approximately 59% of all employees in the United States have experienced some form of burnout. Competition for jobs, pressure to succeed and balancing your personal and professional life can be overwhelming.
But burnout is more than just feeling drained. It’s a feeling of complete mental exhaustion that can have some serious consequences if you continue to deal with it on your own and fail to get help. Continue reading to understand the signs of burnout, how it can impact your daily life, strategies for overcoming burnout and how to protect yourself and your mental health and well-being.
Signs and Symptoms of Mental Exhaustion in Daily Life
Burnout looks different to everyone but is typically defined as a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion, which is usually brought on by chronic stress.
There are typically five stages of burnout.
- Stage 1 (honeymoon phase). In the beginning stages of burnout, you’ve just been given a new task, such as an assignment in school or a new project at work. You may feel energized, ready to complete the job and eager to prove you can do it.
- Stage 2 (stress onset). You start working on the task only to discover it’s more than you originally thought you could handle. The added stress causes you to neglect your self-care needs. You may feel anxious and worried that you won’t have enough time to get the job done.
- Stage 3 (chronic stress). In stage 3, you may start to feel constantly tired and even resentful toward loved ones and coworkers. Some people self-medicate or begin using alcohol and drugs as a method to cope.
- Stage 4 (burnout). Once you’ve reached the burnout stage, you no longer feel optimistic about the project and begin obsessing over every issue. Your physical and mental health begins to decline, and you constantly have feelings of self-doubt.
- Stage 5 (habitual burnout). Without treatment, burnout can become chronic. This is when mental health issues may begin.
Chronic fatigue, or feeling tired all the time, is one of the most common symptoms of burnout, but there are other hallmark signs you can look for. These include:
- Sleep disturbances. Insomnia and burnout often go hand in hand and may be one of the reasons you may feel physically and mentally tired. Dealing with insomnia is often the first step in overcoming burnout.
- Memory problems. When you’re mentally exhausted, your memory is often one of the first things to go.
- Changes in appetite. Depending on your relationship with food, when you’re struggling with burnout, you may either turn to food and overeat for comfort or lose your appetite completely and not feel like eating anything.
- Decreased productivity. Burnout often causes a significant drop in productivity. Others may notice you’re not working to your full potential, or you may have a difficult time staying focused and concentrating.
- Withdrawing from family and friends. Fatigue sometimes makes it hard to engage with family and friends. You may also notice things that once gave you joy seem uninteresting and you’d much rather be alone.
- Pessimism. Pessimism is another common sign of burnout. You may talk poorly about yourself or others, or you may feel extremely negative about the world around you. This outlook on life can make you feel hopeless and increase stress.
- Physical pain. Excessive stress in your body can release cortisol, which leads to inflammation. As a result, you may have a lot of headaches and stomach problems and be susceptible to colds and other common sicknesses.
The Impact of Burnout on Mental and Emotional Well-Being
The constant stress from burnout can have lasting effects on your mental health and even lead to more serious mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. Pessimistic thoughts can take over, leaving you feeling hopeless and helpless, which may make you feel like you have no way out.
The impact burnout has on your mental well-being often affects all areas of life, including your ability to perform at work or school. Burnout creates an endless cycle because you may find you’re working harder to fix the situation, which often contributes to your exhaustion and depression.
Prevention and Management Strategies for Burnout
Overcoming mental exhaustion may seem difficult, but it’s not impossible. The following are additional ways to help you identify and prevent burnout.
- Identify problems early. Learn how to identify what causes mental exhaustion and create a plan to deal with it. Try adjusting your workload, delegating tasks to others or creating a schedule for major objectives.
- Develop a work-life balance. Learn how to leave your work at the office. Use your vacation days and paid time off.
- Learn to say no. Set realistic expectations, and don’t take on more responsibilities than you can handle at one time. It’s ok to say no.
- Build your support network. A strong support network can include family, friends, coworkers and mental health professionals who help you work through your feelings.
Importance of Recovery and Self-Care to Avoid Burnout
Learning how to put your own physical and mental well-being first is one of the first steps in managing stress and burnout. Self-care comes in many forms and may vary from one person to the next. It includes eating a balanced diet, getting daily exercise, spending time with friends, focusing on your hobbies and interests and relaxing at the end of the day.
Recovery and self-care are important when dealing with burnout. They can help you overcome current stressors and make it easier to avoid future mental exhaustion.
Contact Us
If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health issues, contact the Mental Health Hotline to speak to a professional. We can help connect you to local resources that can help.
