Am I experiencing burnout?
As I sit here, thinking about how to start this blog post, I’m doing an internet search for “what is burnout?” I’m looking for specific words and verbiage that generally describe what burnout is. But I realized that telling you what burnout is would be like telling you what wind is. Sure, it can be helpful to have a definition for it, but we really don’t need one because many of us (most of us? all of us?) have felt burnout at some point in our life, maybe even right now.
We all know what burnout is because we live in a fast-paced, stressed-out society. There’s pressure to make money, pressure to stay informed, pressure to be healthy, pressure to have fun, pressure to be the best, pressure to take care of your family, pressure to be emotionally aware, pressure, pressure, pressure! I’m exhausted just typing it all out. Our brains never shut off. We need rest and respite, but can’t even find that because we have the world sitting next to our bed in the form of a mini computer, a.k.a. our phones.
So how do you know that you’re not just tired, you’re burning out? Here’s where a definition probably makes sense. Burnout is mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion that is caused by continual stress.
First of all, look back. Can you identify prolonged stress in your life over the past few months or even years? Have you recently had a child which has increased your responsibility? Are you working harder to get a job promotion? Have you recently lost a loved one and are experiencing grief while receiving less support than you had when that loved one was alive? And those are just a few examples.
Second, you will feel burnout in your mental, emotional and physical state. Mentally, you may feel less motivated, have brain fog, or struggle to concentrate for as long as you could previously. Emotionally, you may feel sad, irritated, anxious, and more. Physically, you likely notice exhaustion, a tightness in your chest, or have digestive issues.
Here’s the thing with burnout though, you experience some or all of these things daily, like all day, like you rarely get reprieve from these symptoms. Sure we all feel these things sometimes, it’s a part of living. With burnout, these symptoms take over your life and stop you from living.
I’ve included a more comprehensive list of burnout symptoms below to arm you with more information in understanding whether you have burnout:
Exhaustion/fatigue
Digestion issues
Headaches
Tension
Anxious
Irritable
Sad
Overwhelm
Lonely
Low motivation
Brain fog
Trouble concentrating
Loss of appetite or increased appetite
Trouble sleeping
Lack of fulfillment or joy
Get sick more often
Vision changes
Lack of energy
Trouble finding satisfaction
If you are reading this article, nodding your head, relating to the words, please reach out to me. You don’t have to live like this! You can start feeling peace, joy, rest, and fulfillment again. You can stop getting caught in a stress loop and break free to live a life that you love again, a life that feels more free.
