Emotional burnout is not just a phase that passes with time. If left unchecked, it could lead to psychological issues.
What is burnout? It is a period of complete exhaustion and disinterest in things, resulting in a general decline in health or physical performance.
You probably may have experienced burnout yourself, or have seen someone experiencing it, maybe while grappling with a new job, when a new baby arrives, or after intense studying during exams.
Severe burnout conditions can make a person become a shadow of his former self. A person becomes drained, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Lacks happiness, is cynical, depressed, and lack the motivation to do anything.
Burnout doesn’t just show up at once; it takes a gradual process, and usually, one experiences mild symptoms like tiredness, body ache, and exhaustion. When it becomes full-blown, you see signs like depression, apathy, and cynicism.
The good thing is if you know what to look out for, you can recognize burnout and address it before it becomes too late. Find out some 8 Obvious signs that anyone experiencing and emotional burnout will show.
Exhaustion:
Feelings of overtiredness and stress characterize burnout. This sign usually comes early. Exhaustion may be physical, emotional, or mental. Physical symptoms include sore limbs, headaches, weakness, and tiredness. Psychological symptoms noticed may consist of a lack of organization/coordination. For emotional symptoms, we see mood swings and frustration.
Many persons confuse exhaustion and may link it to work stress. We can, however, identify that it isn’t just mild stress when it becomes rampant. You may be experiencing burnout when you find that you are always exhausted even with little or nothing done, and you haven’t been sick or stressed.
Little or no motivation:
Do you feel dread about the future, like it’s a burden? Do you avoid making plans and keeping up with appointments/schedules? Do you lack the joy
and thrill that you used to feel when you wake up in the morning or even the energy to get up and see the world? If yes, you are burning out.
Severe burn out always leaves people exhausted and spent. There will be no determination to do even the most essential things like going out, exercising, or making a living. Waking up to a new day becomes like a chore because you know you can’t handle what lies ahead. Even the enthusiasm and zeal you used to have are gradually fading.
Lack of motivation and zeal will overtime make you ineffective and unproductive. You no longer find pleasure in those things that you use to thrill you like your hobbies, family, and job. Every day becomes harder than the last.
Forgetful:
Because burnout leads to mental and emotional stress and exhaustion, the brain will move into sleep mode becomes inactive. The person becomes clumsy, dull, absent-minded, and sloppy. Attention span will reduce, so will productivity. Most times, the brain will have to find a way to relax so you will be prone to distractions and anything that will not require too much attention and detail.
All this will make you lose focus quickly and forget things. You become unproductive and inefficient, especially in the workplace. If you were once productive and efficient but now begin to lose productivity, you may be experiencing burnout, and now is the time to take a break.
Disorganization:
When a once organized person who shows a high level of efficiency and gives attention to details now begins to become sloppy and tardy, one may suspect that the person is experiencing burnout.
Emotional burnout takes away that sense of control that you have. You find not the energy nor the motivation to handle things. You who once loved to be at the top of your game find your job boring, and it’s difficult for you to do anything effectively.
Responsibilities keep piling up:
You become overwhelmed with life. Symptoms of disorganization caused by burnout include piling up laundry, dirty dishes everywhere, poor eating habits, and a growing to-do list. If you experience all these symptoms, now is not the time to show blind eyes and keep giving excuses for your sloppiness. You need to address this now!!!
Mood shift:
Coupled with physical exhaustion, is a change in mood. These two symptoms are usually experienced together. Emotional burnout leads to undue stress physically, emotionally, and mentally, and one begins to experience dramatic emotions without reason.
You overreact to things, get angry quickly, cry unexpectedly for no reason, feel dread and sadness like you are drowning. Other emotional changes experienced include overwhelming pressure, depression, you feel hurt and jealous that others and happy, and you are not.
Poor self-care:
Many people that experience burnout engage in unhealthy habits like eating junk and sweets excessively, taking overdoses of drugs, abuse of alcohol, and caffeine to cope. They take sleeping pills because they lack sleep, thinking it will make up for their inactivity and in alertness.
Also, there is the constant usage of painkillers to ease pain and aches. Lack of exercise and improper diet also become a regular thing. Burnout can also lead to disorganization and poor concentration. The individual will begin to deteriorate health-wise. As you always see their environment dirty, see them experiencing poor hygiene, and everything around them becomes untidy and unkempt.
Read also: The Effects of Depression on the Body
Impatience:
Burnout causes frustration and annoyance. Individuals experiencing burnout are usually impatient in every little thing, which makes them ineffective, showing poor performance and productivity. They become easily irritated, find it hard to complete tasks, and can’t handle more than one thing at once.
Impatience causes them to lose concentration and not give their best. There are always pressured while handling tasks because of their minds and body experience on rest. If left untreated, they could get to a point where they can no longer handle things, and everything will be on a standstill. They blame themselves and blame others. They will show constant anger, always flare-up, and even destroy things.
Change in sleeping pattern:
When one experiences burnout, you see a noticeable change in their sleeping patterns. The stress they experience, which leads to burnout,
causes unrest, and imbalance in their bodies. Many feel tired and can’t seem to find sleep or sleep for a very short time.
To make up, many take sleeping pills, but this gives little help because they have to get their mind and body back to a state of rest and calmness, and it would involve taking a break for a while to give their body the time it needs to heal and recuperate.
