If you’ve ever had a job that drains the life out of you, then it’s likely that you’ve had to deal with burnout. It’s a common problem for workers who feel like they’re not getting any fulfillment from their job anymore, or who feel worn down by the stress and drudgery that comes with working in an office environment. But what is burnout? How can you tell if this is happening to you? And how do we prevent it from happening at all? Here are some signs that may indicate that your job is starting to wear on your soul:
Headaches & Muscle Tension
If you’re feeling headaches and muscle tension, it’s time to take a step back from your work. Headaches and neck pain are common signs of a burnout because of how much strain we put on our bodies every day. When we feel overwhelmed by work or life, our bodies react by tightening up all over the place–in our muscles, joints, and even stomachs! This can lead to chronic pain if left unchecked for too long.
Trouble with Sleep Patterns
If you’re having trouble sleeping, or even if it’s just a little bit harder than usual to get to sleep, that may be a sign that you’re burned out. These are some of the most common symptoms of this type of exhaustion:
- Sleeping less than six hours per night
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Waking up during the night and having trouble getting back to sleep (or waking up too early)
- Being tired during the day
Cynical
Cynicism is a defense mechanism that people use to protect themselves from the stress of their jobs. It can prevent you from getting too close to anyone at work and make it hard for people to get close with you. If this sounds like something familiar, then chances are you’re experiencing burnout. Your cynicism will eventually lead to an unhealthy lifestyle as well–you’ll start skipping out on activities outside of work because they seem pointless or unimportant compared with what goes on inside the office walls (or cubicle walls). You may even start eating poorly because food isn’t as enjoyable anymore when there’s no enjoyment coming from anywhere else in life either!
Frustrated & Unfulfilled
If you feel like your work is not making a difference, or if it’s just not fulfilling, then that may be a sign that you’re burned out. It can be hard to tell whether or not this is true for yourself because it’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind of life and forget what inspired us in the first place. If this sounds like something that could apply to you, take some time out of each day (even if only 15 minutes) and reflect on what makes our work meaningful.
Sunday Night Blues
Sunday evening is when the Sunday Night Blues strike. You’re coming to the end of your week, you’ve had a long day at work and on top of that, you know that tomorrow morning will mean going back to work. This combination can put anyone in a funk–and it’s not uncommon for people who are burned out by their jobs or other aspects of their lives to feel this way every weekend as well. The Sunday Night Blues happen because we’re looking forward to our weekends so much that when they finally arrive we’re disappointed: We didn’t accomplish anything during our days off! We could have spent more time doing fun things with friends and family instead of working late into Saturday night; now all those plans will have to wait until next weekend too.
Sense of Apathy
If you’re burned out, you may feel as if nothing matters anymore. You may be unable to muster any interest in your job or even the things that used to bring you joy. You might even be bored with spending time with friends and family–and if they ask why, it’s because their lives seem so dull compared to yours that it makes them boring too. This feeling of apathy can make even small tasks seem insurmountable; it’s like an unpleasant fog that envelops everything around us and makes us want to give up on life altogether. This sense of nihilism can also affect our relationships with coworkers or partners who don’t understand what we’re going through (or who don’t care). We may find ourselves snapping at them more often than usual because they aren’t sympathetic enough–or maybe they are but still don’t understand how difficult this is for us specifically! Either way, these interactions only add fuel onto the fire: If someone else doesn’t get how bad I feel all the time then clearly there must be something wrong with me!
Feeling Depleted After Work
You feel tired, but not sleepy. You have no energy. You feel like you are dragging yourself through the day. You feel like you can’t focus on anything and everything feels hard to do or complete, even simple tasks that used to be easy for you (like making coffee). This is a common sign of burnout because it’s linked to both physical exhaustion from working too many hours without breaks, as well as emotional exhaustion from being in an unfulfilling job where nothing seems worth doing anymore–especially if the people around us aren’t supportive of our goals and dreams either!
Irritability
If you’re feeling irritable, that’s a sign of burnout. Irritability is usually caused by stress and sleep deprivation–two things that also happen when you’re burned out. If your irritability persists for more than a few days, it could be an indicator of depression or other health issues. If this pattern continues for months on end (or even just weeks), it’s time to get help from a professional psychologist who can help identify the cause and recommend treatment options.
If you’re feeling burnt out, it’s important to take action. You can’t just keep going on this way and expect things to get better. You need some time off, a break from your job and coworkers so that you can recharge your batteries and feel ready for another round of hard work when the time comes around again.
