How To Avoid Burnout

Burnout is described as complete physical, emotional and mental fatigue caused by excessive and prolonged stress.

When you’re burned out, you feel that any problem is unsolvable, and too difficult to tackle. You may have a negative outlook on life and find it difficult to muster up the energy to complete daily tasks. You may feel overwhelmed, overly emotional and unable to keep up with the demands of your work or home life.

• Physical signs of burnout include constant headaches, lower immunity, constant low energy, and a change in appetite and sleep habits.

• Emotions signs of burnout include loss of motivation, self-doubt, and a decreased sense of accomplishment.

• Behavioural signs of burnout include withdrawing from responsibilities, self-isolation, procrastination and taking frustrations out on others.

These are key signs that you are either heading towards being burnt out, or already there.

So how can you overcome this overwhelming sense of stress and fatigue?

• It is important to re-evaluate your outlook on work and overall responsibilities. Try to achieve a better sense of a work life balance to reduce your workload and find time to do things you enjoy. Can you delegate jobs to others? Are there people around you who can help with your workload?

• Take your Annual Leave! That?s what it is there for, to help you recharge the batteries so you can stay efficient and effective while you are at work.

• Reach out to those that are close to you. Opening up to how you feel and what you are going through will help relieve stress and may explain your behavioural and emotional symptoms such as withdrawal and isolation.

• Prioritise your sleep and exercise daily. Not only does this help you to feel recharged for the day, it helps to normalise your stress hormones and boosts the production of endorphins and serotonin, a mood-regulating hormone.

If you lead a busy lifestyle with significant stressors, it is important that you clue into the symptoms of burnout early, so you can start to turn things around to reduce the risk of burnout and the side effects associated.