Recognising the 5 symptoms of Burn Out
Exhaustion
One of the early signs of burn out is severe exhaustion. This can present as waking up feeling tired, feeling drained of energy and struggling to regain a balance of rest.
Physical symptoms can include headaches, stomach aches, dysregulation of sleep and changes to appetite.
2. Isolation
When suffering with burn out, there is a sense of overwhelm triggered by everyday things. It is easier to ‘switch off’ from the rest of the world and retreat from socialising, communicating with loved ones and doing tasks that otherwise may have been routine.
3. Apathy
It feels easier to just go through the motions, but this leads to dissatisfaction or negative thoughts and feelings.
It is a lot harder to find the value or motivation in what originally gave joy and drive, when all the focus is on the negative.
Imposter syndrome can also come in to play and can cause self doubt and a negative inner dialogue.
4. Changes in mood
Irritability is a common sign of burn out.
This can be caused by the feeling of overwhelm of daily stressors which can lead to mood changes that can result in behaviours that could be considered not usual. It can appear as being quick to be on the defence and is often a form of self preservation when confronted with a change in routine or feedback.
4. Frequent Illness
With the feelings of mental and emotional exhaustion paired with fatigue, physiological symptoms can become
more apparent and frequent illness is extremely common. As mentioned, fatigue can lead to headaches, tummy issues etc but it can also cause a fragile immune system which can result in susceptibility to sicknesses.
