Do you find your diary is crammed from the moment you start work? Perhaps you’re already checking emails over breakfast while you’re getting the kids off to school or squeezing in calls on your commute to the office. Being constantly switched on like this can wreak havoc with your stress levels and before you know it you’re on a road to burn out.
But Burnout isn’t just for high flying, over achievers. Anyone can experience the mental, physical and emotional symptoms of burnout that develop over time when you’re exposed to constant stress. When you’re super busy and feeling anxious all of the time, you can end up trying to firefight your way through days. Your stress levels keep rising, everything seems urgent, simple tasks feel impossible to achieve and you can quickly think you’re failing at life.
It’s like your system jams, and you can’t find your flow. Like your smartphone you’re not designed to be ‘always on’. You need time to press pause, so you can reboot your system otherwise eventually the system (you!) crashes. But how do you know you’re on the brink of burnout?
Here are 10 warning signs you’re heading for burnout.
- You have severe exhaustion and feel tired all the time
- Even though you’re exhausted it is hard to go to sleep at night
- Simple day to day tasks feel overwhelming and complicated
- Your brain feels fuzzy, you become forgetful and find it hard to recall details
- You feel excessively emotional, crying or angry for no obvious reason
- You are excessively busy and can’t turn off
- Your usual zest for life has long disappeared
- You’ve lost sight of what matters to you
- It feels difficult to even manage your daily self care basics
- You have a low tolerance for other people and don’t want to be around others
Along with these warning signs, there are also physical symptoms to watch out for, including:
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Frequent coughs and colds
- Anxiety or depression
- Headaches and stomach aches
If you experience these symptoms, you should discuss them with your preferred health practitioner. But there are ways to minimise this risk. You may often hear people talk about ‘living in the moment’. No, it’s not all about meditation or hippy-like activities. Simply put, being in the moment is just you taking a few seconds or minutes to recognise what’s happening at that exact time so that you can reduce your anxiety and stress levels.
If you’re unsure of how to be ‘in the moment’, then add your details below to receive your free guide to pause and de-stress.
