5 signs you are heading for burnout
‘Be burnout savvy’
Do you find yourself saying “My feet have barely touched the ground”? Well, someone heading for burnout starts by saying this occasionally, then regularly and then they stop saying it. They stop talking about how stressed-out they are because they’ve lost the energy and the consciousness to even formulate the sentence. This person is ‘going to meet themselves coming back’ but they’re not going to like what they find.
In the case of burnout, prevention is most definitely better than cure, and its less expensive in every, way not just financially. You see, it can take 2 years or more to get your feet firmly on the ground.
The curse of the ‘stiff upper lip’ and the ‘carry on regardless’ culture has led to a deep ignorance of our human needs. Here’s what it truly costs us:
- Physical health
- Emotional and psychological health
- Nutritional health
- Relationship health
- Parenting health
- Friendship health
- Financial health
- Happiness health
DON’T LET JET-SETTING BURN YOU OUT!
Love the lifestyle if you love it! BUT know you can tweak it, change it, do differently if you choose. In our corporate working worlds it’s all too easy to believe the ‘health hiatus’ and think we have to give our all and more.
‘Consistently give you work life everything you’ve got, but not consistently more’
Educating yourself about the real price of burnout is key. Being aware that making adjustments is crucial to avoiding burnout.
Say yes to the cup of tea that you think there’s not time for!
Here are the 5 signs of burnout to look out for:
- Feeling full up; dizzy headed, can’t take another thing
You have no ‘bandwidth’ left to absorb any more demands on you, because you’ve been giving your all and more for too long. You can feel angry quickly, depressed & overwhelmed. It’s your hard work that has got you here, but none of us can carry on regardless without becoming ill.
- Missing lunch, for more than a few days, choosing fluids because they’re quicker
We’ve all missed lunch occasionally but if you do this as a matter of course, you’re actually not looking after yourself and not doing what will sustain your ‘hard work’. Eventually you will become ill.
- Intrusive thoughts of walking away, running away, self doubt…..
This is a sign of being overwhelmed & because you can’t see a way out right now (you’ve got to keep bringing the £’s in and do the ‘right thing’) you’ll start fantasizing about sitting on the train to the end of the line, or ‘what if I just keep driving’, ‘what if I just keep walking and don’t go in?’ ‘Will anyone care? Or notice?’
- Gut deep dread of the impending day – every day.
If you dread your work every single day you could be burning out, and if not now at some point soon you will. Nothing is worth you burning out, you’re simply worth more than that. People often feel weak during the early stages of burnout, and plagued with thoughts ‘how come I’m not hacking it like everyone else?’ SO, get help, talk to someone SOON.
- Anxiety, nervousness, twitchy
Shortness of breath, panic, struggling to take a deep breath. A non-specific low level anxiety that is getting worse. You may notice getting to work is harder, doing the job is harder, everything is harder even the simplest of tasks. You feel so anxious you might want to avoid people. You can’t put your ‘finger on’ why you feel this way.
EARLY SELF CARE is THE BEST PREVENTION – DON’T LEAVE IT TOO LATE
Self care tips to avoid burnout:
- Take breaks every day
- Eat lunch everyday
- Stop & think ‘What do I want’
- Be KIND in thoughts and actions towards yourself
- Breathe and move through stress
- Find a way to play in your day
- Carry on with due regard for yourself
- Be real, notice how you feel and adjust your day accordingly
- Know tough times shouldn’t break you
Don’t let burnout take away your lifestyle and livelihood.
