Psychological and Emotional Symptoms Triggered by Burnout
- Feeling tired, exhausted or drained most of the time.
- Feeling confused and / or developing mental fog.
- Feeling excessive stress, anxiety and / or overwhelming unease.
- Becoming easily panicked and / or alarmed.
- Becoming forgetful and absent-minded.
- Becoming unable to focus or concentrate.
- Becoming impatient and / or easily frustrated.
- Experiencing changes in mood and temperament.
- Becoming angry, irritable and / or experiencing sudden mood swings.
- Developing a tendency to lash out at loved ones.
- Feeling helpless, trapped and / or overwhelmed.
- Finding everyday tasks to be either frustratingly mundane, or overwhelming.
- Developing a tendency to grudge all 'non-essential' tasks.
- Feeling unfulfilled, despondent, and hopeless.
- Neglecting one's personal needs, like appearance, self-grooming, and / or personal hygiene.
- Feeling alone, isolated, detached, and / or disconnected from the world.
- Becoming inwardly focused and / or unable to relate to others.
- Losing motivation and / or joy for life.
- Becoming antisocial and / or reclusive.
- Losing empathy towards others.
- Developing a cynical or negative outlook towards life.
- Developing self-doubt, low self-esteem and / or low self-worth.
- Developing a tendency to procrastinate over, avoid and / or overlook responsibilities.
- Experiencing changes in sleep patterns, e.g. developing insomnia or need for excessive sleep.
- Developing a tendency to self-medicate with alcohol, cigarettes and / or other substances.
- Experiencing depression, despair and / or melancholy.
- Developing suicidal feelings.
N.B: If you feel you might be experiencing burnout, or just some of these symptoms as a result of another condition or conditions - please do seek medical, and / or psychiatric help.
Please be assured there is nothing wrong with asking for help if you feel unable to cope - the problems may arise when people try to cope with such conditions alone.
Some Useful Links
https://www.workingwellglos.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Burnout-how-to-avoid-it.pdf
https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/
https://www.healthline.com/health/tips-for-identifying-and-preventing-burnout#who-gets-it
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm