When you are experiencing burnout — a feeling of mental and physical exhaustion — it is helpful to look at all areas to see where you are struggling the most; this can be at work, home, or school, or in your social or personal life. Warning signs are helpful reminders to take a step back and re-evaluate your self-care.
Here are some of the warning signs of burnout:
Work
- You start taking on more work than you can manage
- You do not leave the office or finish work assignments on time
- You begin looking at work emails outside of your working hours
- You stress, worry, or obsess about work
in your free time - You are constantly playing catch up
- Your inbox is overflowing and you don’t have time to respond
- You start to feel annoyed and irritated at your boss/colleagues
Family & Friends
- You begin to neglect family and friendships
- You become impatient and snappy with loved ones
- You start declining or cancelling invites to socialize
- You are shorttempered with the kids
- Arguments with your partner increase
Personal Life
- Selfcare begins to disappear
- Sleep becomes disturbed
- You ditch the healthy eating and go for instant gratification
- Alcohol consumption increases
- Mental health begins to deteriorate
- Exercise routines stop
- You become closed off or avoidant of how you feel
What to do about burnout warning signs
The first step is to recognize that things might be slipping, and to remind yourself that you have choices. Don’t beat yourself up for struggling with these areas of your life. Instead, take action and reach out to those you trust for help. Sometimes it takes an honest self-assessment and a decision to share with another your intention to get the ball rolling.
Make a 'Burnout' Plan
Have a “burnout plan” with ideas of what you can do if you feel yourself slipping. It might be as simple as telling your boss you’re heading towards burnout and you need to discuss the workload, or reaching out to a friend.
Recovery
This may be a new encounter for you. Or you may already recognize your early warning signs for burnout because you have been here before. Either way, know that recovery from burnout is possible, and learning from your experience will make you stronger. Here are a few tips to get you back on track:
Set boundaries with yourself and with others.
Recognize what you want to change in your life and take action by affirming to yourself that change is possible.
Take time to recharge.
Take a morning, or a day or two, free from responsibilities to decide what is important to you.
Re-establish your efforts in self-care.
Make this your number one priority; if you don’t look after yourself, how do you expect to look after family, meet work demands, and other commitments?
Ask for help.
Access your assistance program, speak to someone you trust, or go to your GP and ask for further support. Reaching out is a stepping-stone for more change in your life.
This article was provided by TELUS Health.
© TELUS Health 2024
The Members Assistance Program is sponsored by CDSPI and provided by TELUS Health.