Signs you are burnt out

Burnout is a negative state of complete mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion caused by excessive stress and the inability to cope with it. It tends to come with a feeling of complete exhaustion that does not disappear with normal recovery methods like a vacation.

Reaching burnout status is different for everyone and depends on your age, stage of life, personality, role and responsibilities and industry among other factors.

Burnout can make an active and productive employee unproductive. It is conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

Here are signs you are burnout:

Difficulty concentrating

When you are burnt out you struggle to focus on tasks and your mind keeps wandering. You are constantly and easily distracted and it takes time to get back on track and complete a task.

Reduced performance

When you are burnt out, your creativity and productivity decrease and you find coming up with new ideas difficult. This is because creativity flourishes when you are calm and relaxed and not when you are stressed and anxious. You may also have difficulty concentrating, resulting in reduced performance at the workplace.

Constant procrastination

Another sign of burnout is constant procrastination. You may feel overwhelmed by the tasks at hand or simply not have enough energy to do and complete tasks. It could also be that your confidence and self-esteem are low or a fear of failure or doubt about yourself and your abilities that are causing you to procrastinate. Procrastination can also lead to a cycle of you blaming yourselves because things are not done, which makes you even more exhausted.

Withdrawal and isolation

When you are suffering from burnout, you may find it overwhelming to be in events or around people, making you avoid social situations. You may also find yourself pulling away from close family and friends and always yearning to be alone. However, the more you withdraw, the harder it can be to reengage with people.

Use of drugs to cope

Using drugs or drinking alcohol can feel like a relief from your burdens when you are burnout. Being burnt out also feels like not having enough energy, which can lead to trying to self-medicate by using drugs that will give more energy and productivity, or drugs that relieve stress and anxiety. Self-medicating with substances like alcohol and other non-prescribed medications can lead to dependence and addiction.

Frequent outbursts

When burnout you are likely to have outbursts. You may lash out or feel resentment towards others when you feel like your work is not being recognised and appreciated, or when you feel like people do not understand what you are going through. You may also be unable to control your emotions and may make decisions based on your emotions.

- Compiled by Hope Gitonga, from various Internet sources