Burn Out: What Does It Feel Like?

It isn’t easy to recognize when you’re burning out. And that’s because it sneaks up on people in different ways and looks different for everyone. Your day-to-day, job, and life as a whole will feel different when you’re experiencing burn out, but identifying the signs can help you snap out of it before you find yourself irreparably broken.

Burn out is a natural phenomenon that can happen to anyone, at any stage of their career. It occurs when we overwork ourselves to the point where we start resenting our jobs and lose faith in ourselves.

If you think that might be happening to you right now, read on to learn what the early warning signs are so you can take steps to avoid further deterioration or reverse your current downward trajectory.

Exhaustion

Exhaustion is both the first and the last sign of burn out. If you’re feeling exhausted all the time, even after getting enough sleep, you’ve probably been overworking yourself for quite some time. When you’re exhausted, it’s hard to focus on even the most basic tasks and you might find yourself needing more and more coffee just to get going in the morning.

If you’re experiencing a constant state of exhaustion, it’s a sign that you’re overworked and pushing yourself beyond your limits. You might be working too many hours, putting in too many weekends, or taking on too many projects.

Loss of Motivation

If you’re usually a very motivated and goal-oriented person and all of a sudden you lose your motivation and excitement for your work and life in general, that’s a sign that something is wrong.

This can be a sign of burn out, but it can also be the result of life events like moving to a new city and having to start over, a relationship break-up, or a death in the family.

If you’re experiencing an abrupt loss of motivation, ask yourself what might be causing this sudden change. Doing so might help you identify the root cause of your sudden lack of motivation and help you climb out of this slump.

Irritability and anxiety

If you find yourself snapping at your loved ones, coworkers, and even yourself more than usual, you could be experiencing burn out. If you can’t seem to control your temper, even when it’s obvious that your anger is misdirected, you might be feeling the pressure of burn out.
If, while you’re at work, you find yourself constantly anxious, stressed, and worried that you won’t be able to meet all your deadlines, you could be experiencing the effects of burn out.
If you find yourself experiencing these two symptoms, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed by your workload and struggling to figure out how to meet all your demands. If this is the case, you might want to consider identifying ways to ease the pressure on yourself and getting more support from your loved ones.

Uneasiness and Discomfort

If you find yourself feeling generally uneasy and uncomfortable with your work, your relationships, and your schedule, you might be experiencing burn out.
If you feel like you’re in a rut and that you can’t break out of it because you don’t know what’s blocking your path, you might be experiencing burn out.
If you find yourself feeling restless and constantly wanting to change everything in your life, but you don’t know how to go about it, you could be experiencing burn out.
If you’re experiencing uneasiness and discomfort, you might want to consider slowing down a bit and taking a look at how you’re managing your workload and to-do list. You might want to take a good hard look at your schedule and see if there are any changes you can make that would help you feel more at ease.

Depression

If you’re feeling down, blue, and sad more often than not, you might be experiencing a bout of depression. However, it’s possible that you’re just going through a rough patch and don’t realize that it’s not a permanent condition. If you find that your feelings of sadness and hopelessness are worsening, or that they’re lasting longer than they should, it could be a sign of burn out.
If you’re experiencing depression as a result of burn out, you might also experience feelings of hopelessness and discouragement. You might feel like there’s nothing you can do to get out of this slump.
If you’re experiencing these effects of burn out, you might want to consider talking to a therapist or seeking out support groups. You could also try journaling and writing out your feelings to help you get them out of your head and into a place where you can examine them more objectively.

Discouragement and Hopelessness

If you feel like you’re just not good enough, if you’re not where you want to be in life, and if you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and there’s no way out, it could be a sign of discouragement and hopelessness.
If you feel like you’re just not progressing and that you’re not moving forward, if you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, if you feel like you’re not making any progress and you don’t know how to get yourself unstuck, you could be experiencing discouragement and hopelessness as a result of burn out.
If you’re experiencing these effects of burn out, journaling and writing out your feelings could be helpful. You might also want to consider seeking out therapy or joining a support group.

Signs You’re Actually Burning Out (And Not Just Stressing Out)

If you’re experiencing several of these symptoms at once, it might be a sign that you’re experiencing burn out. However, if you only experience a couple of these symptoms for a brief period of time, it’s probably just a temporary stress reaction and not actual burn out.
If you’re experiencing several of these symptoms for several weeks, it’s probably not just stress. It’s possible, though, that you’re experiencing some of these symptoms for a brief period of time, but experiencing other symptoms all the time.
If you’re experiencing several of these symptoms, it’s a sign that you’re experiencing burn out. You just want to make sure that it’s not just a temporary reaction to stress and deadlines.
If you experience several of these symptoms at once, it’s probably a sign that you’re experiencing burn out. You should try to take care of yourself and reevaluate your workload and schedule to make sure that you’re not overworking yourself.
If you experience some of these symptoms for a brief period of time, but others all the time, it’s possible that you’re experiencing some mild symptoms of burn out. You should still make sure that you’re not overworking yourself, though, because you could be doing serious damage to your health and well-being.
If you experience several of these symptoms at once, it’s a sign that you’re experiencing burn out and should take steps to ease the pressure on yourself. While burn out is a natural phenomenon, it doesn’t mean that you have to let it run its course and break you down.

By taking steps to ease the pressure on yourself, you can avoid further deterioration or even reverse your current downward trajectory.