Five Signs of Burnout and How to Deal With It

You’ve heard it before; in this economy, you are lucky to have a job. However, that may not be entirely true. In fact, because of this statement, many people are continuing to show up for work each morning at a job they dislike. Job stress and burnout are not uncommon, and many people find that they are reaching their breaking point with their job. Find out if you are headed down the path to job burnout; these symptoms mean you need to think long and hard about what you want from your life.

You’re Overwhelmed

Working a stressful job means you feel overwhelmed from time to time; but we aren’t talking about the typical week before the biggest deadline of your life kind of overwhelmed. This type of overwhelmed is the type that is caused by your job expectations changing. You are working longer hours, not getting recognized for your hard work, not being offered a raise for your position and judging by your three and a half-inch roots you haven’t had any downtime in a very long time.

You’re Disenchanted

More than just overwhelmed, you have no illusion to the fact that you are not happy. However, you continue to work a job that no longer feels meaningful or rewarding, and you find yourself longing for the weekend when you can lie in bed and dream about a life that you definitely do not have.

Brownout

You’ve reached the point that you have no time to relax, de-stress or unwind. Your sleeping pattern has changed, your eating habits have changed and you are looking for relief in excess. You’re drinking too much, eating too much, shopping too much or doing too much of something else that probably is not very good for your mind or body.

You Are Irritable

When people start muttering under their breath on a daily basis that it must be that time of the month for you, you know you have a problem. After all, you’ve heard it a time or two, but every day for three months straight should tell you something about your attitude and behavior.

You Feel Despair

When you find yourself wishing that you could just run away from your entire life and never look back, you have reached the point of burnout. From time to time it is perfectly normal to imagine running away, but to wish this on a regular basis means that you have serious problems that require your immediate attention.

If you have noticed any of these signs in yourself, you need to take action. One way to help alleviate these feelings is to create a routine that gives you something to look forward to everyday, whether it is a yoga class, meditation or a long walk somewhere with a great view. These will help you to relax and unwind, and knowing that you have it to look forward to at the same time each day will have you feeling a little better. Additionally, you need to find someone to talk to. A therapist, counselor or loved one can help you put your feelings into perspective, and help you realize what you need to do and want to do to improve your life.