Burnout Has No Cure: Here are 6 Signs You're Suffering from It

Burnout can pose a significant threat to busy professionals and the companies they work for.

For many employers, it has become a bigger concern than ever in recent years. Unique factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting increase in remote working have created new risks, partly linked to the blurring of the boundaries between work and home life.

Looking at this issue from a management perspective, it's easy to fall into the trap of placing so much emphasis on the welfare of your team that you overlook your own health and wellbeing. This could be a serious mistake, simply because you can't expect to do your best work as a manager if you're physically and mentally exhausted.

It's crucial, therefore, to stay vigilant to the signs that you might be on your way to burning out. This will help you be proactive and put measures in place to stop early symptoms from escalating into a serious crisis.

1. Feeling constantly exhausted

It's not unusual for people with demanding jobs and busy lives to feel tired first thing in the morning, late at night and at certain times of the day. But if you're experiencing constant exhaustion that's affecting your ability to do your job, it's a problem that requires attention.

You should be particularly aware of times when your feelings of tiredness don't seem to go away, even if you've had a good night's sleep and have been maintaining a healthy, consistent diet.

According to Siobhan Murray, a psychotherapist based in Ireland, it's important to speak to your doctor as soon as you start to feel this way.

2. Feeling distant or negative about work

If you were once full of passion and enthusiasm about your work, and now all you feel is disillusionment and negativity, it's worth asking if this is an early indication of burnout.

When it included burnout in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said one of the key dimensions used to define the phenomenon is increased mental distance and feelings of cynicism related to one's job.

As soon as you start to feel this way, consider what the root causes of the problem might be, and make sure you talk to your colleagues and superiors about it, rather than suffering in silence.

3. Declining performance

The third dimension used by the WHO to describe burnout - after exhaustion and mental distance from your job - is reduced professional efficacy.

If you're your own harshest critic, you might be the first person to notice that your standards are slipping at work. But one of the realities of management is that you won't be the only one affected by it, and any mistakes or oversights on your part could have serious repercussions for other people and the business as a whole.

To stop this from escalating into a serious problem, it's crucial to treat yourself fairly and to be honest about when you need a break from work. If you ignore the problem or try to push through it, the most likely outcome is that you'll become seriously unwell and the impact on the business will be even more severe.

4. Persistent anxiety

Much like tiredness, feelings of anxiety and nervousness are fairly normal if you have a challenging job and you often find yourself preparing for intense and difficult situations, such as pitching for new business or dealing with demanding clients.

But when these emotions start to become overwhelming and persistent - particularly if there’s no obvious cause - it could be a warning sign of burnout that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

5. Losing your temper with colleagues

When you're on the road to burnout, it's highly likely (and understandable) that you'll often feel irritable, partly because you dedicate so much time and energy to battling exhaustion and anxiety.

Unfortunately for the co-workers who spend at least eight hours a day (and often more) around you at work, they're the ones most likely to bear the brunt of your short temper.

Taking out your frustrations on your colleagues isn't fair - and could sow the seeds for unpleasant disputes and conflict in the future - so if you find this is starting to become a problem, take a step back and be honest with yourself about how well you're coping with things at the moment.

6. Physical pain and discomfort

Burnout isn't just a mental phenomenon - it can have physical signs and consequences as well.

If you find that you're starting to experience issues like frequent headaches and stomach pain, particularly when you're going through periods of high stress and pressure at work, they could be directly connected to burnout. When German-American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger first recognized this concept in 1974, he cited frequent headaches as a common symptom.

There are many potential causes of these common complaints, of course, but it's certainly worth being aware of burnout when you're thinking about the positive steps you can take to improve your mental and physical wellbeing.