What is burnout and which are its symptoms?

Burnout syndrome: what is it?

More and more people report feeling exhausted, fatigued and burned out due to stressful lifestyles and increased work commitments. Symptoms can come from various health conditions, one of which is Burnout Syndrome.

Burnout syndrome is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion, which is caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It usually occurs when the person feels overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted and unable to cope with the constant demands.

As the stress continues, the interest and motivation that led the person to take on a particular role in the first place begins to be lost.

Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing left to give.

The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of ​​life, including your home, work and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes in your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it is important to treat burnout immediately.(1)

Types of Burnout

Burnout syndrome is divided into 3 different types depending on the cause that causes it.

• Overloading

This happens when the person works harder and harder, becoming frantic in their pursuit of success. In this case, he may be willing to risk your health and personal life in order to feel successful at work.

• Under-challenge

This happens when the person feels undervalued and bored in their job. Maybe his job doesn’t provide learning opportunities or doesn’t have room for professional growth. In this case, the person may distance himself from his work, become cynical and avoid responsibilities.

• Neglecting Burnout

This happens when the person feels helpless in their work. If things don’t go well, he may think he’s incapable of fulfilling your responsibilities. This burnout can be closely related to the “impostor syndrome”, a psychological condition in which the individual doubts their skills, talents or achievements.(4)

Burnout: symptoms

Burnout syndrome appears differently in each person and can affect either physically, mentally, emotionally or a combination of the above. They usually appear gradually and it is necessary to treat them in time, in order not to cause other consequences. Below are some of the symptoms that may occur.

Physically

• Fatigue
• Low immunity
• Frequent headaches or muscle aches.
• Changes in eating habits
• Changes in sleeping habits

Emotionally

• Feeling of failure and self-doubt
• Feeling defeated
• Isolation
• Loss of motivation
• Increasingly cynical and negative outlook
• Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

Symptoms during labor

• Resignation of responsibilities.
• Isolation from others.
• Procrastination (taking more time to complete a competency)
• Transferring frustration to colleagues
• Skipping work or arriving at work late and leaving early (1)(2)

Burnout and depression

The symptoms of burnout can often resemble symptoms of more serious medical conditions. These may include mood disorders related to mental health.

“Often, burnout and depression can mirror each other,” explains Dr. Borland. “However, depression is a diagnosable mental health condition, whereas burnout is not.”

That’s not the only difference. Unlike depression, burnout tends to be a response to a specific environment or situation—say, working longer hours than usual or dealing with something specific going on in your life. “Depression doesn’t have to be a response to a specific trigger,” says Dr. Borland. “Do you feel a sense of worthlessness, a sense of helplessness, about changing aspects of your life? The causes of depression tend to be broader in general, whereas with burnout, we can really pinpoint what’s causing these types of symptoms.”

Symptoms of depression also tend to be more general, he adds. “Imagine you’re depressed and visit a villa in the South of France,” says Dr Borland. “The reality is that these symptoms of depression will accompany you on this journey.”

If you’re experiencing burnout, however, you’ll have aa different experience visiting the same villa. “Once you get away from work or whatever is causing the burnout, you’ll be able to enjoy that vacation and relax,” she explains. “If you feel depressed, you probably won’t.”(3)

Burnout Causes 

The exhaustion of burnout stems from the individual’s work. But anyone who feels overworked and underappreciated is at risk of experiencing it, from the hard-working office worker who hasn’t taken a vacation in years to the frustrated stay-at-home mom who takes care of kids, housework, and an aging parent.

This syndrome is not caused exclusively by stressful work or excessive responsibilities. Other factors that can be causes are the person’s lifestyle and personality traits. In fact, his leisure habits and the way he sees the world can play just as important a role in causing excessive stress as the demands of work or home.

Work-related causes

• He feels he has little or no control at work
• Lack of recognition or reward for good work
• Unclear or overly demanding job expectations
• Doing work that is monotonous or unchallenging
• Working in a chaotic or high pressure environment

Lifestyle causes

• Long working hours, not enough time to socialize or relax
• Lack of close, supportive relationships
• Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others
• Lack of sleep
• Causes related to the person’s personality:
• Perfectionist tendencies
• Pessimistic view of himself and the world.
• The need to be in control, reluctance to delegate responsibilities to others.(1)

How to deal with burnout

Burnout builds up over time, making it difficult to manage your work and other responsibilities. Once the symptoms are identified, there are ways to avoid a consequence that may be caused by them.

• Discussion with the supervisor
• Adequate sleep
• Start a relaxing activity
• Mindfulness practice
• Socialization
• Limit contact with negative people
• Making time for rest and relaxation (1)(4)

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Sources

1. Burnout Prevention and Treatment – HelpGuide.org
2. Burnout – Mental Health UK
3. Burnout: 5 Signs and What to Do About It – Cleveland Clinic
4. Burnout: Symptoms and Signs