Understanding Burnout: Signs and Treatment 

Have you experienced extreme tiredness that is not just physical? Are you under constant stress?

Do you frequently feel emotionally drained? What you are experiencing may not be simple exhaustion

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.

If constant stress has you feeling helpless, disillusioned, and completely exhausted, you may be on the road to burnout.

Traditionally, it is used in terms of employee burnout but recent researches show that students also experience burnout with their lengthy schedules, co-curricular activities and added burden of competitive exams. 

Signs and symptoms of burnout

Physical

·    Feeling tired and drained most of the time.

·    Lowered immunity,

·    frequent illnesses.

·    Frequent headaches or muscle pain.

·    Change in appetite or sleep habits.

Emotional

·    Sense of failure and self-doubt.

·    Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.

·    Detachment, feeling alone in the world.

·    Loss of motivation.

·    Increasingly cynical and negative outlook.

·    Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.

Tips to treat burnout

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 to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.

1)  Lighten your load:  Take stock of your responsibilities and work on offloading the ones that could be handled by someone else.

2)  Recharge:  Taking self-care breaks has been essential to managing burnout. Write in a journal and focus on gratitude.

3)  Reach:  Reach out and share your difficulties with co-workers, friends or professionals. You are not alone.

4)  Unplug:  Set a time each day when you completely disconnect. Put away your laptop, turn off your phone, and stop checking email or social media.

5)  Ask for help: No matter what your burnout feels like, it’s important to get help. Letting others know you’re not OK is key.

6)  Get some sleep: Sleep restores well-being and helps protect your health.