Juggling a job, social responsibilities and taking care of yourself and your family can take a toll on your mental health.
If you're taking on more than you can handle, your body may warn you that burnout is on the horizon.
However, burnout isn't exactly a mental health diagnosis, says Molly Burrets , a licensed clinical psychologist.
"It's more of a chronic condition that happens when we experience chronic fatigue [and] overwhelm when the demands of our life exceed our capacity to meet those demands," she tells Pawonation.comMake It, adding that it can increase your likelihood of experiencing mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
Spotting the signs of burnout is key for preventing it, or reversing it. Burrets says the symptoms of burnout come in three categories: physical, emotional and behavioral.
Here's what to watch out for:
How your body tells you that you're on the verge of burnout
1. Physical symptoms
"Some of the most common physical symptoms are things like chronic fatigue or insomnia, difficulty either falling or staying asleep," Burrets says.
Additional physical symptoms that can indicate you're burnt out may include:
- Frequent headaches
- Muscle pain
- Digestive issues
- Weakened immune system
2. Emotional symptoms
The emotional indicators of burnout tend to be the signs that are most commonly associated with the phenomenon. "These are ones that people are often most primed to notice and understand indicate a real problem," Burrets says.
Those symptoms include:
- Increased irritability
- Experiencing a loss of motivation, even to do things that bring you joy
- Feeling detached or emotionally drained
- Increased frustration
- Having negative feelings about work or caregiving responsibilities
3. Behavioral symptoms
Look out for shifts in your behavior that are likely being used as coping mechanisms, Burrets says. Some of the most common behavioral symptoms include overeating, binge drinking or increased drug use.
However, behavioral signs might also appear as:
- Procrastination
- Withdrawal from social responsibilities
- Isolation from others
- Decreased productivity, particularly in the workplace
"If you notice that you are having behavioral symptoms, emotional symptoms and physical health symptoms, that's a red flag," Burrets says. "You are burnt out by that point."
How to reverse burnout
Prior to addressing your burnout symptoms, Burret suggests seeking advice from your physician to ensure these issues are not caused by other underlying medical conditions.
After completing that step, Burret suggests lightening your workload to create space for increased self-care activities.
She suggests testing out some of these options:
- Exercise and physical activity
- Valuable moments spent with loved ones
- A new hobby
- Meditation
- Mindfulness activities
Before taking on more responsibilities, she emphasizes the importance of assessing how you spend your time and determining which tasks could be eliminated—without significantly disrupting your daily routine.
Although it might be challenging to lessen your duties and reconsider your priorities, Burret suggests that making sacrifices is essential for enhancing your overall well-being.
The aim is to "remove non-essential tasks from our workload and maybe replace them with some self-care activities, additional free time, more rest, and relaxation instead."
Burret argues that making such difficult decisions is crucial for recovery. He states, "Setting limits is necessary to avoid exhaustion."
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