We’ve all heard the expression “burning the candle at both ends.” But what happens when you burn both ends to the point that the entire candle extinguishes? That’s what burnout feels like.
Reaching the end of your rope may force you to recognize that you’re burned out and need a break. A better approach: Learn how to spot the signs of burnout and take better care of yourself to help prevent it.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a condition that can have a significant impact on your mental, physical and emotional health. Since 2019, burnout syndrome has been an officially recognized mental health diagnosis.
Burnout is often associated with a person’s work life. Job stress and negative feelings associated with your job can lead to burnout. When that happens, people tend to feel mentally exhausted by their work and unable to maintain the necessary level of productivity.
But many other factors beyond the workplace can play a role in burnout. Stress at home about your kids, family, finances, health or relationships can increase the likelihood of experiencing feelings of burnout.
Who’s at risk of burnout?
Anyone can experience burnout, but certain jobs, situations and personalities can increase your risk.
Some of the types of jobs most prone to burnout include:
- Doctors, nurses and other medical professionals
- First responders
- Service industry roles (such as chef, server or retail sales)
- Social workers
- Teachers
- Unpaid caregivers (stay-at-home parents or those caring for an aging parent, sick child or spouse)
No matter what type of job you have, certain features and situations in your workplace can increase your risk of experiencing burnout. These can include factors such as:
- Feeling that your supervisor is micromanaging your daily work life
- Lack of workplace support
- Long hours
- Low pay
- Monotonous or unchallenging work
- Unpredictable schedule (and feeling like you have no control over your schedule)
Certain emotional and personality traits can also increase your risk of burnout (regardless of your profession). These include:
- Belief that you can’t control the outcome of situations
- Feelings of negativity
- Perfectionism
- Type A personality
Recognizing the symptoms of burnout
Burnout and depression are not the same thing, but they can show up in similar ways. Burnout can impact both your physical and mental health. It can also impact your relationships, job performance and overall stress levels.
It’s important to recognize signs of burnout in yourself and others. The sooner you spot the symptoms, the sooner you can take steps to remedy the situation.
Signs of burnout may include:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Emotional and physical exhaustion
- Feeling cynical about your job, your workplace or your colleagues
- Feeling helpless or trapped in your situation
- Lack of productivity
- Physical symptoms, including stomach upset, headaches or difficulty sleeping
How to beat burnout
The best way to recover from job-related burnout is to take a break from your work. But quitting, disconnecting or getting away aren’t always reasonable options. Luckily, you can take steps to improve your situation without leaving your job or going on an extended vacation.
Feeling a lack of control over your hours, your responsibilities and your work environment are key factors in burnout. Finding ways to take control over some of those aspects of your work life can help counteract it.
A good place to start is by talking as openly and honestly as possible with your boss about your concerns. See if they can work with you to restructure some of your duties and deadlines and make your hours more reasonable and predictable.
It’s also important to work on setting your own boundaries — and sticking to them. If you’ve made it clear that you’re not available on the weekend, don’t answer work emails on a Saturday night. If you’ve said you’re only available to work 30 hours a week, speak up when you’re put on the schedule for 40.
Even if you’re not able to change anything about your job, you can still focus on self-care strategies. Taking time for yourself can improve your emotional and physical health and help you suffer less from burnout symptoms.
Helpful self-care strategies can include:
- Exercise
- Finding ways to manage stress
- Getting more sleep
- Mindfulness techniques (such as meditation or yoga)
- Spending time outdoors and in nature
When to seek help for your mental health
If you’re experiencing burnout — or fear you’re headed in that direction — finding support is key. Reach out to family, friends and coworkers about what you’re feeling. They may not be able to solve the problems related to burnout, but knowing you’re not in it alone can still help.
When burnout symptoms become more chronic and severe, it’s time to seek out help from your primary care provider or a mental health counselor. If burnout has led to depression or if you are self-medicating with drugs or alcohol, getting help is critical.
While burnout is common, it’s not inevitable. Taking steps to manage stress and make your work life better can help you avoid getting burned out.
