Burnout isn’t new (it’s been over 10 years since I stood up in front of many of my colleagues to talk about it), and is found in health and scientific literature going back well over 50 years. But it seems more prevalent now than ever, partly due to the impact of the Covid pandemic. This will give you a brief overview of Burnout. If you want an in depth book, you may want to consider visiting your local library online or in person, or a book retailer such as Amazon or Indigo.

Common Symptoms of Burnout

Burnout has many symptoms, those in the image are just a few. Not all symptoms are felt by everyone. However, there are a few which are common to all experiences: exhaustion, cynicism (or believing everything is a waste of time/energy), and feeling unproductive (that nothing ever gets done or ever gets done right). Each person’s experience is unique.

Some other symptoms that may be experienced include:

  • anger

  • hopelessness

  • self-doubt

  • meaningless

  • feeling like there is not enough time

  • not seeing an end

  • nobody cares

  • lowered immunity

  • always tired

  • aches and pains

  • change in appetite

  • withdrawing from others

  • loss of passion

  • internal disconnection

 

What burnout Isn’t

Stress is not the same as burnout. Burnout isn’t laziness; it’s not made up, nor is it a sign you are losing your faith. Depression doesn’t necessarily mean you have burnout. And experiencing burnout does not necessarily mean that you will also experience depression. Compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma are also not the same as burnout, though some of the symptoms may overlap.

Stay tuned as there will be five short, easy-to-read posts coming on burnout to help you not only identify if this is what’s going on in your life but also give you some quick ideas to understand some of the symptoms, causes, areas of impact, and next steps.

Burnout does not have to be a lonely place. If you find yourself saying, “That’s me!” or even “That sounds like what my friend is dealing with”, feel free to contact me either by making a free 20-minute “get to know you” appointment or simply click the button below, and let’s together help you move through to the other side of burnout.

You can’t go backwards, but you can make changes that will bring you towards feeling whole. It’s a slow process. All you have to do is take that first step in a good direction!