Signs of Burnout: How to Recognise Early Warning Signs and What to do

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s all too easy to push ourselves to the limit in pursuit of our goals and responsibilities. However, ignoring the early signs of burnout can lead to serious consequences for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Recognising these warning signals is crucial for preventing burnout and maintaining a healthy balance in our lives. In this blog, we’ll explore common signs of burnout and strategies for addressing them.
 
 

What signs should you be looking for?

One of the earliest signs of burnout is persistent exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest. If you find yourself feeling tired all the time, even after a full night’s sleep, it could be a sign that you’re pushing yourself too hard.
Burnout can sap your enthusiasm and motivation, making it difficult to find joy in activities that once brought you pleasure. If you’re feeling disengaged or apathetic about work, hobbies, or social interactions, it may be a sign that burnout is looming.
This may lead to regularly working overtime, working through your lunch, and having feelings of not being good enough.
Burnout can also manifest as heightened irritability, impatience, or frustration, particularly in response to minor inconveniences or stressors. If you find yourself snapping at loved ones or colleagues more frequently than usual, it’s worth examining whether burnout may be a contributing factor.
Catastrophising events, expecting ‘bad’ things to happen. Thinking that by thinking the worst could happen you are insuring yourself against it.
Burnout doesn’t just affect our mental and emotional health—it can also take a toll on our physical well-being. Common physical symptoms of burnout include headaches, muscle tension, skin breakouts, gastrointestinal issues, and frequent illnesses due to a weakened immune system.
As burnout takes its toll on our mental health, it can impair our ability to concentrate, make decisions, and deal with day-to-day challenges. If you find yourself struggling to focus or experiencing brain fog on a regular basis, it could be a sign that burnout is affecting your cognitive functioning.

So what do you do if you recognise the above signs in yourself?

Speak to yourself the way you would to a good friend or family member, encourage yourself with your thoughts. Get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals/drink water, engage in regular movement, and set aside time for relaxation and leisure activities.
What does your morning routine look like? Do you jump straight onto social media or watch the news, or do you intentionally choose your thoughts and feelings for the day?
Learn to say no to excessive demands on your time and energy. Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life, and don’t hesitate to delegate tasks or ask for help when needed.
What are the negative thought patterns you have and what behaviours does this lead too? What do you need to start thinking to create the feelings you want and positively impact your behaviour.
Reach out to friends, family members, or a professional for support and guidance. Talking about your feelings can help alleviate stress and provide valuable perspective on your situation.
Schedule regular breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge. Use this time to get present and grounded, close your eyes for 2 minutes and listen to the sounds you can hear. Take a few deep breaths and listen to your own breathing. Becoming present quietens down your negative mind chatter and energises your inner wisdom.
Reflect on your values, goals, and priorities, and consider whether your current lifestyle aligns with them. It may be necessary to adjust your commitments or responsibilities to ensure they are in line with what truly matters to you.
whether something is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is down to our perspective. We often label events as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ rather than remaining fact based. Take a fresh look at your situation without the need to label it.

What our expert says?

 Meet our expert, Maria Jeffers, who is an Accredited Mental Fitness Coach, with a passion for helping others to develop positive & resilient mindsets. 
 

“I help others to better understand their current thinking, emotions and behaviours in order to create deep self-awareness. Understanding our fear and where it comes from enables us to experience more joy and exhilaration. Setting and achieving goals is much more fun when we enable our mindset to see the opportunity all around us. 

By recognising the early signs of burnout and taking proactive steps to address them, you can safeguard your well-being and maintain a healthy balance in your life.
 
My work within the equine industry involves supporting individuals with their mental fitness so they develop the capacity to deal with life’s daily challenges with a positive mindset and live more intentionally.
 

Making the decision to improve your mental fitness means taking a step towards increased wellbeing for yourself, more positive relationships, and improved performance. 

Our mental fitness is the same as our physical fitness we get out what we put in. There is no shame in seeking support with our mindset. The most successful and happy people in the world have prioritised their own self development. The most important relationship we have is with ourselves when we look at life through this lens then everything changes.”

 

Want to know more about your self sabotaging thoughts?

Saboteurs are the voices in your head that generate negative emotions as you handle life’s everyday challenges. They represent the automatic patterns in your mind for how to think, feel, and respond. Your Saboteurs cause all of your stress, anxiety, self-doubt, frustration, restlessness, and unhappiness. They sabotage your performance, wellbeing, and relationships.

The Saboteur Assessment is your first step to conquering your Saboteurs — identifying them to expose their lies and limiting beliefs

Based on Shirzad Chamine’s, (Founder and CEO of Positive Intelligence®️ and New York Times bestseller) original research, which included 500,000 participants from 50 countries. These include world class athletes, CEO's and their exec teams, and university students.  

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