What is Burnout?

Burnout is a condition of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion brought about by excessive and/or prolonged stress. It happens when you feel tired, physically drained, and unable to cope with constant demands. In severe cases, Burnout can lead to serious medical problems like heart attack and stroke. In order to avoid such grave health risks, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of Burnout, particularly in individuals under significant stress or suffering from long-term disorders.

Recognizing and being aware of the signs of Burnout early can help avoid the complications of the condition. It is often difficult for individuals to recognize the beginning symptoms of Burnout, since it can occur on a continuous basis. For example, a person may feel tired, fatigued, weak, irritable, anxious, or predisposed to sickness for several days before finally experiencing a sense of Burnout. Another frequent Burnout symptom is a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, palpitations, increased sweating, chills, or hot flashes. Recognizing these early symptoms allows for early diagnosis and, if necessary, treatment.

One of the simplest ways to understand the meaning of a Burnout symptom is to understand the stress response. The stress response is a natural reaction of our body that warns us of potential danger or injury. In situations where we feel threatened or unsafe, our body goes into survival mode – which includes the emergency response and the flight or fight mechanism. Our breathing, heartbeat rate, muscles, and mind respond to the immediate situation; therefore, if we are confronted with an emergency, the body prepares to “Fight or Flight” – two completely separate responses from our bodies.

Unfortunately, our body’s emergency response cannot be turned off in most situations. Therefore, instead of feeling safe and secure, we often feel overwhelmed and out of control. When we experience repeated or sustained high levels of stress, we tend to withdraw from society – sometimes for years. We may feel depressed, have poor nutritional status, engage in risky behavior, take excessive drugs and alcohol, turn to self-medication, or resort to extreme behaviors to escape the effects of life’s daily pressures. We may engage in extreme sports, take extreme risks driving, become involved in hazardous hobbies, or go through painful or even deadly physical workouts. If we fail to recognize that we are suffering from the effects of stress and try to resolve it by isolating ourselves, we can worsen our Burnout.

By learning how to manage stress and change the way we think about and act in stressful situations we can greatly relieve stress and prevent Burnout. For example, learning how to breathe correctly when we are stressed can greatly change our ability to tolerate stress as well as help to alleviate stress in everyday life. Learning to relax can also significantly alter our Burnout feelings and improve our moods as well as making us more productive and happier individuals. Learning how to create a satisfying and positive work and personal life balance can also make us more productive and help us to enjoy life more.

It is important that we learn to manage and deal with daily stressors and recognize that we can and do change the way we react to these stressors to relieve stress, and improve our lives. When we take the time to learn to manage our daily stresses and take control over them, we can gain greater control over our emotions and how we respond to everyday stressors, which in turn can greatly affect our health and Burnout. There are many books and resources available to teach you how to effectively manage your stress and the many symptoms associated with it. Once you begin to understand the true meaning of each of the symptoms that are commonly associated with Burnout, you will be better prepared to manage and reduce the amount of stress that you experience in your life.