Signs you are on brink of burnout

Signs you are on brink of burnout



At around the half way point of the year, many people find themselves swamped with work, succumbing to sickness and feeling zapped of energy.

But at what point does common stress and tiredness progress into a burn out?

The Thinkergirls recently spoke to Australian doctor Sam Hay who discussed the three most common signs of a burn out.

'A burn out is really common and I do start to see it more around this time of the year - this seasonal depression that you go through where people find that their mood does drop to the point of clinical depression through winter,' Dr Hay explained.



'I think a lot of it is coming from the fact that we are six months into the year, there’s less sunlight out there, work is busy and there’s not as much opportunity to get out and about and enjoy life.'

According to Dr Hay, the first sign of a burn out is poor sleep.

'They are finding it hard to get to sleep, they're waking up a lot overnight and especially waking up early and just ruminating over things. They just can’t stop thinking about everything,' he said.

And the second? A lack of motivation and concentration in the workplace.

'People just sit at the desk, staring at the screen and it takes them forever to make the most simple of decisions,' he said.

The third is a short temper.

'The third one - and this is usually the young mums that complain about it the most - is getting angry and short tempered and just losing it at the most simple of things with friends and family.'







Those who experience all of these are, according to Dr Hay, most likely experiencing a burn out.

According to Reach Out, another common sign is the lack of desire to take part in activities you normally find meaningful.

Other signs include feeling unable to focus, feeling 'empty or lacking in emotion', losing passion and drive and withdrawing emotionally from friends and family.







'Essentially, when you've reached the point of burnout, it can feel like you’ve had the life sucked out of you. You no longer feel capable of caring about what’s important to you, to making any effort, or staying motivated,' they explain.

For those who do feel burnt out, it's important to take regular time out and to set aside some time each day to switch off from technology.

Other things that can help are developing your problem solving skills, opening up to friends, family, colleagues or a health professional, reaching out for support and re-evaluating your goals and priorities.