Think You’re Just Tired? It Might Be Burnout — Here’s How to Tell

Burnout is a more common term nowadays than it ever was. But even then, the signs of burnout go mostly unrecognized. The reason being ‘burnout’ doesn’t always show up as a dramatic breakdown. Mostly, it sneaks in quietly — through constant fatigue, short tempers, and a slow disinterest in things that once excited you. You might still be showing up to work, meeting deadlines, even smiling in meetings, in short doing everything and feeling ‘normal’… but inside, something feels off ..something just doesn't feel right.

Helpguide.org states burnout to be ‘a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress’. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. On their website - Burnout is included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon, it is not classified as a medical condition.

Many people brush off burnout, mistaking it for laziness, lack of motivation, or "just being tired." But burnout is a real and serious condition caused by excessive and prolonged stress often affecting your emotional, physical, and mental well-being. The negative effects of burnout can spill over into every area of life—including your home, work, and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.

Recognizing the signs early can help you step back, recover, and recalibrate before it spirals into anxiety, depression, or worse.

Here are some tips on how to know if you have job burnout:

• Do you dread waking up in the mornings and going to work?
• Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started?
• You feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated?
• Do you feel removed from your work and the people you work with?
• Do you feel little satisfaction from what you get done?
• Do you doubt your skills and abilities?
• Have your sleep habits changed without any known cause?
• Do you have headaches, stomach or bowel problems, or other physical complaints with no known cause?
• You’re exhausted all the time.
• Caring about your work or home life seems like a total waste of energy.

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you might have job burnout.

Signs and symptoms of burnout

Most of us have some days when we feel helpless, overloaded, or unappreciated—when dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. If you feel like this most of the time, however, you may be burned out.

Burnout is a gradual process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can creep up on you. The signs and symptoms are subtle at first, but become worse as time goes on. But how do we distinguish this from other feelings - say being tired, stressed or feeling demotivated? Being burned out means feeling empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress feels like you’re drowning in responsibilities, burnout is a sense of being all dried up. And while you’re usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens.

That's why it is even more important to understand the real reasons for you feeling the way you are.

5 stages of burnout

Stage 1 (Honeymoon Phase): You feel committed to an endeavor, whether you’ve just gotten a new job, a promotion, enrolled in a class, or started parenting or caregiving. You’re ready to accept new responsibilities and eager to prove yourself. You may feel creative, productive, and energized.

Stage 2 (Stress Onset): As the stress of your new responsibilities begins to take its toll, you start to neglect your self-care needs. Your sleep quality diminishes. Anxiety shows up more often, along with irritability, headaches, and fatigue. You become less productive, have a harder time focusing, and try to avoid making decisions.

Stage 3 (Chronic Stress): You’re consistently tired and feel cynical or apathetic. Social issues can also crop up. You may withdraw from coworkers or feel resentful toward your loved ones. You might frequently procrastinate or use drugs or alcohol to self-medicate, even as you deny the problem.

Stage 4 (Burnout): At this point, you feel pessimistic about the future and obsessed with any problems that crop up. You’re neglecting your personal health, and that comes with physical problems like gastrointestinal issues and chronic headaches. You’re plagued by self-doubt and look to socially isolate yourself.

Stage 5 (Habitual Burnout): Your sense of well-being reaches a low. You’re always sad and mentally and physically fatigued. Depression may develop here.

Causes of burnout

Burnout often stems from your job. But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout, from the hardworking office worker who hasn’t had a vacation in years, to the frazzled stay-at-home mom tending to kids, housework, and an aging parent.

But burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many responsibilities. Other factors contribute to burnout, including your lifestyle and personality traits. In fact, what you do in your downtime and how you look at the world can play just as big of a role in causing overwhelming stress as work or home demands.

Burnout Is a Warning, Not a Weakness

Burnout is not a badge of honor. It’s not proof you care "too much" or work "too hard." It’s your mind and body waving a red flag, asking for care, boundaries, and healing.

If you recognize these signs in yourself, it’s okay to pause. It’s okay to ask for help. And most importantly, it’s okay to choose yourself — because burnout doesn’t make you broken.

It makes you human.

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