Signs you’re burning out

You might not know it’s happening or it might be on the horizon. You may be exhausted already but can’t identify precisely what it is. Burnout can manifest in various combinations of physical, emotional and behavioural symptoms.  

Here are some common physical signs:

• Persistent tiredness and lack of energy 
• Frequent headaches or muscle pain 
• Insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns 
• Increased irritability and frustration 
• Mood swings, anxiety and depression 
• Increased use of unhealthy coping mechanisms (e.g., substance use, overeating).

Causes of burnout

Despite the general opinion about burnout being a work-related condition, lifestyle and personal factors can contribute to burnout.  

Work-related causes include: 

• Being constantly overwhelmed with tasks and responsibilities 
• Feeling powerless over decisions and tasks 
• Facing pressures to meet unrealistic goals 
• Struggling with insufficient tools, time or support.
   

Lifestyle factors include: 

• Failing to prioritise rest, nutrition and leisure 
• Consistently needing to get more quality sleep 
• Not engaging in regular exercise to reduce stress. Check out our resource on workouts that can boost your mood 
• Turning to substances or unhealthy habits to cope. 

Stages of burnout

Recognising symptoms of burnout and knowing the mechanism of each stage can help in early prevention and navigating the challenges. 

1. Honeymoon phase: You feel enthusiastic about your work or activities and you feel you must prove yourself. 
2. Onset of stress: Your stress and excitement coexist. You work harder and harder and work starts interfering with your personal life. 
3. Chronic stress: You feel persistent stress and lack of balance. You begin to neglect your needs by skipping meals, workouts and social interactions. 
4. Burnout: You may feel disengaged from your work or life, experience a sense of helplessness and have difficulty maintaining your usual responsibilities. 
5. Full burnout syndrome: You’ve reached a breaking point. A full collapse of physical and emotional health. Medical help is necessary. For support, explore options at the bottom of this page.

Burnout in the work environment 

Burning out is often misunderstood, stigmatised and disregarded, but it can become costly to the health and wellbeing of the workforce and their overall productivity. Whether you’re an employee or a manager, knowing how to change your workplace to help people take time out and feel less overwhelmed is good.  

Often, employees need to learn what options are available, what they can or who they can go to if they want to open up about burning out. You can contribute to your colleague’s wellbeing by recognising their burnout symptoms. That affects their wellbeing and has a ripple effect on everyone else in the workplace as lowered morale and strained teamwork become evident.  

Burnout and stress at work cost the UK economy £28 billion yearly and cause 23.3 million sick days (AXA). Mental Health UK’s Burnout Report also suggests that 26% of Scottish workers are taking additional paid work due to the cost of living crisis.

From the employer’s perspective, fostering a healthy work culture and allocating resources to prevent burnout helps reduce costs and turnover, improve company reputation, attract and retain top talents. 

If you’re an employer or business looking to improve mental health and wellbeing within your workforce, request a free consultation with the mental health training team to discuss your organisation’s needs and how it can benefit from a bespoke workshop. Read our resource on good workplace wellbeing to get some tips you can introduce immediately.