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New Delhi: Burnout is 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. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.
Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.
The negative effects of burnout 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
Burnout is not always easy to spot. But spot it and take appropriate action:
It’s exhausting
You wake up tired, your muscles ache, and you may find it difficult to pay attention in meetings or to people speaking to you. You may also feel emotionally drained.
You feel useless
There is a sense of incompetence as if you are incapable of being effective. It results in a lack of achievement, productivity and a decline in performance.
It seems like everything gets under your skin
Your moods swing at the drop of a hat, and you’re easily irritated, exploding at the drop of a hat. When the stress of your job becomes too much for you, you become irritable with co-workers (or, worse, customers or clients), friends, or family members.
Sleep is hard to come by
Due to high stress and poor working conditions, burnout makes it difficult to sleep. Sleep deprivation increases your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease. Furthermore, lack of sleep makes work more difficult and stressful.
Taking drugs, drinking, and other comforts
Using food, alcohol, or drugs to relieve stress may be a sign of job burnout. This can have serious consequences like obesity, as well as alcohol and drug abuse.
There are too many sick days
Burnout can cause both absenteeism and presenteeism (showing up to work even if you’re sick). Those sick days and feeling dreadful at work can lead to even more burnout. Other forms of long-term stress can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to colds, flu, and insomnia.
Isolation
People who are burnt out frequently feel overwhelmed. As a result, they may withdraw from socialising and confiding in friends, family, and co-workers.
