6 Warning Signs You’re Heading for Burnout

In the hustle and bustle of your daily life, it’s easy to start feeling stressed and overwhelmed. But you might not realise that what you’re feeling is in fact, burnout.

Here are 6 warning signs to look out for.

You’re a hard worker

Being a hard worker has gotten you to where you are today. And certainly, there’s no shame in hard work. But you’re headed for trouble if you continue to take on more and more work when you don’t have the capacity. Eventually, you end up with no time for yourself. This will very quickly lead to burnout.

You’ve been cranky and impatient

Have you noticed yourself snapping at your partner or kids more than usual? Or maybe you have a manager or co-worker that’s really been getting under your skin in a major way over the past few months? If you’ve noticed your patience is wearing thin burnout is probably on the horizon.

You’re stressed out and tired

Feeling sluggish and worn out has become your new normal. Most days you come home from work feeling pretty beat and ready to veg out on the couch. You’ve come to dread Mondays and anxiously await the sweet relief of Friday.

Lately, your stress levels have also been through the roof. You’ve noticed it’s been more difficult to make decisions, solve problems and resolve conflicts. When you don’t feel like you have the bandwidth to deal with everything that’s coming at you, burnout may not be far behind.

You’re not taking care of yourself

People who struggle with burnout almost always come last on their own list. They put everyone else’s needs (including their boss’ and co-worker’s) ahead of their own.

Are you losing out on sleep because you’re up late answering work emails? Have you been skipping lunch to get through the huge stack of files on your desk? If you’re sacrificing your own needs because you’re busting your hump to get more and more done, you’re setting yourself up for burnout. It’s not sustainable for you to keep up this pace forever.

You’re neglecting your hobbies

You used to find time for gardening, woodworking or mountain biking. But lately, you haven’t had the time. In fact, you’ve been so busy, it’s possible you’ve dropped your hobbies completely.

Over time you’ve managed to lose your connection to the activities you enjoy. And there’s a good chance you’ve replaced them with binge-watching Netflix or spending hours scrolling on Instagram because that’s all you can muster the energy for (and you’ve convinced yourself it’s a great way to relax).

If the things on this list ring true for you, think about how you can carve out time for yourself. Even if you start with just a few minutes each day. Remembering to make room in your day for your needs will go a long way toward keeping burnout at bay.