Burnout – 3 Ways on How to Identify and Avoid

Definition: 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.

It is always around this time of the year, I start to feel a bit overwhelmed and stressed from personal and professional schedules. I feel like a weight in on my shoulders that I can’t seem to shake, especially if I haven’t taken some time to rest properly.

Growing up, I don’t think I ever heard of being burnout. I always thought you just kept pushing through, regardless of how you were feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally. Joining an IT consulting firm, the same view was shown to me. A lot of my colleagues were just pushing through to get everything done for the client, including skipping meals and working while on vacation.

The need to control every situation and the stress that comes with being a working woman and a wife can honestly catch up to me quicker than I expect it. So I really have to make sure to watch out for stress but make sure I am keeping track of how it is affecting me and when it becomes overwhelming.

So I make sure that I look for the following signs to determine how stressed I am.

The 3 Ways to Identify burnout are:

1. Lack of Sleep / Too Much Sleep – Often, when it is good stressors, I tend to go to sleep earlier or sleep in. When I have bad stressors, my mind is so busy I don’t ever go into REM or deep sleep and feel like I haven’t slept at all. It is always great to monitor how your sleep is being affected.
2. Change in Appetite – I know for me if I start to overload on carbs and sugar, I am definitely trying to get myself comfortable. I have to really watch how much I am intaking and switch back to more fruit and vegetables.
3. Mental Capacity – Whenever I am too stressed, I am starting to realize I am having trouble with numbers and remembering items or situations that have happened in the past 24 hours. This tends to be my last straw and I have to make sure I go to bed early or take a vacation day.

Also, don’t forget these steps to help with avoiding burnout. Here are the 3 ways that you can start with.

1. Take time to Pause – This looks different for everyone. It can be as little as taking a 5-minute break from the screens to taking vacation days every few months. For me, I know I need to make sure I am incorporating yoga/meditation in my workout schedule and taking a vacation with my partner, friends, or by myself.
2. Keeping Track of Stress Triggers – make sure to note the items that are providing you bad and good stress. You want to know both because large amounts of stress, no matter the kind, is not good for your physical and mental health
3. Try to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle – This can look different for you, but I try to make sure I get enough exercise, sleep, and healthy meals. It is something I can somewhat control and it allows for me to have a standard routine to go back to. This really helps can then you can identify what takes you out of your normal lifestyle.

So if you haven’t taken some time for yourself or taken a vacation and feel a bit overwhelmed, take this as a sign to sit down and just pause.