Have you ever experienced burn out? It is when you want to move forward but you feel paralyzed at the moment. It is one thing to feel job burn out when you are working in a job you do not care for. It is entirely different when you begin to feel burn out with something you are passionate about. When we are passionate about our work we can have a tendency to push forward and ignore the warning signs. I want to give you 5 burn out symptoms to watch out for.
5 Burn Out Symptoms
Fatigue – this is probably the most noticeable one of all of the burn out symptoms. You are just physically beat. You are tired throughout the day. You know you have not been sleeping well and you are probably agitated at every little thing.
Depression – it is often harder to see depression than you might realize. It is an internal emotion. We often do not pay attention to our thoughts which often enough can be quite negative. Especially if you work alone a lot, depression can sneak up on you.
Stress – if you are high wired about every little thing then watch out. If your moods can switch quickly then you are stressed. If people are avoiding you then you are allowing stress into your life.
Boredom – this one might surprise you but it can be one of the major burn out symptoms that you face. Your personality can play a big role here. If you are a free spirit and you spend a lot of time in a super structured environment it can stress you out to the place of boredom. Everything is predictable for you.
Frustration – do you have unrealistic expectations? Constant frustration with yourself and others can lead to burn out. Maybe you want control and you are in a period of life where you are spinning out of control.
How to Recover from Burn Out
If you are feeling any of the burn out symptoms mentioned above, then here are just a few tips on how to recover from burnout.
Sharpen the saw – you need some time just for you. Sharpening the saw is anything related to the spiritual, physical, and mental side of you. Take some time for exercise, reading a book at the park, or writing in a personal journal.
Take a technology fast – I try and do this once a week. I take a 24 hour break from the Internet. It usually starts at noon on Saturday until Sunday evening. You need to allow yourself to totally unplug from the computer.
Spend a day with someone you love – spending time with someone you love can do wonders for you. Spend the day at the beach, at the park, or go camping. This can do more to revive your soul more than anything.
Connect with your spiritual side – spend some time reading the Bible, thinking and praying. Journal to God and let Him know how you are feeling.
Most importantly, make sure you are aware of the burn out symptoms that can creep into your life. When you do discover one of the symptoms above, take immediate action to get yourself back on track.
