12 things you didn’t know could be symptoms of
burnout Spot the signs before fatigue spirals into something more serious Writing | Kathryn Wheeler
B
urnout. It’s a term we’ve started to hear a lot more recently, as we’ve begun to open up the conversation on workplace wellbeing, and the importance of finding balance in our lives. First coined in the 1970s by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, burnout is a mental health condition that can occur following long-term stress, leading to both physical and mental exhaustion. While the causes of burnout can vary from a wide range of conditions and circumstances, the key thing to know is that it can happen to people in any profession. That said, a 2018 study by consultancy company Gallup analysed 7,500 US workers and found that burnout tends
32 | May 2021 | happiful.com
to stem from unfair treatment at work, an unmanageable workload, and a lack of clarity about what an individual’s role should involve. Whatever the cause may be, the first step to tackling burnout is spotting the signs that you may be approaching it. Here, we explore 12 things to watch out for to address the overwhelm before you reach burnout...
Research has found that burnout tends to stem from unfair treatment at work, an unmanageable workload, and a lack of clarity about what a person’s role should involve
1. Mornings feel increasingly difficult You may not be the earliest of risers, but you’ve noticed that getting out of bed in the morning is becoming increasingly difficult. Whereas before you might have hopped up at the sound of your alarm, now you’re very familiar with the snooze button. You may spot that rising is particularly difficult at certain times of the week, perhaps even lining up with regular work commitments, such as meetings and presentations, or at the start of the week when your to-do list is looming over your head.