Early Signs of Burnout

Millions of Americans experience burnout or burnout-like symptoms which can cause them to miss time from work, feel overwhelmed, or be emotionally drained. Learn more about burnout, early signs to look out for, and see how physical therapy can help provide effective ways to manage stress in your daily life.

What is Burnout?

Burnout is the result of excessive and prolonged emotional, physical, and mental stress and can impact other areas of your life. We all deal with stress throughout the day but burnout can occur when we’re faced with elevated and excessive periods of stress for an extended period of time which doesn’t seem to fade away or allow us to separate for enough time to properly recover. Burnout can come in all shapes and sizes and can manifest itself both physically and mentally.

Stress and burnout are causing massive shifts across the country, as roughly nine out of ten respondents in a recent survey said that burnout was causing an impact on both their professional and personal lives. Those who experience burnout often report feeling like they’re having difficulty functioning or cannot complete basic tasks. Many of the underlying symptoms of burnout may slowly develop over time and appear mild at first and then become debilitating after a while.

Burnout has also been recently classified as an official diagnosis by the World Health Organization in their 11th Edition of International Classification of Diseases.

With an ever-increasing amount of individuals who are reporting burnout-like symptoms, take a look at some of the telltale early signs of burnout.

15 Early Signs of Burnout

Chronic Fatigue

Fatigue can be both mental and physical and often presents itself in a variety of ways. Initially, you might be hesitant to get up to go to work in the morning or go out with friends and family because you lack the drive or motivation to participate. Over time, chronic fatigue can develop into a state of exhaustion or a feeling of a never-ending state of not having enough energy which can then lead to a feeling of frustration or despair when you begin to think of the days or weeks ahead and your inability to perform or participate in daily activities.

Dizziness

One of the many common signs of burnout is an inability to focus on the task at hand or a feeling of dizziness when moving. Dizziness can stem from a variety of causes including medical conditions, a lack of sleep from stress, medications, and other risk factors. When you’re experiencing symptoms of burnout, one of the many concerns to look out for is the impact it can have on your body’s ability to perform simple tasks like walking or moving. Dizziness is one of the many signals that your body will send off when it’s trying to tell you that you need to slow down and take a break.

Anxiety

Worry and general feelings of anxiety can also creep in if you’re beginning to experience burnout. Anxiety has many symptoms and it can also develop in individuals who have never experienced anxiety-like symptoms in the past. Anxiety can range from a general concern over the daunting tasks ahead for the upcoming work week or a feeling of tension that doesn’t go away.

Reduced Work Performance

Early signs of burnout can often showcase themselves in our work performance as well. Chronic periods of stress and burnout can cause you to lose your ability to perform at your highest level. While there are many reasons you might find it difficult to juggle multiple projects at once, some signs to watch for regarding a reduction in your work performance include an inability to finish projects that were once enjoyable and easy to complete, your to-do lists keep growing, you can’t manage multiple projects like you did before, you can no longer keep up with job requirements, or you know your performance is dwindling for no apparent reason, you could be experiencing burnout.

Heart Palpitations or Chest Pain

Heart palpitations are one of the many physical symptoms that can occur as a result of burnout. Elevated levels of stress and anxiety can sometimes cause a fight or flight response in our bodies, and one of those responses includes an increased heart rate. Heart palpitations can occur when you’re getting ready to perform certain activities or if you begin to think ahead to all the tasks that you need to get done which can become overwhelming.

Chest pain can also occur as a result of your fight or flight response as your body tenses up and your chest muscles experience increased tension. Keep in mind if you have a cardiac history and/or you are experiencing severe chest pain or breathing difficulty, seek emergency care immediately.

Irritability and Mood Swings

Irritability, anger, and mood swings can be common for individuals who are experiencing burnout or burnout-like symptoms. As you become fatigued and your concentration begins to lapse, your ability to control your emotions and moods can become increasingly difficult. As your ability to control your emotions becomes difficult, you can also cause your close relationships with your peers, friends, and family members to become strained, which can also exacerbate the stress and frustration you feel from burnout.

Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath is another physical symptom that can manifest itself once you’re beginning to experience burnout. In the same way that stress can cause your heart to start beating faster, it can also make you feel like you can’t catch a full breath of air. Shortness of breath can also include a tightness in your chest when you’re trying to perform certain actions. If you are experiencing shortness of breath, it could be a sign of something more serious. Seek out a qualified healthcare professional immediately.

Change in Appetite

Another early sign of burnout is changes in appetite which can include loss of appetite, over-eating, or skipping meals altogether. Some individuals choose to deal with stressful scenarios by eating later when they’re able to deal with the task at hand.

Over time, this delay mechanism can cause bad habits to form where entire meals are skipped or are replaced with unhealthy dietary substitutions for quick bursts of energy instead of a nutritious meal. One sign of burnout impacting your appetite and diet may be changes in your weight. Changes in your diet due to stress may cause changes in your weight. Some people engage in overeating or unhealthy eating habits when stressed that can lead to weight gain. On the flip side, some people stop eating due to stress and may lose weight. If you find your weight changing, talk to your physician about the underlying causes as weight changes could be due to stress or other medical reasons.

Insomnia

Individuals who are currently dealing with burnout or burnout-like symptoms might have trouble sleeping or falling asleep. Insomnia can keep you up at night even when you’re dealing with chronic fatigue and are doing all that you can to fall asleep. In some cases, insomnia can be related to thoughts of the stressful things you need to do the following day, and in other cases it can be frustration in how you’re having trouble falling asleep that night. Insomnia can also develop from an issue that you face daily where you have a perpetual state of exhaustion from a lack of sleep.

Gastrointestinal Discomfort

Gastrointestinal discomfort and stomach pain can be another indicator that you’re experiencing burnout. Stress can impact a lot of different areas for everyone including your gastrointestinal system and stomach. Common signs to lookout for include abdominal pain and digestion changes. If you experience gastrointestinal discomfort or abdominal pain, seek out a qualified healthcare professional for further evaluation as it could be a sign of something more serious.

Fainting

Fainting can occur when your body overreacts to the stress and anxiety you’re under. In stressful situations, your body can even cause your blood pressure to drop and will cause a fainting spell suddenly as your brain doesn’t get a sufficient amount of oxygen. If you experience fainting-like symptoms, seek out a qualified healthcare professional for further evaluation as it could be a sign of something more serious.

Headaches

Frequent headaches and migraines are common symptoms of individuals who are experiencing burnout. One of the earliest signs to look out for is having headaches and migraines that occur at the same time of day or during certain scenarios. In some cases, headaches can be stress-related when your body reacts to being in a certain environment, performing a certain task, or it can be a symptom of an underlying issue that needs to be evaluated.

Increased Illness

An increase in the rate of when and how often you get sick can also be another common sign that you’re dealing with burnout. As your body runs on empty and you continually ask it to perform, your ability to fight infections, illness, and common colds can be impacted.

Forgetfulness / Impaired Cognition

Stress and burnout can also cause you to be forgetful or have impaired cognition when you need it most. Oftentimes, forgetfulness can start small and can be as simple as missing a few extra details on a report you were getting ready to file. Over time, it can turn into a much larger symptom where you can’t remember key details or have difficulty concentrating on tasks.

Back Pain

Prolonged periods of stress can also contribute to back pain. One of the ways your body might deal with stress is by subconsciously tensing up your muscles, including your back. Over time, stress can cause you to change your posture and exacerbate underlying issues that could already be there.

Ways Physical Therapy Can Help with Burnout

It is highly recommended that you have regular checkups with your primary care physician if you are having any of these symptoms. Sometimes other related health problems can cause these symptoms. Very often, one of the best ways to manage these problems is through exercise and activity – physical therapists are experts at getting you moving well.

Physical therapy can be an effective treatment method for many of the aches and pains that can stem from stress and help you channel that nervous energy into more productive behaviors, activities, and exercise. Our licensed physical therapists are experts in helping you get back to doing the things you love most through a combination of manual therapy techniques and can educate you on the benefits of exercise and healthy living. Physical therapy can help manage physical symptoms associated with burnout. Licensed PTs can work as part of a medical team that includes your primary care physician, a licensed psychologist, or a counselor to combat the effects of stress and burnout.

Schedule a physical therapy appointment at a PT clinic near you to see how physical therapy can help you with burnout and stress.

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