12 signs you're suffering from job burnout
Or maybe the pressure at work is just too much for you.
Regardless of the cause, how you manage your job-related stress is serious business. If your stress levels continue to build up over time, job burnout is a likely result.
Stress expert Kathleen Hall, founder and CEO of The Stress Institute and Mindful Living Network, helps people manage their physical and mental stress.
Hall shared a list of emotional and physical symptoms that are clear-cut signs you could be experiencing job burnout.
Emotional Symptoms
Being too stressed can take an emotional toll, which in turn can affect your job performance and relationships.
Here are the emotional symptoms of job burnout, according to Hall:
- Anger
- Aggression
- Lack of motivation
- Feelings of detachment
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Ambivalence
"Stress is a great thing because it causes us to stop and assess our jobs and the unhealthy and unhappy choices we are making in our lives," Hall says.
Physical Symptoms
Job burnout extends beyond how you feel mentally. It can create serious physical problems that can become dangerous.
Here are the physical symptoms of job burnout, according to Hall:
- Gastrointestinal problems (GI tract, abdominal pain, reflux, constipation, or diarrhea)
- Repetitive headaches
- Back pain
- Insomnia or chronic exhaustion
- Unusual weight fluctuation
When workplace stress turns into chronic stress, it affects much more than your career success.
"Chronic stress creates health problems such as hypertension, heart disease, obesity, chronic pain, and an increase of cholesterol," Hall says.
Because people are so "overbooked, overworked, and overwhelmed," Hall has created a simple acronym to help you manage stress: ACE. It includes being aware of your stress triggers, choosing one at a time to alleviate, and experiencing self-care.
It's important that you don't suffer alone, Hall says. Talking to your supervisor can help, she says, because many companies "are now well-versed in the physical and emotional consequences of chronic stress in the workplace and the economic costs associated with job burnout."
Further, taking a vacation can provide benefits like improved mental health and a lower risk of burnout. And if your symptoms are chronic or severe, consider speaking with a health professional.
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