7 Signs You’re Burned Out And What To Do About It

When was the last time you felt like you had so much energy you could accomplish everything on your to-do list and more? Hard to think, isn’t it?

So many of us feel completely burned out by different aspects of our lives, but the two main culprits are usually our jobs and the responsibilities that come with being an adult. Even if you’re self-employed and wake up every day happy because you love the work you’re doing, you can still burn yourself out.

Older generations roll their eyes at twenty-somethings feeling burned out, but maybe they need to think again. Especially as a recent survey found that nearly three in 10 millennials are very often or always burned out at work.

So why do we feel so burned out? And how do we prevent it from taking over our lives?

Burnout is usually caused by stress on a daily basis. This can be because you’re over-working yourself, or you’re feeling forced to put energy into work that doesn’t fulfill you.

But most of us only notice burnout when we’re already in the depths of it. You probably get to the point where you feel completely drained, mentally, emotionally, and physically. If you can learn to recognize the signs ahead of time, you’ll be able to give yourself some extra care.

7 Signs You’re Burned Out And What To Do About It

Here are seven signs you might be experiencing burnout and how you can deal with it.

1. Your to-do list feels completely overwhelming.

If your to-do list is overwhelming you on a daily basis (even if you enjoy doing the things on it), it might be a sign that you’re suffering from burnout. When we try to pack too much into our day, we overwork ourselves. Then when we don’t accomplish everything, we start to feel guilty.

The way to beat this is to simplify your workload. Pick three to five priorities for the day and focus on those.

2. You’re exhausted.

If you need a coffee every hour to keep your eyes open during the day, that’s a sign that you’re not taking care of yourself properly. If this sounds like you, it’s important to check in with yourself and make sure you’re taking care of your basic needs. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Are you getting enough sleep?
• Are you eating regularly?
• When was the last time you did some exercise?
• Have you had enough water?

Sometimes the simplest things have the biggest impact on our energy levels.

3. You can’t find any motivation.

Do you wake up in the morning and snooze the alarm until you’re running late? This means you know exactly what you need to work on that day, but you don’t have the motivation to do it. Yet another sign that you might be burned out from the work you’re doing.

In order to combat this feeling, you need to identify what’s out of alignment in your life. You could always create a vision board which you’ll find so helpful. This is where you spend some time thinking about your vision for the future and where you want to be five years from now. Once you’ve identified a few things, use them to fuel your actions and push you forward.

4. You talk negatively to yourself.

Stress can play some real mind tricks on us. When we’re overwhelmed or exhausted, our minds naturally gravitate to a negative place. If you start to notice that you’re being hard on yourself or always thinking negatively, it could be because you’re lacking the time you need to rest and recharge.

Please, give yourself grace.

No one cares as much as you and no one holds you to such high standards as you do. It’s okay to give yourself a break. Journal it out and take some time to really relax.

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5. You take your frustrations out on others.

Some people annoy us, there’s no doubt about it. But maybe you notice that you’re more irritable than usual. This might be a sign that burnout is affecting your overall mood. It’s so easy to take things out on other people, but it never results in anything worthwhile.

What you can do is take responsibility for your time and energy. Don’t over-commit yourself and take things on that you know will drain you. Set boundaries – they’ll help to make sure you enjoy some well-deserved  “me” time.

6. Everything you do feels like a chore.

If you feel like the tasks you do on a daily basis don’t excite you or bring you joy, the monotony of daily life will start to take its toll. So many of us live on autopilot and do the same things every day. You can make your life that little bit better by planning some fun into your schedule.

This has to come from a conscious effort from you. Plan things to look forward to like meeting a friend, going for a walk, reading a book, etc. If you try to do something different each day, even if it’s only for ten minutes, it will make life feel more fun.

7. You don’t have time for self-care.

Self-care is one of the best things you can do when you’re feeling burned out. You just need to make time for it. And if you don’t have time for it, then you’re probably prioritizing everyone else’s needs above your own.

So give yourself permission to rest. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. No matter how much time you have, there are ways to fit self-care into your schedule every single day. This is the ultimate remedy for burnout so treat it as a priority in your life.

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When you’ve read this list, I encourage you to check in with yourself – are any of these signs of burnout showing up in your life? The most important thing is to tune into every aspect of your wellbeing so you can recognize when you need to take a step back and rest.

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