Signs of burnout and what you can do about them

​A work-from-home setup can be the ideal work arrangement for some people, but it can be restrictive for others. This is because a remote work setup eliminates some activities that make your life engaging. For instance, we shared in our previous post that working from home reduces social interactions between team members, which is vital for your mental health and the success of your relationships.

​​Article contributed by: Betty Clark

Photo source: /www.pexels.com/@vlada-karpovich/

​You can also feel frustrated since you don’t have a clear start or finish time for work. If these feelings of frustration and stress accumulate, you may eventually start experiencing job burnout. In fact, a study on the mental health of working adults in the UK revealed that 46% of people felt that working from home could contribute to burnout. It shows that even if you’re working from the comfort of your home, you can still feel burned out from work.

But this is not something you should be ashamed of. As long as you know how to spot and manage burnout, you can easily get back on your feet and enjoy life again.

Signs of burnout

​Physical Burnout Symptoms
One of the telltale signs of burnout is when you’re constantly exhausted. This happens when you feel physically drained, and you feel like you don’t have enough energy to get through the day. Burnout can also cause health problems. Research indicates that some of the most common physical burnout symptoms include gastrointestinal problems, high blood pressure, poor immune function, and sleep issues. If you’re feeling any of these physical symptoms, it’s best to start taking a break from work since this can be detrimental to your health if they persist.

Mental Burnout Symptoms
Mental burnout occurs when you're having difficulties concentrating at work and when you start to lose interest in your job. However, don’t be quick to assert that you’re feeling burned out because sometimes it can be that you’ve reached a dead end in your career. The difference between burnout and a dead end is that burnout stems from feeling a lack of control, unclear job expectations, and a mismatch of values at work. Meanwhile, a dead end happens when you feel like you’re no longer contributing significantly to your workspace. Identify which issue you're facing, and if you're certain you’re burned out, it’s a sign that you need to step back from work and devote some time to recharge before you reach your limit.

How to combat burnout

​Turn to other people
In an article on how to combat burnout, it's explained that social contact is nature’s antidote to stress. Whether it’s a good friend, family member, or therapist, it’s important to have someone you can talk to and share your burdens with. There are various ways you can connect with people to get your mind off work. You can reach out to your closest family members and spend quality time with them at home or join community groups that are personally meaningful to you. These can be a group of people you have shared interests with or a support group for people who might also be struggling with burnout. Ultimately, talking to people and knowing that you’re not alone in this struggle will help you feel emotionally better.

Start prioritising yourself
There’s no harm in stepping back from work and deciding that you need time for yourself. To do this, learn to establish a clear set of boundaries, especially when working from home. It includes the time you’re logging in and off from work and not checking your work emails once you’ve fulfilled your daily tasks. Besides taking care of yourself mentally, practise self-care strategies that nourish your body. It can be eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise, and engaging in healthy sleep habits, which are all essential to reduce work-related stress.