Burnout is not as uncommon as you maybe thought! In fact, burnout is becoming more and more prominent with people over the age of 30. Burnout can be described as a general decline in functioning both in the personal and private lives of a person paired with a noticeable decline in health.

Burnout and chronic stress

Is all about chronic stress and as a result, how your body chooses to process this stress. Constant stress increases our risk of suffering from a barrage of anxiety, and other pressure-related diseases (ranging from high blood pressure and dementia to various levels of depression). It is shocking to note that nearly 65% of doctor’s office visits are in some way related to stress.

Chronic stress has the additional risk of increased risk for some types of cancer, making it important to not leave the stress to rob you of your health.

Symptoms and signs for concern

It, therefore, stands to reason that left unchecked, burnout can wreak havoc on your health, happiness, relationships and job performance. In order to catch burnout and combat it early, it’s important to know what to look out for.

1. Feeling demotivated

A loss of enthusiasm and motivation for day to day occurrences. No longer feel driven to attend social events or even partake in relaxation or exercise. In some cases a total withdrawal from society. You will find it harder to get going in the morning and more difficult to drag yourself to work every day.

2. An overwhelming tiredness

A clear sign of burnout is feeling tired all the time. Exhaustion, as a result, is both emotional, mental and physical. It leaves you with no desire to be active a sense of being completely spent.

3. Foggy thinking processes

This lack of attention or concentration is often referred to as ‘brain fog’. When stressed, our attention narrows to cope only with that which we perceive as a threat. In the short term, this helps us deal with the problem at hand, but long term we have difficulty paying attention to other things and forget important information.

This “fight or flight” tunnel vision can negatively affect your ability to solve problems or make decisions.

Chronic stress as a result considerably increases the risk of anxiety and depression as it causing structural and functional changes in the brain.

4. Neglect

In order to cope with burnout, people seek out unhealthy habits as coping strategies. Coping mechanisms include drinking too much, smoking, being too sedentary, eating too much junk food, not eating enough or insufficient sleep. Self-medication is another dangerous practice along with excess caffeine intake which only exacerbates the exhaustion.

5. Health Problems

Chronic stress is connected to many Health conditions. Over sustained periods of time, it is known to result in adrenal fatigue, digestive issues, heart disease, depression, and obesity.

If You Are Experiencing Burnout?

Take control, inform friends and family of how you are feeling. Take yourself for a health check with a functional medicine doctor who can assess your lifestyle. As part of your treatment program, they will supplement any deficiencies and help your body process and cope with the stress.

Recovery will include exercise, fresh air, and relaxation, as well as a ‘work detox’. Including a complete switch off after working hours and on weekends.

Don’t wait until you collapse to take control of your stress and health today.