7 Non-Obvious Signs You’re Headed toward Burnout at Work (And What To Do About It)

If going to work has suddenly become dreadful, you may want to check in with yourself if you’ve crossed the burnout zone. Burnout affects millions of people, but most are oblivious to its symptoms. That’s partly because some signs can be subtle.

Stress builds up from the root without you knowing it until it reaches the brim and crashes into you, leaving you in a spiral of depression. Learn how you can spot these non-obvious signs of burnout and tips to prevent them from morphing into a mental health disorder.

How To Tell If You’re Burnt Out at Work?

Here are subtle cues you assume are caused by something else, but in truth are less obvious signs of burnout.

1. Feeling Disengaged Toward Work

You may think it’s only one bad, uninspired workday — it happens to everyone. However, if this single instance of the lack of motivation to do your tasks turns into two days, a week and eventually months — you seriously need to do a self-check.

While it’s normal to sometimes feel you’re not in a mood to work, chronic disengagement is a sign of burnout hiding in plain sight. Its symptoms include making more errors at work, becoming easily distracted and procrastinating. You probably need help if the tasks you used to enjoy no longer bring you any joy or stimulation.

2. Neglecting Self-Care

Burnout has five stages, and the second marks the onset of stress related to psychological overwhelm. The first is called the honeymoon phase. Like on a honeymoon, you’ll bring enthusiasm to the job during your initial months at work with your impressive productivity.

However, the pressure of your obligations starts to sink in after a while. You’ll begin to feel more stressed than usual. Physical and mental signs of burnout may manifest, making you less productive and dwindling your focus on the tasks. It ultimately worsens until your self-care needs move to the bottom priority. You eat unhealthy takeouts.

Your sleep quality diminishes and stress turns chronic. A non-obvious sign of burnout is when you appear haggard and unpresentable at work.

3. Skipping the Gym Sessions

Exercise improves brain health and reduces your risk of depression and anxiety. It has many benefits for mental well-being. How does it correlate with burnout? Occupational burnout is linked with decreased physical activities, executive functioning and a higher average heart rate.

In a study of 28 volunteers, those who experienced burnout had a lower number of steps in their daily lives, meaning they were less likely to be active. In addition, they had a higher average heart rate due to pressure and more challenges with executive functioning, affecting the efficiency of their brains.

If you love going to the gym and suddenly lose interest in it, you’re probably one step away from burnout.

4. Compassion Fatigue

Compassion fatigue or vicarious trauma is an isolated sign of burnout. Unlike physical stress that’s treatable with rest, it takes more than a good night’s rest to resolve this kind of mental health pressure. It’s also sometimes referred to as empathy overload.

Who is affected by this? People like social workers, volunteers and medical staff are prone to it. After a long week of supporting others, they feel extreme waves of tiredness and even depression. It’s no secret the health care industry’s burnout rate is high — one reason is due to compassion fatigue.

Among physicians-in-training and surgical residents, 69% and 78% experience it, respectively. If you work in this market, you’ll know it’s a growing concern that needs immediate attention.

5. Changes in Your Eating Patterns

When you’re stressed, your appetite shifts. Stress eating is a real thing. Some do it to comfort and relieve themselves of pressure. Meanwhile, others may lose their desire to eat and find the idea of lifting the spoon to their mouth overwhelming.

A study revealed that burnout is associated with chronic stress and unhealthy eating habits. When extremely exhausted, people are more likely to engage in emotional and binge eating habits and consume highly processed and fast foods. Diet is a modifiable factor in reducing burnout risk, so watch out for how you eat when stressed.

6. Stomach Disorders

Burnout can also subtly manifest as digestive discomfort. A study of 687 individuals found that gastrointestinal issues like stomach pain, gas, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea and loose bowels were more prevalent in burnout people. Additionally, they also experienced sleeping problems, pain in the limbs, joints and back and headaches.

When fatigue occurs simultaneously with stomach, muscle, and sleeping troubles, burnout is the likely culprit.

7. Compulsive Use of Phone

Many are unaware, but the habit of being on your phone is one of the telltale signs of burnout. One study proved that smartphone overuse is associated with developing extreme mental fatigue due to technostress, a kind of pressure caused by excessive screen time that contributes to exhaustion.

Compulsive smartphone use is positively and significantly linked with burnout. People who are more connected to their phones than the people around them are prone to loneliness and other mental health problems.

How Do You Fix Burnout at Work?

Burnout can be debilitating. Here are some lifestyle strategies to prevent or treat it.

• Eat a balanced diet. Your body is nourished by the food you eat. Develop a healthy plate by including more greens, whole grains and fruits.
• Engage in regular exercise: It’s a natural remedy for stress, minus the side effects.
• Get adequate sleep: Bedtime is the only period your body recovers from the stress. Make sure you get enough shuteye.
• Learn stress management techniques: Whether it’s deep breathing, yoga or meditation, these activities protect your brain from the adverse effects of pressure.

Know the Signs of Burnout and Get Help for It

Psychological exhaustion affects your career, relationships and overall quality of life. Burnout isn’t like trauma that sometimes resolves on its own. It becomes worse the longer you wait to get help.

Talk to a therapist who can advise you on what to do next and teach you techniques to manage workplace stress. Prioritize self-care to protect yourself against burnout.