Recognising Burnout
01 of 07“I just need to get through this next thing.”
And then there’s another next thing. And another.
Burnout often builds so gradually that it’s hard to see while you’re inside it. You adapt. You push through. You tell yourself it’s just a busy season, until you realise the busy season has lasted three years.
The patterns
- Exhaustion that a good night’s sleep or a weekend doesn’t fix
- Irritability, a shorter fuse, snapping at the people you love
- Disrupted sleep: lying awake wired, or waking at 3am with your mind racing
- Difficulty concentrating, forgetting things, feeling foggy
- Feeling detached, cynical or numb about work or responsibilities
- Losing a sense of satisfaction in what you do
- Dreading things you once enjoyed
In your body
Burnout often shows up physically before we admit it emotionally. Tension in your neck and shoulders. Headaches. A stomach in knots. Getting every cold that goes around. Feeling mentally overwhelmed by the smallest decision.
We can get so used to pushing through that we stop noticing what our bodies are telling us. These signs deserve attention.
Still delivering, with nothing left
One of the most deceptive things about burnout is that you can keep performing. You might still be hitting targets, showing up and getting it all done. But you have nothing left for yourself, your relationships or the things that make life feel like yours.
When you have nothing left, even the people and things you love can start to feel like another demand.
What the World Health Organization says
The World Health Organization describes burnout as a result of chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. It identifies three signs: exhaustion, feeling mentally distant or cynical about your job, and feeling less effective [1].
The WHO uses the term only for work. Here at the Hub, we use it more broadly, because we know the same exhaustion happens to parents, carers and anyone carrying more than they can sustain.
When burnout tips into shutdown
For some people, prolonged burnout can tip into a state of shutdown or freeze: feeling unable to move, think or function at all. If this sounds familiar, our Trauma page explores freeze and shutdown in more depth.
