Burnout | The Signs of Stress
Periods of prolonged stress and overwork can lead to burnout syndrome. But burnout isn’t just at work. What are the signs? What should you do if you find yourself in this situation? Read the article to take care of yourself.
What is Burnout
Burnout is a process of deterioration in the relationship with work that leads the employee to exhaustion. It causes a set of physical, mental and emotional reactions resulting from prolonged work-related stress. Sometimes, the term burnout is translated as “professional exhaustion syndrome”.
This phenomenon is progressive and gradually leads to professional exhaustion. Burnout can have significant consequences on the physical and mental health of the person suffering from it. Burnout is not listed as an illness in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders) but can be recognized as an occupational illness. If you feel that you are suffering from burnout, you should consult a psychiatrist quickly. It is possible to do this by teleconsultation.
Please note: Burnout can be caused by harassment from your superior. This can sometimes lead to psychological control (such as Stockholm syndrome)
What is the Difference Between Depression and Burnout?
The signs of depression and burnout could be quite similar. However, burnout is generally linked to an overload of work or prolonged stress related to a difficult professional situation, sometimes coupled with personal difficulties (e.g.: household management). In addition, burnout can lead to major depression if you do nothing to remedy it.
Depression is not necessarily work-related, even if it can have repercussions on professional performance. It is also a pathology that, like burnout, begins gradually and quite insidiously, often following an event or personal difficulty (e.g. bereavement, separation), among other things.
Talk to a specialist or psychiatrist about your professional fatigue
Don’t face your symptoms alone, there are solutions! Make an appointment with a psychiatrist or psychologist at the earliest.
What are the Symptoms of Burnout?
Professional burnout can manifest itself by:
1- Emotional exhaustion linked to a very significant investment in work;
2-A loss of the feeling of professional accomplishment;
3- A ​​disinterest or cynicism towards work;
4- A decrease in professional efficiency.
If you think you are suffering from burnout, you can easily find the Maslach test online. It is a reference test used by doctors to assess whether a person is suffering from professional burnout. You can also find it on the psychological support application with exercises and advice written by mental health professionals.
The Psychological Signs
Here are the different possible signs of burnout from a psychological and behavioral point of view:
1- Anxiety;
2- Low morale, sadness;
3- Irritability;
4- Hypersensitivity;
5- Indifference or apathy;
6- Difficulty paying attention or concentrating;
7- Memory problems;
8- Social isolation;
9- Addictive behaviors such as alcoholism;
10- Loss of self-confidence;
11- Aggressive or even violent attitude;
12- Resentment towards your colleagues;
13- Loss of motivation.
14- The physical symptoms of burnout
You may also experience certain physical symptoms such as:
1- Muscle tension or pain;
2- Constant asthenia (fatigue);
3- Sleep disorders;
4- Back pain;
5- Cramps;
6- Stomach aches;
7- Headaches; etc.
If you experience several of these symptoms, you should talk to a psychiatrist so that he can establish a diagnosis and assess the extent and severity of the disorder. The list is not exhaustive, and you do not have to feel all of these symptoms at the same time. They can be more or less pronounced depending on your level of exhaustion. If anxiety sets in, it can lead to panic attacks.
What are the Causes of Burnout?
Burnout is an exhaustion that originates from work and manifests itself through many signs characterizing a feeling of unease. It results from a deterioration in a person’s professional situation. Several factors can be responsible for it. In addition, students or parents can also suffer from it. So how can we explain this overwork?
Professional Burnout
The professional burnout syndrome comes from a relationship that has been degraded with work. You may find yourself in this situation because of a prolonged work overload, a loss of autonomy and responsibility, or difficulties with your hierarchy.
Work overload can be felt more strongly because of an organizational problem, for example. These professional situations can lead to significant psychological suffering and degrade the quality of life at work.
Parental Burnout
This is not a medical term, but it is sometimes used to describe the difficulties some parents have in juggling their professional and family lives. This type of parental exhaustion, linked to a significant mental load, is more common in women who often have to manage the organization of their home. If you feel stressed, depressed or overworked due to your mental load, you should speak to a doctor quickly.
Maternal burnout is particularly common in women who work and have children, especially if they are not helped. Arranging work schedules, picking up the children from school and then taking care of various tasks when they get home can quickly become exhausting. Sometimes, burnout also results from a conflictual relationship with the children.
Academic Burnout
Students can also suffer from burnout due to an overload of work. This phenomenon is more pronounced than one-off stress linked to an exam period, for example. The stress here is continuous and linked to the need to work a lot to maintain grades and academic performance.
This can happen in particularly demanding courses or when a student has difficulty maintaining a sustained work pace. For example, a student who has to work to finance his studies may have difficulty finding enough time to manage his workload at the same time.
What are the Treatments for Recovering from Burnout?
Several approaches are possible if you recognize the signs of burnout to treat it according to the severity of the exhaustion.
1- Sometimes, taking a few days off and improving your organization is enough to alleviate the suffering.
2- In other cases, this is not enough and therapeutic support is necessary.
3- The doctor can refer you to therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which can be combined with taking medication such as antidepressants or anxiolytics.
4- It is up to the doctor to judge which approach is the most relevant depending on your situation. It is important to find a solution against burnout that works in the long term to avoid this problem again.
Talk to a doctor or psychiatrist about your mental fatigue
Don’t face your symptoms alone, there are solutions! Make an appointment with a psychiatrist or psychologist at the earliest.
Is It A Work Stoppage?
Although burnout is not necessarily an occupational disease, your doctor can take you off work for a few days if he or she deems it useful and beneficial. The duration of the work stoppage in the event of burn-out varies depending on the case. It can range from a few days to a much longer period if the burn-out is severe or if you have depressive symptoms.
When returning to work, it is important to talk to your superiors about your difficulties to find a solution. If there is no improvement, a professional reorientation may be necessary.
Improve Your Lifestyle And Avoid Stress
As you approach to eliminate the signs of burnout and reduce stress, it is also important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Certain habits can harm your general health and cause fatigue. To avoid this:
1- Avoid heavy, fatty, sugary dishes, but also processed foods;
2- Cook more, favoring fresh fruits and vegetables rich in trace elements;
3- Avoid stimulants such as coffee and soda-type drinks;
4- Take care of your sleep by avoiding screens before going to bed;
5- Favor activities that soothe you, such as reading;
6- Practice regular physical activity.
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