3 Signs You're Approaching Burnout at Work

Everyone knows what it’s like to have a long week at work and look forward to a relaxing Friday night. You tell yourself that all you need is a little rest and then you’ll be good as new. But what happens when major exhaustion creeps in and the “Sunday scaries” become a little too much to handle? Read on for 3 signs that you’re approaching burnout at work, and strategies to combat those symptoms.

Mood Shifts

Normally, you’re a pretty neutral person who goes with the flow. But lately every email in your inbox has become triggering and every comment from a coworker or in a meeting has you wondering why your attitude is so out of check. This is a tell-tale sign that you are riding the burn out train!

One thing you can do when you start feeling significant mood shifts is to simply step away. Sometimes we just need a small reset to help us get through the rest of the day. A quick way to achieve this whether in the office or working from home, is to walk through a doorway. Scientists have found that doing this quickly reroutes your brain in a way that can be beneficial to your mental and emotional health. While you’re up, grab a glass of water or listen to your favorite song, anything to get you moving and shake off those negative feelings!

Forgetfulness

Forgetfulness is typically a sign that you’ve pushed yourself to the limit when it comes to work. Right now, we are dealing with a pandemic and that means that many outside factors can contribute to stress manifesting in the workplace. So if you’re dropping the ball on minor things that you usually have under control, you’re likely in the burnout bubble.

One way to combat this is to reset your organization system. What does this mean? If you normally use a paper calendar, it might be time for you to pull out a notebook and write a to-do list that you keep on your desk instead. You can create four quadrants: one for people you need to get in touch with, one for creativity notes, one for immediate action, and one for projects. Even though we live in a very digital world, having information come in from many channels can be overwhelming. Sometimes there’s nothing like going back to the basics with an analog system of organization.

Creativity Drain

You find yourself lacking energy, motivation, and inspiration. This is what happens when you’re just trying to make it through the day constantly running on “E”. Remember sign number one? If your mood has shifted and you’re feeling angry and irritated, it’s pretty hard to also feel innovative and creative, and therefore to feel engaged in your work.

One thing you can do when you feel like your creativity is taking a hit is to create white space on your calendar. This may sound impossible in the midst of burnout when you’re feeling overwhelmed, but take a good look at what’s on your calendar. What tasks can be shifted, moved, or don’t actually have to happen right now? Sometimes you just have to delete some things so that you have room to just think and reset.

Burnout is something that happens to everyone at one time or another in their career, but that doesn’t mean that it has to control you. If you can recognize the signs, and use these tips to work against them, you can maintain control over your own career journey!

Interested in more career & professional development tips? Join the Career Maven List for tips and advice straight to your inbox once a week.