3 Major Signs You Are Heading For Burnout

Unfortunately, it’s very common to experience burnout when you are in a high pressure job. Many of us expect too much of ourselves and continue to work through stressful periods instead of taking much-needed breaks. Your mental and physical health is important and it should always be a priority over your career. However, the two go hand in hand. It’s difficult and tiresome trying to remain productive while you are stressed or unwell. Knowing when to take a step back and look after yourself is the key to being successful. 

Here are some of the main signs that you are heading for burnout. 

Sleeping through your alarm

Occasionally sleeping through your alarm to catch up on lost sleep is absolutely fine, but if it becomes frequent then you may have a problem. You see, in order to build a routine you need to be waking up around the same time every day. If you are waking up at various times during the week, your body will become confused. And it will be harder to get everything completed. This leads to you staying up later to catch up on work and becoming exhausted. This leads on to a vicious circle. In order to break the cycle you need to try and aim to get up at the same time almost every single day.

Usually, when someone keeps hitting ‘snooze’ on their alarm every morning, it’s because they are feeling burnout. This could be a sign that you need to relieve some of your workload and speak to either your employer or someone who is willing to listen.

Feeling bored at work

Most of us will experience boredom at work from time to time but if every moment is spent wishing you were doing something else, that’s a key sign that you’re heading for burnout. It’s important that you enjoy what you do for a living but that can become challenging at times. For example, if you have recently taken on a new role or you feel work has become too repetitive, it can make you feel tired. The best way to fix this is to look at your current job and ask yourself if there is something that you can change. Is there something that could bring excitement to your role? Would you like to lessen your workload or widen your responsibilities? Perhaps you need a career change. That’s also something to consider.

The dread of Monday mornings

Monday mornings should feel exciting if you are in the right job. However, if you dread the beginning of every week then it could be that you are experiencing burnout. Often, burnout leads to exhaustion, confusion, and a loss of interest. It could be that you are not in the right job or it could simply be that you need to take some time away from work. Remember that looking after your mental health is just as important as looking after your physical health. It’s impossible to thrive in your job if you are feeling burnout. Taking a few days off work to consider your role and your responsibilities will be helpful. You can also use this time to focus on your hobbies and get some overall rest.