Where do you find yourself across these five stages of burnout?
In an ideal world, nobody would experience burnout. It’s the state of mind that comes with long-term, unresolved stress, and it can negatively affect your work and your life.
Stress can be both a positive and a negative state of mind. With burnout, the best option is to take regular steps to prevent it.
What is burnout?
Burnout is the loss of meaning in one’s work, coupled with mental, emotional, or physical exhaustion as the result of long-term, unresolved stress.
Burnout can affect anyone, however, there is a growing number of entrepreneurs, business owners, and freelancers who are reporting symptoms of burnout up to 60% in the UK.
General symptoms of burnout include:
- Lower resistance to illness
- A pessimistic outlook on work or life
- Physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion
- Lower productivity
- Time away from work
- Demotivation and detachment from your work
- Depleted energy levels
- A pessimistic outlook on work or life
The 5 stages of burnout
Burnout can affect anyone, at any time in their lives. However, burnout is most common in people between the ages of 25 and 44. Our guide is inspired by Winona State University’s burnout study, as well as our own psychological research.
As with any illness, symptoms of burnout change from person to person, however, these five stages are commonly observed:
1. HONEYMOON PHASE
When we undertake a new task, we often start by experiencing high job satisfaction, commitment, energy, and creativity. This is especially true of a new job role, or the beginnings of a business venture.
In this first phase of burnout, you may begin to experience predicted stresses of the job, so it’s important to start implementing positive coping strategies, such as taking practical steps in your job or prioritizing your mental health.
The theory is that if we create good coping strategies at this stage, we can continue in the honeymoon phase indefinitely.
Common symptoms include:
- Job satisfaction
- Readily accepting responsibility
- Sustained energy levels
- Unbridled optimism
- Commitment to the job at hand
- The compulsion to prove oneself
- Free-flowing creativity
- High productivity levels
2. ONSET OF STRESS
The second stage of burnout begins with an awareness of some days being more difficult than others. You may find your optimism waning, as well as notice common stress symptoms affecting you physically, mentally, or emotionally.
Common symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Avoidance of decision making
- Change in appetite or diet
- Fatigue
- Forgetfulness
- The general neglect of personal needs
- Grinding your teeth at night
- Headaches
- Heart palpitations
- High blood pressure
- Inability to focus
- Irritability
- Job dissatisfaction
- Lack of sleep or reduced sleep quality
- Lack of social interaction
- Lower productivity
- Unusual heart rhythms
3. CHRONIC STRESS
The third stage of burnout is chronic stress. This is a marked change in your stress levels, going from motivation to experiencing stress on an incredibly frequent basis. You may also experience more intense symptoms than those of stage two.
Common symptoms include:
- Anger or aggressive behavior
- Apathy
- Chronic exhaustion
- Cynical attitude
- Decreased sexual desire
- Denial of problems at work or at home
- Feeling threatened or panicked
- Feeling pressured or out of control
- Increased alcohol/drug consumption
- Increased caffeine consumption
- Lack of hobbies
- Missed work deadlines and/or targets
- Persistent tiredness in the mornings
- Physical illness
- Procrastination at work and at home
- Repeated lateness for work
- Resentfulness
- Social withdrawal from friends and/or family
- Uptake of escapist activities
4. BURNOUT
Entering stage four of burnout is where symptoms become critical. When burnout is talked about more generally, this is the stage that is often referred to. Continuing as normal is often not possible, and it’s key that you seek intervention.
Common symptoms include:
- Behavioral changes
- Chronic headaches
- Chronic stomach or bowel problems
- Complete neglect of personal needs
- Continuation or increase in escapist activities
- Desire to “drop out” of society
- Desire to move away from work or friends/family
- Development of an escapist mentality
- Feeling empty inside
- Obsession over problems at work or in life
- A pessimistic outlook on work and life
- Physical symptoms intensify and/or increase
- Self-doubt
- Social isolation
5. HABITUAL BURNOUT
The final stage of burnout is habitual burnout. This means that the symptoms of burnout are so embedded in your life that you are likely to experience a significant physical or emotional problem, as opposed to occasionally experiencing stress or burnout.
Common symptoms include:
- Burnout syndrome
- Chronic mental fatigue
- Chronic physical fatigue
- Chronic sadness
- Depression
How to prevent burnout from affecting you
While burnout can cause issues at work, at home, and in life, it is always possible to take action and move towards
Stage 1. Even if you are not experiencing stress or burnout now, the wisest course of action is to proactively take up self-care and build your mental resilience.
Source : https://www.thisiscalmer.com