Signs You’re Burnt Out - Page 4

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There is a strange sensation that is hard to pin-down. You have a hard time focusing or solving problems, even though there isn’t anything in particular on your mind. You feel deeply exhausted, even though you’re sleeping enough (well, almost enough) every night. You’re mentally checked out as if you’re watching your body from the ceiling. You don’t have the flu, you’re not sleep-deprived, and you’re not depressed.

Ah: you’re burnt out! Or about to be if you don’t make some changes. People, especially ambitious ones, are very stubborn. We like to believe that if we follow certain protocol, live a healthy lifestyle and find that proper caffeine to water ratio, that we can just go-go-go, but burnout is a real thing and you can’t ignore it. Here are signs you’re experiencing it.

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You’ve become pessimistic

Your nature isn’t a pessimistic one, but lately, it seems like your brain only knows how to go down that path. You barely have access to the part of your brain that can see silver linings.

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You cannot focus

You cannot retain new information, you lose your train of thought, and you generally feel that your thoughts are in a million places at once, or really no place at all.

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Social plans irritate you

Rather than seeing social plans as things that revitalize and uplift you, you see them as one more responsibility. You see friends as more people who need something from you (even if it’s just to hang out).

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Not even your dreams excite you

Visualizing your dreams becoming a reality no longer excites you. The process of getting to them has become so tedious that they are fogging your excitement and drive.

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You have no willpower in the health department

You eat whatever you want, you do not exercise, and you generally won’t lift a finger or make an effort to make the healthier choice. And what’s more is that you don’t even feel bad about it.

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You don’t care if you put on weight

You put on weight due to your unhealthy choices, and you aren’t even bothered by that. Really, your physical appearance is just starting to reflect your internal feelings of sluggishness and weight.

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You feel unsettled at night

Burnout typically comes with feelings of not doing enough, no matter how much you do. Your efforts begin to feel fruitless, which can leave you unsettled at night, rather than feeling good after a long day’s work.

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You’ve become testy

People have begun to walk on eggshells around you because your reactions have become unpredictable. Even you sense yourself getting irritated the moment someone begins to talk to you.

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You zone out a lot

You’ll lose minutes and even hours of time—you don’t know where you went but when you come back to the present, an hour has passed, and you didn’t register a thing that happened.

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You get a lot of colds

Being burnt out takes a large toll on your immune system, making it near impossible to kick a cold or infection.

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You forget obvious things

You find yourself driving, and completely forgetting where you were going. You wind up in the kitchen and don’t remember why you went in there. You open a blank document and don’t remember what you were going to write.

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You need to drink

You’ve never needed alcohol before, but you find yourself truly depending on it to just feel something. Without alcohol, you cannot relax or get in touch with your feelings.

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You never leave work at work

You think about work all of the time. You may as well never leave the office because, emotionally and mentally, you’re always there. The times you spend at home are a blur.

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Overall you feel unsatisfied

When you’re burnt out, it’s very hard to feel satisfied. You can’t even feel joyful about victories or enjoy praise.