Am I just Tired
or Burned Out?

Am I just tired or burned out? How to recognize and take control of burnout.

Burnout in todays higher expectations.
In the busy world of today Burnout is a massive struggle. Increasingly we are under pressure to do more and more, with less time. School and work now follows many of us home, and can undermine our ability to have quality rest. As the scales tip away from us having quality rest, our bodies and minds can run out of fuel which can lead to burnout. The main trap of burnout is its vicious cycles of feeding itself. The most obvious is that as we lose energy we have less ability to care for ourselves giving us less energy.  As our energy goes down we have less energy to invest in our relationships and taking care of ourselves, leading not just to less energy but less ability to enjoy life and connect with those things that bring us the most joy.

This article will aim to share the signs and main types of burnout, and provide options if you feel trapped by burnouts stolen energy.

Recognizing Signs of Burnout
It is important to know that you should always consult with a professional before seeking to diagnose what an issue is, and that is particularly the case for Burnout. Burnout is primarily recognized by chronic fatigue, however there are a host of underlying issues that could lead to this fatigue. Some medical reasons including sleep disorders, or even issues with the thyroid and other underlying physical drivers. If your burnout presents as a physical struggle a medical professional can help you determine if a medical reason is behind it.

However even outside medical issues Burnout can be confused with either depression, or regular life stress and many other needs. The key sign is that burnout is likely occurring when your exhaustion is tied to chronic stress. When first researched those seeking to understand it first focused on career exhaustion but we are beginning to see how it can occur in other areas. Common examples include being a long-term caregiver to a family member, major life changes, or taking on too many responsibilities. If you are noticing chronic fatigue after a life change or increased stress then a mental health professional can help determine if your fatigue is tied to burnout or other issues.

Identifying Types of Burnout
It is my preference to define burnout not by the situation that caused it by what is lacking because of the burnout. Some professionals define burnout by career or caregiver burnout, but I identify in my clients physical, emotional, and cognitive burnout. These are not diagnostic terms but help clients ask the question how does my burnout appear? The most recognizable is physical burnout where our body is exhausted and lacks the energy for daily tasks. However mental burnout is also common, and can be seen by having stress that leads to us feeling overwhelmed and lacking the focus or attention to tackle those challenges. Common signs of Emotional burnout can be numbness or irritability, and get worse when demands to care are placed on us. Mental Burnout often a result from stress, and can lead to thoughts of self doubt and helplessness. Each of these areas need a different focus to rebuild our inner balance.

It is important to note these types of burnout are not exclusive. It is possible to have multiple or all of these types of burnout, especially when burnout has been going on in long periods and spread to affect all areas of your life. Ideally addressing burnout should identify which of these areas your body most needs and making notable increases in self care that focuses on these areas. In these cases self reflection and self understanding of what we are missing is helpful if not essential so we can begin the journey to recharging ourselves.

What Can I do About burnout?
If burnout is noticed earlier then simple adjustments to reduce demands or increase may be sufficient to get things on track. However, even burnout that goes for a few weeks can become entrenched, and in the case of long-term burnout negatively impact almost all areas of wellness mental and physical. In these cases, recover requires dedicated support with heavily involved therapy and/or medical intervention. 

Many people in burnout feel trapped in the vicious cycle and that they have tried all they can reasonably do. If you make adjustments and burnout is not improving, or if you suspect you are struggling with more severe burnout, a mental health professional can help you identify, and try to address the causes of your burnout. If Burnout is coming out of a mental or emotional shortage then they can often offer  therapy treatment to either improve of address those patterns. Physical Burnout can be explored with self care and improving sleep patterns, and if needed in conjunction with a medical professional. Regardless to severity, beginning the path to recovery for burnout can be a long journey but is worth it to ensure individuals can have positive and reward. relationship with their career, family, and themselves.

Aaron Williams
Registered Psychologist