David began his career straight out of university, a time when he felt excited, hopeful and keen to move quickly up the career ladder. He worked 10-12 hours a day, intent on proving himself to his superiors at work. The more he achieved, the more demands were placed on him, until he found himself so stressed and overwhelmed that he began declining invitations to meet friends, too irritable to spend time with his partner and family and unable to sleep for more than four or five hours per night. The job he once enjoyed became a chore. He no longer cared about his clients or the work the company was doing and found no purpose in his efforts or his work. The turning point came when a colleague found David slumped over his laptop in tears and forced him to speak to Human Resources to ask for support. He was signed off work for two months and began the painful process of recovery. 

Burnout is a state of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion where you feel so overwhelmed by the constant demands placed on you that you become increasingly resentful, cynical and hopeless. Whether at work, home, school or university, we're often faced with increasing demands and pressures which leave us feeling distressed, low, anxious and overwhelmed. This is your typical stress reaction. Stress, however, is different from burnout in that while, with stress, there's an end in sight, burnout is much more sinister, creeping up on you until you're left feeling depleted, disengaged and helpless.

Some physical, mental and emotional signs of burnout:

Emotional/Behavioural

• Feel trapped, defeated and helpless
• Feel disengaged or detached from the company you work for
• Not interested in meeting friends or loved ones
• Doubt yourself and your abilities
• Loss of hope or motivation
• Feel cynical and negative
• Feel depleted and empty, like you have nothing left to give
• Feel alone and isolated
• Unable to complete basic tasks
• Lacking in emotion
• Feel angry most of the time
• Withdrawal from responsibilities
• Using food, alcohol or drugs to cope

Physical

• Chronic headaches and muscle pain
• Frequent illness
• Feeling tired or drained all the time
• Change in sleeping habits and appetite
• Energy and productivity very low

While burnout tends to stem from work, personal stressors can exacerbate the situation. Lifestyle and personality traits also contribute, rendering some people more susceptible to developing burnout. The lifestyle factors which relate most closely to the risk of burning out include devoting too much time to work, spending little time relaxing and socialising, not sleeping enough, having too many responsibilities and lacking supportive, meaningful relationships. At the same time, certain personality traits make us more prone to burnout. If you tend to be negative, have a need to be in control, are a high achiever or a perfectionist, you need to be particularly careful since these are the traits most closely linked to risk of burnout. If you recognise any of the signs mentioned above or are aware that you live a stressful and chaotic lifestyle, I suggest carefully monitoring your stress levels and starting to take care of yourself now. Here are a few tips on how you can do this:

• Try to spend time with people who are positive and encouraging. Conversely, if you can avoid or limit time with people who are negative, do so.
• Have regular breaks. Make sure these involve actually getting up from your desk and going to a separate eating area or outside of the office entirely.
• Watch your tendency to work longer than your contracted hours.
• Set work boundaries. This may include silencing notifications of work messages, not checking emails from home, etc.
• Spend quality time with family and friends.
• Try to engage in activities you enjoyed before you became too busy. This may involve something simple like cooking or reading.
• Exercise, whether it's a brisk walk, a run or a group activity such as Yoga, spinning or Pilates class.
• Reach out to a friend, family member or trusted colleague.
• Meditate. There are many free Apps available with meditations ranging from minutes to hours in length. Meditation is a proven method of reducing stress and anxiety.
• Seek professional help, such as a psychotherapist or counsellor. This may help you work through issues underlying the burnout and equip you with healthier habits and coping skills.

Psychotherapist Danjela Falzon works with clients on issues related to anxiety, depression, burnout, stress, relationships, sexuality, personality disorders, self-esteem and self-growth. She forms part of the team at paths Clinic. For more information, visit www.paths.care