Earlier this year, I gave myself a ‘push’ present by going to a rock concert. It’s was Guns n’ Roses and it was awesome. Especially when I can belt out along to all their songs.
However, as the concert progress on into their second hour, I felt the strain on my back and my legs. Forcing myself to ignore the throbbing ache, I pushed myself to focus on the concert, enjoy the music. Until the dreadful moment where I realised that I could push myself further and risked heat stroke or admit that I’m no longer the head banging, idol worshiping teen I once was and retreat to the back of the crowd for a breather. I choose the latter, not because I want to admit I am old but I thought it will be really embarrassing if I were to be carried out of the concert by the security, not to mention missing the second half of the performance as well.
This brings me to a point where one must know their limits, especially at the workplace. Many of us test our own limits, whether it is physically or mentally, during work. The biggest competitor is ourselves hence we often push to do our best and achieve our most. The problem comes when one doesn’t know when to stop. As always, too much of a thing is harmful even if the thing is good for you.
If you feel that a burnout is approaching, stop what you are doing and take a breather. So how to identify a burnout? If the below symptoms apply to you, you might like to evaluate your current situation:
Sleeplessness
Overthinking or the people around you accuse you of overthinking
Anxiety attack
Breathlessness every now and then
Stress over little things or little details
Worried over things that don’t usually matters to you in the past
Loss of Appetite
No interest in anything outside of work
Unable to accept criticism and take it to heart
Frequently lost your temper
If you have two or more below symptoms, you are probably experiencing a burnout. You may be tempted to brush it off, don’t. Ignoring an oncoming burnout may have bigger repercussions. Physically, you may fall sick easily until you lose focus and add strain and stress to your health especially your heart and blood pressure. Mentally, you may start hallucinating or even have a serious mental breakdown.
So what you can do….
Talk to someone. Get yourself a listening ear.
Take a break away from work, be it for a few days.
Pick up yoga or meditation. Clear the clutter in your mind.
Seek professional advice for physical or mental health.
Shift focus from work goals to personal goals for a length of time.
Identify the cause of your burnout and if possible, remove yourself from the cause.
Have you experienced a burnout before? Or know someone who did? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!
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