At this moment in time, it’s very common to find yourself facing a possible burnout situation. It’s a word that seems to be spoken about rather a lot and there is an argument that by talking about it we are increasing the possibility. So, you may be wondering why this would matter if it truly is so common. This matters because the state of being burned out can be quite dangerous.
Chronic Stress
When you are burned out or on the brink of burnout, your body is operating in a state of chronic stress. This means you are constantly in the ‘fight or flight mode, releasing the stress hormone, cortisol, into your system. According to MayoClinic, keeping your body exposed to this chronic stress all the time can lead to long-term damage. These long-term damages aren’t just mental like depression or anxiety. They can also be physical and include digestive problems, headaches, and even heart disease.
Alienation From Friends And Family
Besides just damaging your body and causing problems in your personal life, burnout can damage your relationships with others. This is because, in your state of chronic exhaustion, you may find yourself irritated at people who you used to enjoy being around, you know…getting a bit snappy. You may also find that you lash out at these people in anger over the smallest things, things that didn’t used to matter…now they do! Either of these events may lead to you losing friends or connections with important people in your life at a point where you actually need them most.
Performance
Not only does burnout hurt you and your relationships with others, but unsurprisingly it will also have an adverse effect on your work performance. This could be worse if you are in a job where the lives of others rely on your performance—such as a long-distance truck driver or a pilot. In the state of stress our ability to think clearly, take decisions with clarity suffer and mistakes are inevitable. If you fail to notice the signs of burnout in your life and how it impedes your performance, you could make a mistake that could be fatal to others. Even if you aren’t in a job where your declining performance would affect others, it can always impact your life and your future with a particular company.
Burnout is dangerous. It damage you, those around you, and your job, but it also is a difficult cycle to climb out of once you are sucked into it. This is why you should always try everything in your power to watch for the signs of burnout and put a stop to it before it can cause damage to your life.
The Slow Burn
The big challenge with burnout out is that it’s a slow burn, it creeps up on us and hen it’s all over. Having spoken with so many people who said something like “I thought I had it all under control and then one day my body just stopped”.
That was it, burnout, forced absence from work, career put on hold and often several years until you’re confidently back on your feet again.
Concerned? Make contact, reach out, now and take our Stress & Well-Being Assessment just to check how you’re doing.