Physical signs and symptoms of burnout Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses. Frequent headaches or muscle pain.
Burnout phase
At times, you may also feel numb and experience extreme self-doubt. Physical symptoms will become intense, leading to chronic headaches, stomach issues and gastrointestinal problems. Friends and family members may also notice behavioral changes.
The effects of burnout can eventually spill into every area of your life: home, work and social. It can also cause long-term changes to your body making you vulnerable to illnesses such as colds and flu. Because of this, it is important to deal with burnout straight away.
The problem with burnout, then, is that our bodily systems become deprioritised for too long, and as a result we can experience additional physical symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fainting, heart palpitations and chest and muscle pain, among other things.
Since burnout affects people differently, recovery time hinges on how a person experiences work-related exhaustion. Because of this variation, recovery time can take anywhere from a few weeks to several years.
It takes an average time of three months to a year to recover from burnout. How long your burnout lasts will depend on your level of emotional exhaustion and physical fatigue, as well as if you experience any relapses or periods of stagnant recovery.
It's wise to listen to your body too. If you really feel tired, or if you are getting other physical complaints and a weekend isn't enough to recover, it's probably better to take some rest. Even if this means that you feel guilty or embarrassed in the first few days.
Having a busy schedule can lead to stress, and without winding down, your body will show for it. You may end up with a cough, runny or stuffy nose, a fever, and you may feel fatigued. This is your body letting you know that you're overworking yourself and it's time to rest.
You're more likely to get constant colds that leave you chilled and exhausted. But even when you're not technically “sick,” your tired body is more likely to feel cold. That's because when you don't feel up to moving around much, your muscles are constantly cold, leading to shivering and chills.
feel isolated — disinterested in the company of family and friends, or withdrawing from usual daily activities. feel overwhelmed — unable to concentrate or make decisions. be moody — feeling low or depression; feeling burnt out; emotional outbursts of uncontrollable anger, fear, helplessness or crying.
Interestingly, physical activity was correlated with recovery, so you may find it especially helpful to go for a run, take a hike in the woods or go to the beach with friends or family. Try to ensure you're not thinking about work-related content.
Stress is a major trigger of cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive symptoms. Heart palpitations, tightness in the chest, high blood pressure, asthma attacks, and stomach aches are common. Sleep loss can cause headaches, fatigue, memory and concentration problems, depression, and of course, sleepiness.
Chronic stress — stress that occurs consistently over a long period of time — can have a negative impact on a person's immune system and physical health. If you are constantly under stress, you may experience physical symptoms such as chest pain, headaches, an upset stomach, trouble sleeping or high blood pressure.
Yes, lack of sleep can affect your immune system. Studies show that people who don't get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as a common cold virus. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick.
Sleep deprivation may disrupt the body's ability to regulate body temperature. When you are lacking sleep, do you ever notice how hard it is to feel warm the next day? A study done several years ago found that not getting enough sleep may make you feel cold all over and have other related effects.
If you're in menopause, you may have experienced sudden fatigue that grips you with a rush of exhaustion, and even muscle weakness. This is crashing fatigue, and it can shut down your life fast. Crashing fatigue in menopause causes abrupt loss of energy, and intense lethargy that can come on at any time of day.
If you're “losing it,” you need eight hours of sleep plus two ten- to 15-minute relaxation breaks. “Hitting the wall” means eight to nine hours each night, plus two breaks. And once you're “burned out,” you need eight to ten hours of sleep, plus three 15- to 30-minute naps or retreats.
As though you have gone through a very challenging time which has not been overcome and leaves you winded. It is a feeling of powerlessness and fatigue/exhaustion which results in having to remove ourselves from the pressures facing us. This often means seeking medical help and taking sick leave.
Habitual Burnout. The final stage of burnout is habitual burnout. This means that the symptoms of burnout are so embedded in your life that you are likely to experience a significant ongoing mental, physical or emotional problem, as opposed to occasionally experiencing stress or burnout.
Burnout symptoms are usually temporary and disappear after you address them. If not addressed, these can also affect your physical health and cause heart disease, obesity, high cholesterol, and even type 2 diabetes. Depression symptoms, on the other hand, can get in the way of your daily life and are longer-term.
Schabram said, “employees who cannot leave and are not getting support can still help themselves.” Dr. Schabram's research suggests that small, deliberate acts of compassion toward yourself and others can help reduce feelings of burnout, whether it is short-term or chronic.
The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of life—including your home, work, and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it's important to deal with burnout right away.