Stress or Burnout - the Signs and Symptoms

As an employee, it is important that you recognise the signs that you may be stressed or even burnt out, it can often be recognised by a change in behaviour both at work and home.

Are you stressed or burnt out?

Stress tends to be short term and whilst it may impact sleep, energy, and emotions, you are still able to engage in the activity that is causing the stress.

Stress vs. distress

Stress refers to your body’s natural ability to respond to internal or external pressures. Its purpose is to prepare you for challenges, both negative and positive.

Stress isn’t necessarily a negative reaction. In many instances, it’s referred to as eustress, and it can help you become alert and achieve your goals. For example, a project deadline can lead you to focus.

In other cases, the stress response leads you to feel overwhelmed and unable to cope, and it’s referred to as distress.

What causes you to experience one or the other depends on many factors, including how you interpret the stressor, your emotional resources, and the potential for support.

For example, the same deadline that helps someone focus can lead someone else to freeze and experience anxiety. The same amount of workload can motivate one person while distressing another one.

Chronic stress vs. burnout

When you’re exposed to persistent stressors, you may experience chronic stress, particularly if you’re not managing your stress from the beginning.

Burnout is considered a form of prolonged distress, a response to long-term emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job.

Research has found that burnout isn’t only related to stress in the workplace. It can apply to many areas of life where prolonged stressors are present.

It is most common in high stress jobs that require constant vigilance and decision making. Experiencing chronic stress, however, doesn’t always mean you’re experiencing burnout.

But what is Burnout?

With burnout, you may feel so detached and demotivated that it impacts your ability to function and you feel hopeless that the situation can change.

Very often burnout is associated with a workplace setting, but burnout can be experienced alongside other life pressures and excessive demands such as responsibilities as a caregiver, parent, or living with a chronic illness or condition.

While it is not a medical or mental health condition, it has been classified as a syndrome, meaning a collection of symptoms or signs associated with a specific health-related cause. Burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion.

It is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ and it can occur when long-term stress is experienced with a feeling of being under constant pressure. Whilst burnout can be caused by stress, it isn’t the same as stress.

Burnout can occur when as an employee, you have repeated and prolonged high demands that exceed your resources. It’s likely that burnout, whatever the cause, will impact upon your wellbeing at work and personal life, such as your relationships. Due to the consequences of burnout it’s important to recognise it before it saps energy and motivation and becomes overwhelming.

Since burnout can be a cause for mental ill health and could be a risk factor for developing mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, it should be taken seriously.

Here’s how to know whether it’s chronic stress or burnout:

Chronic stress and burnout can have physical effects, such as:

• headaches

• changes in sleep patterns

• body aches and pains

• fatigue

• heart palpitations

• shortness of breath

• constipation or diarrhoea

• muscle tension

• sexual dysfunction

• low sex drive

• weakened immune system

Emotional and mental effects can include:

• anxiety

• depression

• lack of motivation

• irritability

• trouble concentrating

• difficulty learning

• forgetfulness

• crying spells

• low impulse control

Differences

Burnout is the far end of the stress continuum.

In other words, when chronic stress leads you to experience more intense and severe symptoms and it impairs your ability to function, it’s called burnout.

In addition, three main features of burnout have been identified:

• overwhelming exhaustion

• cynicism and detachment from the job or task

• sense of not being productive, accomplished, or effective

So, for example, low work engagement — like feeling detached from a purpose and disinterested in your job — may point toward burnout and not stress.

Tips to manage stress

If burnout is at the far end of the stress spectrum, the sooner you find ways to manage acute stress, the less likely you may experience chronic stress or burnout. To better manage your reaction to significant stressors, consider these tips:

• practise grounding exercises ( such as naming 5 things you see ; 4 things you feel;3 things you hear; 2 things you smell and 1 thing you taste)

• taking focused, deep breaths

• practising relaxation techniques on a regular basis

• taking a break from the situation

• going for a walk

• cuddling with your pet

• listening to relaxing music

• taking a night to “sleep on it”

Positive self-talk (such as “I am really happy for myself,” “I am doing well,” or “That is not great, but it could be worse”) can lead to decreased levels of stress by improving and strengthening your coping skills. Negative self-talk can reinforce stress by leading to low self-worth.

Positive self-talk can be about changing an “I’m so worthless” to “I’m new at this. I’m learning.” In other words, challenging negative self-talk may be the first step. Trying to put a positive outlook on things rather than negative.

Personal boundaries can protect you from unnecessary stress exposure by indicating, upfront, what lines can and can’t be crossed.

If, for example, you cannot stay late at work or have a coffee chat with friends because you need to pick up your children, saying this from the get-go can make these instances more manageable.

Tips to manage Burnout

Try to find a solution

Taking a solution-based approach when you’re feeling beyond overwhelmed. You can ask yourself, “What can I do to solve this?” as opposed to focusing on how you feel or the things you feel are challenging to do at the moment. People who focus on solutions are often optimistic. This may help them manage stress.

Focusing on how you can manage burnout may also make you feel empowered and that there’s a way out.

Take some time to yourself

Burnout is a result of prolonged and persistent exposure to a stressor. You may need to create distance between you and said stressor. This may not always be possible. If the stressor is your job, it’s natural that you cannot just pick up and go. But distance can also be emotional and mental. Taking the time to do things for you. It’s important to take time for yourself and do things that make you happy, this might involve taking a break from work, spending time with friends and family, or learning a new hobby.

Creating and honouring strict boundaries may also help. If you’re experiencing job-related burnout, consider leaving work at work once you get home.

Try to focus on achievements

Pessimism is often an effect of burnout, it is recommended focusing on your progress and achievements whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed. Consider writing down your accomplishments in a list, and refer to this list when you need some perspective. Because burnout can lead you to feel you’re not being productive or good at what you do, reassessing these thoughts can have an impact on your mood.

Seek Support

Facing your stressors can be hard enough; doing so by yourself can become overwhelming and lead to burnout.

If you’re feeling like stress is turning into something else, consider asking for help whenever and however you can. Speaking with managers and trusted colleagues about how you feel can help, as well as coming up with ways they can support you with deadlines, projects, and time off.

Partners, family members, and friends can also give you a hand when feeling burned out. They can help you get groceries, pick up children at school, or give you a hand with chores. The idea is that you feel supported in some areas of your life while you figure out how to champion your dominant stressors.

Speaking to a health professional is also highly advisable when you experience burnout. They can help you develop new coping skills and help you explore ways to actively solve the problem. Having a safe space to vent can also be a healing experience.

Take aways

Your wellbeing is important not only to you but to your family, friends and your employer.

• Recognise the signs

• Take positive action to prevent stress from turning into burnout. See blog Work Smarter not harder.

• Practise self help

• Ask for support