How to know if you are burnt out

Burnout is a phrase that you might be hearing about a lot lately — and for good reason! Supercharged stress and exhaustion, uninspired ambivalence and not a drop of motivation: these are all signs of this condition that has been sweeping the nation, particularly post-COVID.

"Stress is difficult and many people struggle to cope with it, but burnout is another whole level; it’s the feeling of being out of gas, feeling helpless, diminished motivation and it’s emotionally tolling,” says psychologist Dr Rachel Goldman. “It’s something that a weekend or mental health day can’t cure.”

While being burned out can feel like an isolating situation, the reality is that you’re far from alone. More than half of Australian workers (53%) reported that they were burnt out in 2022, according to research by Adecco. Work isn't the only thing that can cause burnout; a busy home life and your personal relationships can also contribute.

No matter what area of life you’re feeling burned out in, there are steps you can take to feel better and prevent it from happening again (too soon or ever!). We asked mental health experts to share some of the most common burnout symptoms and how to beat them.

What is burnout?

When we're burnt out, we might be asking ourselves, 'what is this feeling?' Your confusion ends now. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress coupled with inadequate resources to cope, Dr Goldman says, and it commonly trickles down to negatively impact your work, home life and health if it’s not addressed.

To help you distinguish between burnout, ordinary day-to-day stress and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, it’s helpful to talk about the three dimensions of burnout, which all apply specifically to experiences in the workplace, says neuropsychologist Dr Judy Ho.

Emotional exhaustion: No matter how many hours you sleep or how much time you take off, you feel endlessly tired, all the time.
Depersonalisation: You distance yourself from your work and aren’t as engaged, which can lead to a lack of care toward projects or tasks.
Feeling of ineffectiveness: You don’t feel effective or like you’re doing your best, despite working hard and receiving good feedback.

“Someone doesn’t have to meet all three criteria to be burned out, but those are the three areas we look at when talking about burnout versus something like clinical depression,” explains Dr Ho.

While burnout and depression or anxiety aren’t the same, one can lead to the other, and vice versa. “There’s a big overlap with people who are burned out and also clinically depressed at the same time; being chronically burned out puts you at higher risk for clinical depression and anxiety, and the opposite can also be true,” says Dr Ho. “The good news is that if you can address one of those areas, then the other gets better. So address depression directly and burnout could be alleviated, and vice versa.”

What does burnout feel like?

If you've been experiencing any of these symptoms without knowing what the problem is, this might be eye-opening.

If you're experiencing workplace burnout, you might be:

Experiencing diminished or poor performance
Calling out of work or showing up late
Feeling loss of motivation and reduced interest and engagement
Feeling unappreciated
Feeling loss of meaning aka you just don’t care as much
Feeling withdrawal from social situations and coworkers
Having difficulty concentrating and brain fog

You may also notice these symptoms when you’re not at the office:

Physical and mental exhaustion
Irritability/short fuse
Inability to cope with minor issues
Lack of interest in things you used to enjoy, such as a hobby or time with friends
Sleep difficulties
Headache
GI issues
Changes to appetite and eating habits

Key ways to prevent burnout

Chat it through

Talking about burnout with friends, family or trusted co-workers is one that can be hugely beneficial. “When you don’t talk about burnout, you feel like it’s all on you and like you have no support. Sometimes burnout can be mitigated if you simply feel like you have more support,” Dr Ho explains.

DIY recovery

Besides talking about those feelings, you can also work through them yourself through exercises like the loving-kindness meditation or making daily gratitude lists. “You may not feel it’s making a big difference at first, but if you build these into your daily routine it will make an impact,” Dr Ho adds.

Just say no

“A big part of burnout is to learn how to prioritise — essentially, what to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to without feeling bad about it,” says Dr Ho. “Saying ‘yes’ to too many things can cause you to take on too much, and that then becomes overwhelming.” Remember that “no is a complete sentence,” says Dr Ho, you don’t have to explain further.

For instance, say “That sounds like a great idea but I don’t think it can be a priority right now; what do you think about putting it on the agenda later?” You can also try, “I don’t think I can do this myself, but if you get me some help then I can.”

Plan some downtime

Taking a break is productive because it helps you to recharge and gain energy from the things that bring you joy. You can regularly schedule fun activities or something to look forward to, bringing some happiness and excitement into your busy life.

Look at your lifestyle choices

Do you eat healthy? Are you exercising regularly? These questions might have you groaning as you read this, but they are important factors in burnout. Focus on adopting healthy lifestyle behaviours, such as eating balanced meals, moving your body, staying hydrated and getting good sleep.

When to get help for burnout:

There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing a little help to get back on track and back to you. “I like to remind my clients that your health is a priority. If you are not healthy, you can’t be healthy for others, for your job, or anything else,” says Dr Goldman.

If you feel like you’ve tried everything and nothing has changed, or if burnout starts to seriously impact your daily life and other aspects of your lifestyle, it might be time to seek out a therapist or ask for help in other areas of your life that are affected.