There come some times when you feel lazy to do stuff, right? I am sure we all go through that at times. It can become so intense that people can start labelling you as a lazy person. Did it, however, ever cross your mind that in some cases it might not be laziness per se. It could simply be a tell-tale sign that you are actually burnt out or experiencing burnout. Is that being a possibility how then can you ascertain that it really is burnout? That is the reason for this article so kindly read through to understand more. What is burnout? Burnout is a negative state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion mainly caused by stress and an inability to cope with it.

Deteriorating Performance

You used to be a reliably productive person before. You could be counted on to get things done and going the extra mile. When burnout sets in, even the most menial of tasks become arduous to complete. You start taking awfully long to complete your tasks or responsibilities. Even when you do complete tasks they will be riddled with errors and shortcomings. You generally become sloppy and constantly feel weak to do stuff. You will be feeling sleepy or drowsy most of the time and that feeds a lot into your plummeting performance.

Feeling Disconnected From Everything

This is when you starting going through your days as if you are just drifting. You constantly feel extremely detached from yourself and everything around you. You basically become depersonalized – which is a lingering state of emotional numbness or emptiness. You will not be feeling like yourself anymore and will largely have a perpetual feeling of restlessness and helplessness.

You No Longer Feel Self-Motivated

The motivation of course can be fleeting at times and you cannot always depend on it. This is because at times there is no motivation which is why discipline is more important. Discipline helps prime you to keep going and active even when the motivation has waned. However, under normal circumstances, you must occasionally experience bursts of motivation. It can linger or it can quickly dissipate but the norm is it must occasionally come. When suffering from burnout the motivation is totally gone. The drive you used to have is out of the picture completely.

The Passion Is No Longer There

Passion is one of the strongest indicators of one’s focal area. If someone is passionate about something they will contend with anything to pursue their goals. Passion is that fire within that drives you despite the contrary or unfavourable circumstances. Someone passionate about something cannot be stopped. When passion disappears then rests assured that something is gravely wrong. This is what happens when one is experiencing burnout. The passion they used to have for something or some things vanishes.

Moodiness And Irritability

I can tell you for a fact that is one of the symptoms of burnout. There are times you constantly feel moody and irritable. You will not be in the mood to talk to anyone, preferring to keep to yourself. You will be grossly irritable, which will cause you to easily get annoyed or angry. Typically you will not be able to even point to what is triggering the moodiness and irritability. You will become overbearing and demanding; you will quickly find fault in virtually everything people around you do. All this can actually lead to the destruction of relationships, it is that intense. You will be failing to control or keep your emotions in check.

Neglecting Self-Care

You begin to turn a blind eye to important self-care routines. For example, you stop eating healthy and might start eating junk food. In some cases, you might start eating less altogether or overeating. For others, they can become more given over to alcoholism. Your sleeping patterns become erratic, often sleeping less or oversleeping. You largely start preferring to spend most of your time to yourself. You will usually spend this time doing destructive habits. You basically get to a point where how you look and feel no longer matter to you anymore.

If these signs present themselves you must take immediate steps to put things in order. Burnout is not something to trivialize because it can cost your life. Many people have passed on due to complications that started from burnout. In the US it is reported that over 75 per cent of deaths are people who have experienced varying degrees of burnout. I personally know what burnout feels like because I have at times faced it. It is great to be intent on getting things done but your health must come first. Take stock of your life right now and make the necessary changes.