There are plenty of days where I don’t really feel like working, I have trouble getting started on a project, or I experience stress or frustration in my career—and all of those are a natural side effect of any job, in my opinion. However, this is where burnout can easily creep in if I’m not careful. I’m tired one week, but then I start to feel completely spent or disinterested every single day. One blip of stress shifts into a constant attitude of “I don’t matter” or “Nobody even cares if this gets done”; momentary distraction starts to feel chronic, where I can’t really concentrate or pay attention. I start thinking about work all the time, which gets in the way of my ability to be present with friends or family members, or practice self-care outside of work hours. You get the idea.
Over time I’ve learned to take action as soon as these warning signs appear: I shut down my computer whenever possible, head out for a walk or a yoga class, spend time doing something completely unrelated to work, and basically give myself permission to back off in order to hit the reset button. I know that in a state of burnout, there’s no way to perform the way I want to in my career, and even if it feels like I should push through or carry on, the best thing I can do for myself is to stop and rest.
Knowing what burnout looks like and feels like for you specifically is key to managing it, so pay close attention to those little indicators—inability to sleep, moodiness, problems disconnecting—that can lead to something more serious.