10 signs you might burn out

Can’t remember the last time you felt relaxed? Here are 10 signs you might burn out. As when things start piling up and the stress of staying on top of everything can start to get too much, you’re at risk of a total meltdown. It can be hard to notice when it is happening to you, so here are 10 ways to know you’re pushing yourself too hard.

You’re tired but you can’t sleep

All through the day you can barely keep your eyes open, and you can barely summon the energy to make yourself a coffee. Yet, once your head hits the pillow, your mind is buzzing and sleep is just a dream.

Your mood is all over the place

One minute you’re placid, then some small inconvenience happens and your temper explodes. It doesn’t take much for you to get frustrated and it’s starting to affect your relationships with your friends and colleagues.

You don’t have time for fun

Office drinks after work? No thanks, you don’t have the time, and the thought of putting on your pyjamas and binge-watching Netflix sounds much more appealing than taking shots with Gary from Accounts. Besides, there is no way that you could handle even the tiniest hangover tomorrow morning, you haven’t got the patience to feel unwell.

Your work has become less competent

You used to be the star of the office, but now you can’t remember the last time you gave 100 per cent to a task, and you have started to submit paperwork without even double-checking it, just because you can’t find the energy to give it your all.

Your diet has turned unhealthy

When you’re constantly tired, your body craves sugar for energy to pick itself up – chocolate, cake, coffee, everything is fair game. This makes your blood sugar peak and dive, leading to severe mood swings and more cravings for unhealthy food – this leads to weight gain, blemishes on your skin and constantly feeling lethargic.

You can’t remember not being stressed

You constantly worry that you have made the wrong decisions at work, you think you have lost connections with your loved ones, and you can’t seem to relax and enjoy anything that you do outside of work.

You forget basic things

Even if it is just something simple like leaving your purse at home, or something bigger like forgetting you have an important deadline, when you’re at your limit, your memory is one of the first things to go.

Your body is aching

When you spend all day hunching over your desk, and the only let up is rushing around trying to get errands done, your joints and muscles are going to suffer.

You can’t stop self-criticising

Whether it be that you have stopped taking so much care in your appearance, and now you don’t like what is in the mirror, or you don’t think you’re trying hard enough to succeed despite all the work you’re doing, nothing is ever good enough for you – you always think you can work a little bit harder.

Work has taken over your life

One of your colleagues asks around for someone to work late or to do some extra work, and your first instinct is to do it, even though your plate is completely full. You never know when to stop and rest, because you think that your colleagues will think you can’t handle your workload.