If you’re finding that your job doesn’t engage like it used to and you’re easily irritated by your colleagues, and you feel under-appreciated then it’s time for you to stop and re-think what you want in life and work before you risk falling headlong into burnout.

Slippery Slope
Burnout happens in stages and it’s insidious. Most people don’t realise when they’re on the downward spiral to burnout. It develops when you’re under a lot of stress. Anytime you’re overworked, under-valued and overwhelmed for long periods of time then that’s the time to take stock and do what you can to avoid the crash that will inevitably come.

Early Warning signals
The first signs of burnout are both physical and mental. Stress affects your immune system, and you’ll have more colds and headaches will become common. You feel tired all the time, even when you’ve had plenty of sleep. You’ll start having health problems, and you’ll feel irritable and irritability flows over to affect the rest of your life - your family and friends will notice that there’s a change in you.

Your feelings about your job change. You no longer enjoy it, and your productivity slides. You may stop caring about projects and whether you do a good job or not. You may feel bored, and will perform tasks automatically. You may feel a sinking sensation when you wake in the morning: ‘Oh no, not another day . . . . ‘

You may feel that you need to work harder, and longer. You stay at work longer, and take work home with you, but you feel as if you’re a hamster on a wheel: the more you do, the more there is to do.

Although burnout can happen to anyone it’s more likely to happen to perfectionists, and to people who are determined to achieve because their sense of self-worth and self-esteem is tied up with their job.

If after reading the above you suspect you’re heading for burn out then your first feelings may be that of relief. At least you have some idea of what’s going on. Find out more and take this assessment - because at this stage the more clear you are about your symptoms the easier it is for you to decide what action to take.

And that might be to review your career and work-life balance, and decide whether you continue in that direction. Or it might be that you realise you need support or clarification from your boss as to your role and area of responsibilities.

Get Help
Or you may decide now is the time to find a professional who can help you make sense of your feelings and get back to being in control and enjoying life.

For some immediate self-help you can download this e-book Beat the Burnout Blues. It is a distillation of exercises and techniques from many years’ work of helping those who are suffering effects of burnout and worrying that their careers are over or on hold until they recover.