5 Telltale Burnout Symptoms and How to Fix Them
Burnout is a tricky, fickle foe.
It hides behind many faces and can appear in our lives when we least expect it to.
Five years ago, I fought with my own demons and burnout.
Since then, I’ve been trying to fight burnout by learning all I can about it and sharing it with other creative professionals like you.
Burnout Basics
Simply put, burnout is the result of stress that builds up over time.
When we experience burnout, it feels like the walls are closing in on us and everything is out of our control.
The bad news is that once burnout takes hold, it’s difficult to shake.
But the good news is there are key markers we can look for—symptoms of potential burnout—that can clue us in before it takes hold.
One of the simplest ways to prevent burnout is to understand these symptoms and address them head on.
Here are five of the most common ones and how to fix them.
The 5 Symptoms of Burnout
Symptom #1: Exhaustion
One of the most common symptoms of burnout is exhaustion.
Why?
Because we’ve pushed ourselves too far. We’re on the brink of losing control. We’ve spent all of our basic energy stores in our body and even dipped into the reserves.
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Solution: Rest. Restore your energy and take a break from what may be stressing you in the first place. Rest isn’t always sleep. Sometimes it’s detachment from technology, stepping away from a creative project, or even saying “F#ck it. I’m going on an adventure by myself today!”
Symptom #2: Overwhelm
While overwhelm itself is a cause of burnout, overwhelm as a symptom is far more nefarious. We may be on the brink of burnout when we become overwhelmed by places or things that are familiar to us.
Working from home could easily cause this symptom in particular.
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Solution: Find a peaceful place to retreat to, preferably one outdoors with lots of sunshine. If you’re stuck inside, consider purchasing a plant or a daylight light (that emulates the Sun’s UVs) and set it near where you work.
Symptom #3: Detachment
Another sinister symptom of burnout is detachment. But that’s not the worst part. This symptom is typically detachment from something you used to love.
Are you a career-minded creative who loves what they do? If you find yourself hating that work on a consistent basis, it may because you’re nearing burnout, not because you actually hate it.
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Solution: Look for ways to reinvigorate your love for the craft. Teach a class or give back to your art by sharing what you do with others in another way. Remind yourself why you started in the first place.
Symptom #4: Zoning Out
Sometimes burnout rears its ugly head in the form of something subtle.
Ever catch yourself zoning out at work?
Do you know what you have to do, but you can’t bring yourself to actually do the task?
It may not be procrastination. It may be a warning sign that you’re heading for burnout.
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Solution: Simplify your to-do list and schedule time to focus on one thing at a time. Create scheduled time to check in with your progress. Take. Small. Steps.
Symptom #5: Irritation
When we can’t control something in our lives, we are more prone to bottle up the frustration and may even lash out at others.
Becoming a darker, more irritable version of ourselves is one of the toughest symptoms to acknowledge because we don’t want to believe that burnout is changing who we are. It must be someone else, something else.
In fact, it’s the stress we can no longer control, trying to express itself.
Solution: Go for a walk and disconnect from work. Accept that you only control yourself and your reactions to the world—not the world itself—and move on. Smile more. Take note of when you smile and try to express empathy whenever possible. You don’t know what the other person is dealing with. It may be stress or even burnout.
Final Thoughts
When we think of burnout, we think of epic overwhelm, stress, and busyness.
The hard truth is that burnout is mischievous and subtle. If you have three or more of the above symptoms at any time, you’re likely on your way to burnout town.
Know what to look for, adjust a little bit, and get off that ride.
You’re going places in your life—just not there.
Until next week, here are links to what I’ve been working on and treasures I’ve found out in the creative wilderness.
Enjoy!
Recent Finds
Tim Ferriss — Should You Specialize or Be a Generalist? (YouTube) | Become a specialized generalist. I love this story from Tim based on his conversations with the creator of Dilbert, Scott Adams. To rise to the top of your field, it’s about specializing in skills that don’t easily combine, but rather multiply your value exponentially. Instead of generalizing in a hundred skills, you use your time wisely to specialize in skills and experiences that can best compound in their value for future you.
Colby Kultgen — How to Actually Feel Fully Recharged (Instagram) | This is a great post from productivity expert Colby Kultgen. Sleep isn’t the only way to restore our energy. Colby breaks down the five types of rest we need to feel 100%. As humans, we need to consider where we get our rest from, not just how much rest we get. If you’re sleeping 8 hours a night, but burning yourself out with constant creation during the day, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
Ali Abdaal — How to Make the Perfect Coffee w/ James Hoffmann (YouTube) | Where are all my coffee friends at? About 10 years ago, I started drinking coffee regularly. About 5 years ago, I started taking my coffee habit more seriously. And by “seriously” I mean drink all the coffees. This is a fun video for anyone who wants to take at-home coffee making to the next level. Enjoy. ☕
Quote of the Week
“Successful people have mental issues, bad habits, gaps in their knowledge, moments of self-doubt, procrastination issues, imperfect routines, insecurities, and imposter syndrome too.
But they also know that all of these things are perfectly normal.
That is the difference.”
—Steven Bartlett
That's all for now.
Stay creative, my friends—and have a great week!
