5 Signs You’re Headed For Burnout (and what to do about it)

One of my core beliefs is that the we are always being guided. The universe is always trying to send us signs when we are on the wrong path. These signs usually come in the form of negative emotions and are meant to redirect us. But many times, we are too stubborn to pay attention or recognize these signs for what they are.  I know I was.

I think the whole constellation of symptoms of burnout is really the universe trying to redirect us towards a more aligned life path. I think we experience burnout because we are not living in alignment with what our inner being wants for us.

It is our body and soul asking us to please pay attention because we need to make some changes. Things can’t keep going the way they are going.

More specifically, burnout happens as a result of not enough self-care and a lack of meaningful work. At its core, burnout is an energy problem caused by doing too many things that drain our energy and not enough things that restore our energy. We make it significantly more complicated than that, but really that is what it boils down to.

As with any problem, its better to catch burnout early before we continue to travel even further down the wrong path.

So with that in mind, here are some signs that you might be experiencing or headed towards burnout. These are taken from my own experience with it and are in no way comprehensive.

5 Signs of Burnout

You want to run away

You are constantly hatching an escape plan. You think about packing up all the essentials in your car and driving off into the sunset to start a new life.

This doesn’t just have to include physically running away. This desire to run away can also manifest in other escapism behaviors such as binge drinking, comfort eating and Netflix numbing.

So if you notice your occasional glass of wine after work has turned into downing a bottle every other night, that may be a sign of some underlying discontent. A sign that you are seeking to escape your present reality.  

You are jealous of sick people

This one may sound strange, but was actually something that turned up more than once while I was in the medical field.

My co residents and I actually hit a point where we dreamed about being a patient in the hospital where we were working.

We would walk through the post-operative recovery unit looking longingly at the patients sleeping off their anesthesia. Wishing to trade places with them. Literally.

We wished to be either seriously ill or recovering from surgery because at least then we would get some sleep.  Needless to say, this is a not a great sign.  

You can’t get out of bed in the morning

You are filled with dread at the sound of your alarm clock going off. Thinking about trying to make it through the day feels like an impossible feat. You press the snooze button until the very last possible moment and physically struggle to drag yourself out of bed and start the day.

You wonder “what’s the point?”

Everything at work feels pointless and like a waste of time. The staff meetings, the patient encounters, the lunch lectures you are forced to sit through. It’s all crap.

You half-heartedly participate in all of these activities feeling like “wow, this is not accomplishing anything”. You no longer see how the work you are doing is benefiting anyone. You lack any type of internal motivation or connection to a greater purpose.  

You don’t actually want to do anything

At work, anytime your boss or superior asks you to do something you roll your eyes, dramatically sigh and feel so annoyed. Each assignment, errand, piece of paperwork or simple request feels like a serious hassle that you would rather not be bothered with.

If you recognize yourself in ANY of these scenarios, it is very likely that you are burning out and it is time to make some changes.

What To Do About Your Burnout

Recognize it as a sign that something is WRONG

The most important part and the first step is awareness. We must recognize these signs of burnout. These are signs to take notice and pay attention to the choices we are making everyday and the direction our life is going. They are signs that we need to make some changes.

We also must realize that this is not how life is supposed to be. This isn’t “just the way it is” or part of being an adult or a sign that we need a vacation. We probably do need a vacation, yes, but it is more than that. 

These are signs that something is seriously WRONG. That we are on the wrong path. That we are not living our life the way we were created to live it.

Take a time out

After we accept that we are headed towards burnout, we must take some time off and get some perspective.

It is too difficult to make any significant changes when we are in the weeds of our everyday existence. When we “don’t have time” to deal with the tough stuff. This is when we reach for band aids and quick fixes. None of this is going to work.

We need to give ourselves adequate time and space to do some reflection. Go off to a cabin in the mountains for a weekend. Sign up for a week long yoga retreat. Set aside intentional time to get away from your day to day life and do some soul searching.

I took a 5 week leave of absence from residency during which I meditated, wrote in my journal and practiced yoga almost every day. Give yourself the gift of time and space for reflection.  

Do some soul searching

Just taking time off is not enough. Because again, if we don’t actually make a change, when we go back to our lives, things will pick back up right where they left off.

You have to get real with yourself about what is working and what is not. Here are two simple questions you can start with to begin taking inventory of your life:

What is draining my energy that I need LESS of in my life?

What restores my energy that I need MORE of in my life?

Allow yourself to brain dump on these two questions for as long as possible.

It can also really help to have someone guide you along on this journey. Find a therapist, hire a life coach, enlist some professional help of some kind to get you back on track. This type of deep work is something that you absolutely do not need to do alone.

Make some changes

Before going back to your real life, you must commit to making some changes.

Using your answers to those two questions, commit to taking two actions. Eliminate one thing from your “what do I need LESS of” list and add one thing from your “what do I need MORE of ” list into your life.

This will provide you with a start and some positive momentum to get your life back on track.

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These signs of burnout are a big deal and something that shouldn’t be ignored, because the longer you let these symptoms build up the worse it will get. But the good news is, it is never too late to make a change. No matter how far off track you’ve gone or how hopeless it may seem right now, all it takes is some willingness to change to get back onto the right path.

Have you ever suffered from burnout? What was that experience like for you? And what did you do to overcome it?

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