Am I Burned Out? 4 Signs You are Burned Out

Day 9 of the 30 Day Writing Challenge

We have all experienced burn out from time to time. That’s why practicing self care is so important. And routine, while good in some respects, is not so good in others. Such as when you just doing on auto pilot because, hey, that’s you what do, day to day.

Last night, I had a bit of a meltdown. I was upset about a few different things, but I was a little too upset over those things if you know I mean. Like crying over spilled milk. And now today, I am doubting myself. And as I’ve sat, trying to decided what to tackle first, I thought to myself, wait a minute, am I doing too much? The thing is, I don’t think I am doing enough. I have plenty of tidying up to do, wedding things to plan, books I want to read, I want to write more, crochet more, I want to do so much with this blog.

But I am not really getting any of that done.

Signs You are Burned Out

You are on auto pilot. Simply flying through your day, getting things done, or not, and then ending your day is likely you being on autopilot. Especially if you feel you got nothing accomplished that day, or that it went by too fast, or that you didn’t get to enjoy your day. This is a sign you are on your way to burn out, or already there.

Experiencing Negative Thoughts

Your thoughts and self talk are turning negative. You feel useless, doubt yourself, are finding it hard to make choices and get things done.

You are Not Motivated

You just don’t feel like doing anything. Not the things you need to do, and not the things you enjoy. Both your work and personal life are beginning to suffer as a result. Or are seriously suffering. You are putting off tasks and just don’t have the energy to cook a meal or write that email.

YOu Resent the Things You are Doing

If you resent the things are you doing, whether it’s going to work or cooking dinner, it might be a sign you are are burning out. Especially if these things are usually no biggie for you, or that you usually enjoy doing. Resenting the things you are doing is a sign you need a break, but often it’s hard to get a break from those things.

Physical Changes In your Body

You don’t feel right. Maybe you are tired all the time, or your appetite changes. Maybe your sleep patterns change. When physical changes happen in your body, it’s a signal something is off with your mood and stress levels.

What To Do When You are Burned Out

The first thing you need to do is stop. Step back and evaluate the situation. Where are doing too much? Is it at work? Start saying no to extra work that is coming your way. Ask for help if you need it. Do you need more me time? Arrange a date away from your kids, or a girls night out.

Prioritize what you need to do by making a list. I hate lists personally, but it is a good idea to give some thought to what needs doing now and what can wait. Have three or four (realistic) things to accomplish in a day. You can’t do it all at once so don’t try to. Having a list of what you want done makes you feel more productive when you can cross those goals off the list. And it might help you realize that some tasks are time intensive as well, which we sometimes take for granted.

Eat well and rest well. You are never going to stop feeling stressed and tired if you aren’t well rested. And you can’t get anything done if you are tired from trying to do too much. Make sure you get those eight hours of sleep a night and make sure you are providing your body the proper energy to meet each day.

Start practicing self care. That looks different for everyone. It could be taking a bath at night, or getting to bed earlier. Make sure that whatever it is you are doing, it’s not placing more demands on your time and body. The idea here is too slow down and be mindful about how you are living, and what you are doing. This will help calm your mind and body and in turn, recharge you.

Be patient too. Sometimes recovering from burn out takes a while. You probably took a while to push yourself to that point, so it can take a while to bounce back. And that’s okay so be patient with yourself and your body.

What do you do when you are burned out? Let’s chat in the comments!