Burnout Syndrome – 7 Signs You’re Suffering From It

Do you know what Burnout Syndrome is and what the signs of this disease are?

With the rush of everyday life and the increasingly constant presence of factors such as stress, Burnout Syndrome has become increasingly common.

But, despite being an increasingly recurrent syndrome, there are still many doubts about the disease.

In fact, there may even be people who suffer from the syndrome without even knowing it.

And it was with this in mind that we decided to create this special content.

In today's material, we have gathered some signs that may indicate the presence of Burnout Syndrome.

Furthermore, throughout the content, you will also learn some tips that will help you minimize these situations in your life.

What is Burnout Syndrome?

Much is said about this syndrome that is affecting more and more people – such as workers and students – around the world.

But, even though it is something that is becoming more present in our society, there are still doubts about what this syndrome is.

Burnout Syndrome is a type of exhaustion that can occur throughout life. 

This type of wear and tear negatively affects the physical, emotional and mental aspects of the person suffering from it.

And these negative effects cause damage to the patient's life, leading to a situation of professional burnout.

Despite being a topic that has only gained more prominence in the last decade, studies on Burnout Syndrome have been around for a long time.

This syndrome was first addressed in medical literature in the mid-1970s.

At the time, the person responsible for drawing the medical community's attention to the disorder was Freudenberger, an American psychologist.

And the most curious thing is that there wasn't necessarily a patient studied for him to reach this conclusion.

At the time, the symptoms described by the psychologist were those that he and his colleagues were currently facing.

And it was after he flagged this disorder – which was new at the time – that a series of studies on the subject began.

Burnout Syndrome Today

After years of studies, Burnout Syndrome began to be considered a type of disease, as it causes problems that affect our health.

Nowadays, it is known that Burnout Syndrome mainly affects people who live a very intense routine. 

This ends up encompassing several aspects of our lives.

Despite the exhausting work routine – and even more so when the worker works double shifts – the study routine and even personal life can facilitate this burnout syndrome.

A study carried out in 2019 indicated that Burnout Syndrome had, until then, affected more than 30 million Brazilians.

And, after facing more than 2 years of pandemic – with a completely new routine full of fear and insecurity – this number must have grown significantly during the period.

Which professions are most affected by Burnout Syndrome?

Regardless of the profession, the main targets of Burnout Syndrome are the so-called workaholics (nomenclature used to define people who are addicted to work).

Because they are always working at a very fast pace and dealing with several things at the same time, this type of worker ends up becoming easier targets for this type of disorder.

But, in addition to this, there are also some professions that are more predisposed to suffering from this type of disorder.

Below, we list some of the professions that are most affected by Burnout Syndrome:

Healthcare professionals in general (before the pandemic and especially during and after it) such as doctors and nurses; journalists; teachers; psychologists; firefighters; police officers; bank employees; telemarketers and social workers.

Burnout Syndrome and other professions

It is worth remembering that Burnout Syndrome is something that can affect any professional who is constantly exposed to stressful and anxious situations.

This type of situation ends up causing the professional to work too hard to complete their tasks and forget to distract themselves and carry out other activities.

It's as if your brain is constantly on alert, making it impossible to rest completely for the necessary period.

This list is only intended to better illustrate which professions have a higher incidence of cases of this disorder.

Another point worth highlighting is that, as mentioned previously, the incidence of this syndrome in female patients is, in most cases, due to working a double shift.

After working all day, these women still need to get home and deal with several other demands that involve the house.

This mainly includes responsibilities for children and household chores.

7 signs that may indicate that you are suffering from Burnout Syndrome

Now that you know a little more about Burnout Syndrome, it's time to learn about some signs that may indicate the presence of this disorder.

Constant irritability

This is one of the main ones. With high stress levels, people tend to become more irritable and may lose their temper more easily.

Difficulty concentrating

Another point that may indicate burnout is the loss of concentration and difficulty in focusing on a certain task.

Memory failures

Directly linked to the previous sign, it is common for people suffering from the syndrome to have constant memory lapses.

Mood swings

Some mood changes throughout the day or weeks can also be an indicator of the presence of the syndrome.

Loss of pleasure

Do you know what everyone's favorite activities are? Whether it's a hobby or an activity that you enjoy doing to feel good?

In cases of patients with the syndrome, this pleasure gradually disappears.

Pessimism and low self-esteem

Another sign associated with the disorder is that the person begins to adopt a more pessimistic attitude and has problems related to their own self-esteem.

Isolation

And the last sign on this list is isolation. As a consequence of all these factors, the person tends to isolate themselves from others and spend more time alone.

Conclusion

As you can see, Burnout Syndrome is something extremely serious and should receive all the necessary attention. 

After all, this type of disorder puts the person's physical, mental and emotional health at risk. 

Knowing how to divide your time, not putting too much pressure on yourself professionally and seeking to do relaxing activities and physical exercise can help you stay less stressed.

But if you feel any of these signs, the tip is: seek specialized medical help. They will know how to diagnose you and carry out the treatment in the best possible way!

Your health will thank you!

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