How do I recognize a burnout?
Burnout is sometimes difficult to recognize. You do not always notice yourself which the symptoms of burnout are in you. It is also difficult to diagnose yourself. A trained doctor or psychologist can quickly recognize a burnout, because they are used to doing so day in day out. But how can you, yourself, know whether a burnout is at hand?
How do I diagnose a burnout in myself?
There are different types of burnout. That is why it is not always so that people with a burnout have the same symptoms. Just like depression, burnout also has different ways of expressing itself. It is then not a different illness, but rather a different way in which it shows itself:
Burnout? The psychological burnout
If you have a burnout, you will notice that you find it difficult to keep your focus on something or to remember things. For example, you might forget to go to the store and remember this only by the time you already are home. You will also notice that you often are somber and that you can also experience crying fits. Because your focus and memory get weaker, you no longer get as much work done as you used to, which in turn causes you to feel stressed and become somber.
Burnout? The physical burnout
If you have a burnout, you will notice that you often are very tired. You find it more and more difficult to fall asleep or no longer sleep as thoroughly as you used to. You are always tired and hope to get more sleep the next day.
Burnout? The social burnout
Your social life, too, will suffer from your burnout. You will notice that you have less energy to do things, because you are so tired. Slowly but surely you will stop putting as much energy into your hobbies or just skip them altogether. Sometimes it can also be so that your stress causes you to snap at other people.
Online self-help program against burnout
According to research in the Artsenkrant, the program by 15 Minutes 4 Me helps you to reduce burnout by 40% after following it for one month. Online self-help is becoming an increasingly common medium for treatment nowadays and can also pose as a supplement for therapy.
Do I have a burnout? Take the burnout test
If you want to know if you have a burnout or if you are at risk of developing a burnout, you can take the free online burnout test here. It only takes a few minutes. You can also use it later on to check your progress.
