When is someone exhausted?
After working for years under pressure, without breaks or vacation, you will slowly become fatigued and exhausted. The term which is often used for this is burnout. But what are the symptoms? How can you recognize the signs?
The symptoms: an exhausted feeling
The typical symptoms of burnout are:
- feeling empty, exhausted and fatigued during an extended period of time,
- not wanting to show initiative,
- lessened ability to concentrate,
- you feel tired and emotionally exhausted, irritable and difficult,
- you suffer from tens of small complaints such as heart palpitations, an aching back, fatigue, sleeplessness, apathy, worrying, nagging, headaches, being unpleasant toward others or even being brusque or aggressive,
- your memory worsens (you forget things more easily)
It is important to speak to your doctor about what other medical causes might be at play, but there is a large chance that you suffer from a burnout. You will find even more information in this article by Paul Koeck, MD.
Test for exhaustion? Test yourself now.
You can test yourself by filling out this simple list of questions. This test shows your general level of stress, which lies behind the tired feeling of exhaustion, as well as its factors: tension, anxiety, or even depressive feelings. This test can help you recognize the problem or to, even in hindsight, look at your development after, for example, following the online self-help program against stress and burnout. Give the test a try.
Paul Koeck, MD
