According to an Infinite Potential report, 30% of men and 42% of women struggle with burnout in the workplace. These numbers highlight just how widespread burnout is, yet so many people continue to push through it, thinking it’s just part of modern work culture.
Spoiler: It doesn’t have to be this way.
What is burnout?
Burnout isn’t just about having a tough week or feeling tired after a long day. It’s a deep, ongoing state of exhaustion that doesn’t just go away with rest.
It’s what happens when stress builds up over time without a real break, eventually leaving you feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically drained. You might sleep for eight hours a night but still wake up feeling like you’ve barely rested. It can make even the most minor decisions, like choosing what to eat for lunch, feel overwhelming.
Ultimately, burnout is more than just workplace stress. It creeps into every aspect of your life.
Your relationships suffer because you don’t have the energy to socialize. Your health conditions go downhill because constant stressors make you more likely to get sick. Your sense of self takes a hit, making you question whether you’re even capable of handling your job anymore.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel because the key to overcoming burnout is recognizing it early.
The longer burnout goes unchecked, the more it takes control of your mental and physical well-being. But by identifying the red flags and understanding what’s causing them, you can take intentional steps to reclaim your work-life balance before burnout completely throws your career (and life) off kilter.
Job burnout self-assessment: Are you burnt out?
So, how can you tell if you’re actually burnt out or just having a bad week? Let’s do a vibe check.
Answer these questions honestly:
Do you feel exhausted most days, even after a good night’s sleep?
Have you lost interest in activities or hobbies you once enjoyed?
Do you struggle to focus, stay motivated, or complete daily tasks?
Do you feel disconnected from your work, or feel resentment toward your job?
Does the thought “Should I quit my job?” cross your mind more often than not?
Are you experiencing unexplained physical symptoms like headaches or stomach issues?
Do you have the feeling that something in your life is missing?
Your results:
Mostly Yes: You’re likely experiencing burnout. Don’t worry; it’s not too late to turn it around.
Mostly No: You’re managing well, so let’s keep it that way.
“If the results you are getting are lousy - anxiety at a simmer, mild depression, high levels of stress, chronic emotional burnout, - then the odds are that something about the system that is your life is off kilter.“
― John Mark Comer, ‘The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World’
12 signs of burnout at work
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight.
It sneaks up on you slowly until one day, you wake up and don’t feel like yourself anymore. It’s not just about being tired; it’s about feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally drained to the point where life feels like a chore.
The first step to recovery is awareness.
Here’s a checklist you didn’t know you needed. If any of these red flags hit close to home, it’s time to take action.
Feeling tired all the time
Burnout-related tiredness isn’t just about feeling sleepy. It’s a deep, unshakable exhaustion that doesn’t go away with rest.
Let me put it this way: You wake up feeling drained already and struggle to get through the day as even the smallest decisions, like choosing what to wear, can feel like climbing a mountain.
Feeling tired all the time often looks like:
Morning dread: You hit snooze again and again because starting your workday feels overwhelming.
Midday crash: Your energy crashes halfway through the day, regardless of whether you got enough sleep the night before.
Relying on quick fixes: You reach for coffee, energy drinks, or sugary snacks just to get through your next meeting.
Trouble concentrating: Even simple tasks feel difficult because your brain is moving at half-speed.
Avoiding social plans: You bail on after-work dinners or drinks because it all feels like too much effort.
Work feels like a chore
Maybe you once felt proud of your work, but these days? Every task seems boring or pointless, and you find yourself putting things off more than usual.
This might show up as:
Watching the clock: Counting down the hours until you can log off and go home.
Putting things off: Waiting until the last minute to tackle important tasks because you can’t drum up the energy or enthusiasm.
Doing the bare minimum: Zoning out in meetings or contributing as little as possible.
Lower work quality: You notice you’re making more mistakes or have a “just get it done” attitude.
Feeling annoyed: New tasks make you roll your eyes or feel resentful.
You’ve lost your passion for your career
Once upon a time, you were driven by your career. Now, you feel emotionally disconnected from it, unmotivated, and even irritated with your colleagues. Projects that once excited you now seem dull, leaving you questioning whether you still care about your role.
You might notice:
No excitement about success: You’re no longer bothered whether you hit targets or get praise.
Irritation at new projects: Instead of feeling challenged, you feel annoyed when something new comes along.
Going through the motions: You do what’s required but rarely push yourself further.
Dreaming of a new path: Thoughts of quitting or switching fields pop up regularly.
No pride in your work: You struggle to find anything positive to say about your job with friends, family members, or loved ones.
Social withdrawal
Burnout can make even the friendliest person want to hide from their colleagues. You might skip small talk or find any online or in-person interaction completely draining.
This can look like:
Avoiding team hangouts: Turning down lunches, coffee breaks, or happy hours more than you used to.
Going silent: Leaving messages on “read” or muting the group work chat.
Keeping your head down: Rushing back to your desk instead of catching up with colleagues in the hallway.
Closed-off posture: Using headphones or your phone as a shield to avoid conversation.
Working solo: Preferring to handle tasks alone rather than teaming up with others.
Irritability and mood swings
Burnout can make you snappy, impatient, or just plain grumpy.
Minor inconveniences like slow Wi-Fi or a talkative colleague can feel huge. You might catch yourself snapping at people or feeling annoyed for reasons you can’t really explain.
At work, this can show up as:
Short fuse: You get irritated quickly in team chats or during routine tasks.
Frequent spats: Tense email threads or arguments with coworkers over tiny things.
Overreacting to feedback: Feeling personally attacked or getting defensive when someone gives advice.
Harsh self-talk: Blaming yourself or others too harshly for small mistakes.
Ongoing negativity: Rolling your eyes at new ideas or complaining about everyday processes.
Unexplained physical symptoms
Stress doesn’t just live in your head; your body feels it too.
Burnout can manifest as headaches, neck or back pain, stomach issues, dizziness, or getting sick more often. Your body can’t keep up when your stress levels are consistently high.
You might notice:
Aches and pains that won’t quit: Tension in your neck and shoulders, made worse by stress.
Sick days stacking up: Calling in sick because of headaches, stomach upsets, or just feeling run-down.
Afternoon slump: Feeling wiped out after lunch with no energy to finish the workday.
Difficulty staying on task: Physical discomfort pulls your attention away from what you need to do.
Stress rebounds at work: Noticing you feel better on weekends, but symptoms return once Monday hits.
Difficulty sleeping
Burnout and sleep problems often go hand in hand.
You might toss and turn for hours, wake up in the middle of the night, or feel groggy even after a solid eight hours. It’s tough to switch off when your mind keeps replaying deadlines and to-do lists.
You could experience:
Restless nights: Lying awake because your brain won’t switch off from work thoughts.
Waking too early: Feeling anxious about the upcoming workday before your alarm goes off.
Using sleep aids: Relying on medication or supplements to knock you out but still feeling groggy the next day.
Weekend crash: Sleeping in extra late on weekends to make up for the lack of rest during the week.
Slower pace at work: Increased mistakes or taking longer to finish tasks.
Lack of focus and brain fog
If you’re reading the same email three times, forgetting deadlines, or feeling mentally sluggish, burnout might be the reason why. It can mess with your head, making it tough to understand new information or solve problems the way you used to.
Common signs include:
Forgetting key information: Missing important details in meetings or mixing up project specifics.
Trouble handling multiple tasks: Tasks you used to juggle easily now feel like an uphill battle.
Lower productivity: Taking longer to get your work done or feeling scatterbrained throughout the day.
Constant fogginess: Feeling like your brain is on a slow speed, even after breaks.
Missed deadlines: Needing constant reminders because tasks slip off your radar.
No motivation
Burnout can suck the joy out of everything, including your life outside of work.
You may lose interest in your usual hobbies, outings, and personal goals. Suddenly, everything feels like too much effort, and you start saying “no” more often than not.
A lack of motivation at work can show up as:
Not caring about results: Whether a project goes well or not, you just want it finished.
Dropping extra activities: Leaving work-related groups or skipping events you once enjoyed.
Passing on growth opportunities: Turning down training or courses you would have jumped at before.
Zoning out in meetings: Giving short, unenthusiastic answers or blank stares.
No goals to aim for: No longer thinking about promotions, raises, or other career goals.
Turning to unhealthy coping methods
When burnout hits, many people try to escape or numb themselves in unhelpful ways like binge-watching Netflix, endlessly scrolling on social media, overeating, drinking more than usual, or shutting everyone out.
These might feel like quick fixes but they typically make burnout worse over time.
These can also resemble:
Nightly binges: Overdoing it on junk food or alcohol after you log off “just to relax.”
Too much social media: Scrolling endlessly at your desk instead of focusing on tasks.
Running from responsibilities: Taking extra coffee breaks to dodge your workload.
Emotional shutdown: Tuning out stress instead of tackling problems head-on.
Last-minute panic: Avoiding certain tasks until they become super-urgent.
Anxiety and overwhelm
Feeling like you can’t keep up can lead to a constant sense of worry or dread. Tasks that once felt simple now seem huge, and the idea of facing another busy week makes you feel anxious, especially on Sunday nights. It’s almost like you’re always bracing for the worst.
This can look like:
Sunday scaries: That knot in your stomach before the workweek even begins.
Never-ending self-doubt: Worrying you’re not good enough or fearing others will realise you’re struggling.
Avoiding tricky tasks: Putting off anything that seems remotely difficult because you’re already overwhelmed.
Overthinking easy projects: Spending way too long on simple things because you’re scared of messing up.
Physical stress signals: Sweaty palms, a racing heartbeat, or shallow breathing whenever new assignments pop up.
Feeling Trapped
“Stress is not bad for you; being stuck is bad for you.”
― Emily Nagoski, ‘Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle’
A big sign of burnout is feeling like there’s no escape. You might imagine quitting but stay put because of bills, job security, or fear of the unknown. Telling yourself, “This is just how work is,” becomes a coping mechanism, even though deep down you know something’s got to change.
Feeling trapped might show up as:
Dreaming of walking out: Fantasising about leaving your job and never going back.
No effort to change things: Not talking to HR, your manager, or anyone else because it feels pointless.
Worrying about the future: Staying in a bad situation because jumping into something new feels riskier.
Blaming others: Feeling like your boss or teammates are the main problem but believing you can’t do anything about it.
Hopelessness: Believing you’ll never escape the cycle, so why even try?
Final thoughts on burnout and mental health
Burnout isn’t just about feeling stressed or annoyed with your job.
It’s not just about the workload either. It’s a deeper, more overwhelming issue that needs your attention. I’m talking about unrealistic demands, blurred boundaries, and losing sight of yourself.
The good news is that burnout doesn’t have to mean the end of your career.
It’s a wake-up call if anything. It’s a sign that something needs to change. But that doesn’t mean you have to quit your job and start over.
Here’s what it comes down to:
Alignment: When you clarify what you truly value, you can start making decisions that align with the life you actually want, not the one you’re coasting through.
Shifting your mindset: Your boss isn’t the villain here (well, not entirely). Sometimes, the problem is how you see things. Beating burnout might simply be about flipping the script, focusing on what you can control, and not letting the little things suck the life out of you.
Building a self-care toolkit: Burnout doesn’t just disappear on its own. You need tools that actually work. It’s all about building routines, habits and hobbies that keep you feeling good, and not turning to quick-fix solutions.
“All your body requires of you is that you turn toward it with kindness and compassion, with nonjudgment and plain-vanilla acceptance of all your contradictory emotions, beliefs, and longings.”
― Emily Nagoski, ‘Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle’Setting clear boundaries: If you don’t protect your time and energy, no one else will. Embrace the power of “no” before burnout decides for you.
Chatting to a healthcare professional: Sometimes you need an outside perspective to help you see the bigger picture. A therapist, mental health professional, or doctor can give you the tools and insights you need to navigate burnout and emerge stronger.
Remember, burnout isn’t something to “push through.” The sooner you recognize it, the sooner you can take steps to get your energy, motivation, and life back.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just know that you are not alone, and things will get better.
You’ve got this!
Understand the symptoms of burnout with Headway summaries
If you're looking for deeper insights on burnout and how to recover, check out these books:
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer – A guide to slowing down and reclaiming your time.
Burnout by Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA – Understanding why burnout happens and how to break the cycle.
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It by Kamal Ravikant – A powerful book on self-compassion and resilience.
For more resources, explore Headway’s burnout collection.
