Burnout occurs when we have chronic exhaustion and being overwhelmed over a long period of time. Those with a highly sensitive nervous system feel everything at a more intense rate, which makes it more important to understand the signs of burnout. A highly sensitive nervous system in people can also be explained as HSP or (highly sensitive person).
Be mindful of the signs and symptoms of burnout. Burnout can occur because of stressors related to work, life, or even work/life balance. Sometimes our schedules are too crammed pack for energy our bodies have to offer.
Burnout can affect us mentally and physically. Do you ever feel like you do not have enough time in the day? Do you become overwhelmed by the number of things you have to do each day? Burnout can affect anyone, but especially those who have a highly sensitive nervous system.
With having a highly sensitive nervous system you may become overwhelmed by lights, sounds, or smells. This means that things that may not affect other people can easily affect you and can be detrimental when combatting burnout. If left untreated, burnout can cause other severe issues. How does burnout affect you? There are many symptoms that come out due to burnout.
Signs of burnout
- Lack of energy and overall exhaustion
Burnout can cause us to feel a lack of emotional, physical, and mental energy.
- Reduced performance
When our bodies are burnt out, we tend to pull back on our daily tasks to regain the energy that we need. This leads to reduced performance as well as caring to do good.
- Negative feelings
Burnout can lead us to have negative thoughts and feelings about what we are doing and if we are doing the right things. It can even have us questioning the decisions we are making.
- Feeling emotionally drained
When burnout causes us to be emotionally drained, we may have a hard time connecting with others, especially family. This can lead us to avoiding social/family events or being there for loved ones.
- Having little satisfaction in life
When we become burnt out, especially when we have a highly sensitive nervous system, we tend to be unhappy with work, family, friends, etc. It can be hard to be satisfied with our lives when these things are causing us an enormous amount of stress and burnout.
- Increased anxiety and alertness
You may feel on edge all the time about what is going to happen next or how your anxiety is going to ruin your day.
- Brain fog
You may feel like you are always in a daze, this can be caused from coping mechanisms from our bodies trying to deal with the symptoms of burnout, as well as the difficulty remembering important information.
- Chronic conditions
This can occur with irritable bowel syndrome or autoimmune disorders.
When we are burnt out our bodies may forget how to rest or even be on hyper drive because of the amount of activity it is used to getting without proper rest.
Ways to recover from burnout
- Be aware of other conditions that could be causing your symptoms
- Identify your stressors and evaluate your daily load of work and life tasks
- Get help from a therapist, counselor, or social worker
- Be honest about your situation and what you need to do to change and reduce burnout
- Track your stressors and your stress levels
- Journal your thoughts, feelings, and symptoms to decompress
- Join a support group and build a support network
- Eat properly and exercise often
- Use meditation and yoga to overcome stressors
- Do things that make you happy even if it is fifteen minutes a day to yourself
If you are a highly sensitive person dealing with burnout, try your best to be aware of the signs and symptoms. Know that burnout over long periods of time can lead to other health conditions. Our mind and body are only supposed to handle so much.
Allow yourself the rest and nutrition that you need to conquer each day. Be open and honest with loved ones as well as colleagues about your burnout. If you need help with your burnout and symptoms do not be afraid to reach out to trained professional, counselor, or social worker for help.
