Psychologist reveals four signs you may be heading towards burnout

Are YOU heading towards burnout? Psychologist reveals the four signs to look out for

Dr Julie Smith is a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Hampshire
The mental health expert has more than four million followers on TikTok
In a recent video, she listed four signs you may be heading for burnout
Among them are procrastinating, as well as physical and emotional exhaustion

By Maria Chiorando For Mailonline

Published: 03:14 EST, 22 November 2022 | Updated: 08:10 EST, 22 November 2022

<!–

<!– <!–

<!–

(function (src, d, tag){
var s = d.createElement(tag), prev = d.getElementsByTagName(tag)[0];
s.src = src;
prev.parentNode.insertBefore(s, prev);
}(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/1.17.0/async_bundle–.js”, document, “script”));
<!–

DM.loadCSS(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/gunther-2159/video_bundle–.css”);

<!–

A British psychologist has revealed four signs you may be heading towards burnout, including physical and emotional exhaustion.

Dr Julie Smith is a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Hampshire, who has some 4.2 million followers on TikTok, where she shares content on mental health topics.

A recent clip looks at some of the signs you may be heading towards burnout.

Dr Smith, who also shares her content on Instagram and YouTube, also outlined what burnout is – and what it isn’t.

‘We all get overworked and tired every now and then but burnout is more than tiredness,’ she explained.

Burnout is ‘more than tiredness’, according to Dr Julie Smith, who describes the condition as occurring when ‘stress becomes chronic’ (stock image)

‘Burnout is when stress becomes chronic and has a detrimental effect on other areas in your life.’

She wrote that among the signs of burnout are ‘chronic exhaustion alongside restlessness and trouble sleeping, poor self-care such as diet and exercise’.

England WAGs roar their pride! Harry Kane’s wife Katie,… Benefit Cosmetics leaves customers stunned after revealing… The lesson if you want to succeed in life? Act like a woman,… Winner winner chicken dinner? Miami Chick-fil-A owner says…

Dr Smith added: ‘Other signs include repeated emotional distress, such as anxiety, low mood, or anger outbursts.

Signs you’re heading for burnout

Feeling disconnected from and arguing with people around you

Procrastinating over even the smallest tasks

Failling to prioritise self-care such as sleep, exercise and a healthy diet

Being unable to sleep despite physical and emotional exhaustion

‘You may notice your performance at work is going down, while you feel you are working harder than ever, you may also start feeling disconnected with loved ones and struggle to get along as well as you normally do.’

Her video, titled ‘4 signs you’re heading for burnout’ looked at symptoms people may experience if they are heading towards the condition.

In the clip she says: ‘Number one is disconnection from the people around you. You might be arguing more with your partner or your friends.

‘Number two, you’re procrastinating more than ever, and putting off even the smallest of tasks because they now feel overwhelming.’

The third sign you may be heading towards burnout, according to Dr Smith, is that ‘self care goes out the window’ when it comes to exercise, diet and sleep.

She adds: ‘Number four [is] physical and emotional exhaustion. You feel tired, but wired and can’t sleep at night.’

The video seemed to strike a chord with a number of viewers, who shared their own experiences with burnout in the comments.

In the video, the psychologist explained that signs of burn out could include chronic exhaustion as well as restlessness and poor self-care

@drjuliesmith
?My fingers ? No.4 is really common. We all get overworked and tired every now and then but burnout is more than tiredness. Burnout is when stress becomes chronic and has a detrimental effect on other areas in your life. Signs of burnout include chronic exhaustion alongside restlessness and trouble sleeping, poor self-care such as diet and exercise. Other signs include repeated emotional distress, such as anxiety, low mood, or anger outbursts. You may notice your performance at work is going down, while you feel you are working harder than ever, you may also start feeling disconnected with loved ones and struggle to get along as well as you normally do. Below are some tips on how to prevent burnout but if you want more on this and how to make stress start working for you, see the link in my bio for my no.1 Sunday Times Bestseller, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? It’s currently half price (£8) in hardback and free when you sign up to Audible. A few tips on burnout: ?Start working out what you can say no to. Often we feel obliged to say yes to every request or opportunity. When our health is in question, it’s a pretty good reason to practice the art of saying no to things that are not an absolute priority. ? Prioritise self-care. Get back to basics because they are the foundations of good mental and physical health. Make sleep, healthy food, hydration, exercise and social time top of your to do list. And don’t underestimate the power of these things to build your resilience. ? Re-think what matters. We are vulnerable to burnout when we are working hard on something that is not in line with our own values. Instructions on this in my book. ? Get support. If you are worried about your mental health in any way, seeking support from a trusted friend or a professional is key. Human connection is a powerful tool. Use it. ?? Feel free to share @drjulie
? original sound – Dr Julie | Psychologist

One viewer wrote: ‘I burnt out and still go through episodes. Every time I try to change it the people around me drag me back in. so tired.’

Others revealed they had experienced all four the signs outlined by Dr Smith.

According to one commentator: ‘Umm okay I guess I am heading straight for one. But maybe it is what I need.’

The video seemed to strike a chord with viewers, some of whom revealed in the comments that they had struggled with the signs of burnout

Meanwhile another added: ‘That’s exactly how I feel, and soon enough I’ll explode.’

And another simply wrote: ‘This is my life.’

However, one more optimistically revealed that despite suffering from burnout, they had managed to overcome it.

They wrote: ‘Been there and still are but I managed to overcome it slowly.’

Comments

Share what you think

Newest
Oldest
Best rated
Worst rated

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.

You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.