 Modern society has brought many advancements from personal computers and factory lines to artificial intelligence and smartphones. One unexpected side effect of modernization is burnout, which was coined in the 1970s. It was originally described by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger as becoming exhausted by making excessive demands on energy, strength, or resources. But in recent years, the definition has expanded. Burnout is physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion that causes decreased motivation, low performance, and negative attitudes. It can result from prolonged stress or enduring overwhelming physical or mental exertion that is beyond one's workload. The concept of burnout has recently made a comeback thanks to the pandemic. With the transition to remote work, many people are experiencing burnout at home. Remote work makes life easier, but without healthy boundaries in place, your personal life could suffer. You may experience typical emotional or mental cues of burnout, such as reduced focus or lack of motivation, but there are physical signs of burnout as well. We'll explore seven signs of burnout and possible solutions. Number one, overall fatigue. The most obvious sign of burnout is fatigue. Feeling drained and exhausted from working is understandable, but fatigue is a bit different. Although it's usually a physical state, it can also affect your mental and emotional well-being, like making you emotionally sensitive. The fatigue you feel when you're burnt out isn't just linked to the amount of work you have to do, but also to the amount of stress you're under. Stress consumes a lot of energy, and chronic stress is like contracting a muscle for a long time. It gets fatigued and isn't very useful. The same happens to us. Chronic stress affects your sleep and eating habits, but also overproduces cortisol, which takes up a lot of energy and doesn't replenish it. In a dangerous situation, this is a normal response. Your body is priming you to fight or run away. However, we don't confront tigers on our way to work or have to run miles from our enemies. We sit at our desks. Without using up the glucose, our stressed out bodies have produced. PhD researcher, Robert Jester, explains that burnout causes extreme exhaustion that isn't solved by getting sleep. A great way to prevent fatigue and an increase in cortisol levels is by taking 10 minutes out of your day to relax. Just close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Try to detach yourself from all the things you think you have to do or know you have to do. Two, sweet cravings. Craving sweets is common when you're chronically stressed and burnt out. It's your body's way of replenishing the glucose it spends. However, constantly adding glucose into your body and not actually using it can cause future problems down the road. A common result is type 2 diabetes which occurs when your body develops a resistance to insulin according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Also, it doesn't help that when you're stressed you naturally crave sugar because your body uses that as fuel to confront the dangers that have got you stressed. Number three, tension headaches. Another common sign of burnout is tension headaches says psychologist Dr. Adam Borland. Tension headaches are also a side effect of too much stress, but can also be caused by a change in eating habits. When you're stressed, you might forget to eat or drink water throughout the day. Or worse, you might also eat unhealthy junk food because they're either faster to cook or less fussy. No judgment, but those types of foods can be culprits for your headaches. If cooking isn't your thing, try to prepare food ahead of time. Take 30 minutes over the weekend to plan your meals for the next couple of days. Make sure you include plenty of vegetables in your prepped meals. If you don't like the idea of preparing food ahead, cook simple meals. Simpler meals usually involve few ingredients. There are a lot of ideas online, so go ahead and do some research for inspiration. Four, high blood pressure. High blood pressure is both a consequence but also a sign of burnout. It can be a consequence of burnout if it is caused by the foods you're consuming. But as a sign, high blood pressure is caused by chronic stress. Stress can cause temporaries by some blood pressure that can damage your blood vessels, heart, and kidneys, according to the Mayo Clinic. And your hormones can damage your arteries, which can lead to heart disease. But don't fret. You can do things to help manage your stress and improve your health. Exercise is a great way to keep your blood pressure more stable and it also can help you de-stress. If you're burned out and fatigued, opt for a lighter exercise. Do some yoga or tai chi. You're still moving but not moving in a way that stresses out your body more. Number five, heart problems. If your high blood pressure is left unattended, it can cause heart problems. Having high blood pressure can put you at risk for stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. So please find a way to decrease your stress-induced high blood pressure. According to Dr. Mary Nualangan, who specializes in cardiology? It's common to have heart issues like palpitations or a racing pulse once in a while but if they happen a lot or for longer than just a few seconds, you should get checked out. When we're dehydrated, our body may also increase our heart rate to keep our blood volume the same, which could lead to more serious issues. If high blood becomes a concern, reach out to a medical health provider for help. Six, stomach problems. One surprising sign of burnout is stomach problems. Burnout heavily taxes your gut and can produce intestinal inflammation. If left untreated, it can lead to stomach heavily taxes your gut and other complications. In recent years, there has been a plethora of research supporting the link between your mind and your gut. When stressed, your body halts digestion in order to produce more energy. If you're constantly stressed, you're not digesting your food properly and putting your gut health at risk. But there is a silver lining. A 2013 clinical review published by the University of Chapel Hill found that psychological treatments like CBT were effective in treating gastrointestinal disorders caused by stress. So if your burnout is too much to handle, reach out to a licensed professional for help. And number seven, insomnia. The final sign of burnout is insomnia, which is a common symptom when you're stressed. Insomnia is what happens when you take your worries to bed with you. They loom over you and prevent you from getting a good night's sleep. To combat insomnia, it's best to try to put your mind at ease. A great practice is to exercise. In 2013, Chicago's Northwestern University discovered that older women with insomnia were able to improve the issue by doing a half hour of exercise three times a week for four months. They ended up getting an extra 45 minutes or more of much needed sleep. Burnout is serious. It's not something you should overlook. If you need a break, ask. Talk to your boss about taking a few days off. Find ways to make your life just a bit easier. For example, if you feel like your to-do list is too much, plan your time for each task and also plan your breaks. If you feel overwhelmed by the amount of tasks on your to-do list, prioritize them, but don't exceed more than five. Once you've made your list, calmly work through them and get them done. If you don't finish, that's fine. Just add it to the next days to-do list. But try not to exceed the five items to keep it manageable. Can you relate to feeling burnt out? Share with us in the comments. 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