In the first of our four-part Mental Health Matters Series, we’ll be covering burnout and stress: what it is, and what signs you can look out for.
Essentially, burnout is a condition that results from too much stress. In fact, stress has been officially recognised by the World Health Organisation and was added to the International Classification of Diseases in 2019.
Stress can be caused by many factors including interpersonal relationships, workload, as well as the pace of work. Work-from-home measures – which have led to the blurring of lines between the home and work environment – is now also a factor that can result in stress.
How can you determine if you’re suffering from symptoms of stress? Take some time out this weekend to reflect and ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you find that you’ve become more critical or cynical at work?
- Are you dragging yourself to work?
- Do you find it difficult to be consistently productive?
- Do you have difficulty concentrating?
- Do you lack a sense of satisfaction even after accomplishing or achieving something?
- Have your sleep patterns changed (for the worse)?
- Are you using food or alcohol as a means towards feeling better?
- Have you been plagued by inexplicable aches/pains, stomach/bowel problems or other physical ailments?
If you find yourself answering “yes” to some – or most – of these questions, then you could very well be suffering from symptoms of burnout and stress. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In the next instalment of this series, we’ll be sharing some steps you can take towards dealing with stress and burnout.
This article was originally published by Golden Equator People Experience Management Team