Addressing burnout early on can have a positive impact on your overall sense of wellbeing and mental health. The good news is that there are things that you can do to tackle burnout and lessen its impact.

But first, how do you know if you are suffering from burnout? Well, the first step would be to ask yourself these questions:

Do you feel constantly exhausted from work?

Are you no longer feeling motivated or energized?

Do you have trouble focussing or completing tasks at your job?

Have you noticed increased feelings of negativity or cynicism about your work, your colleagues or clients, or your workplace?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you may be suffering from burnout – a special kind of work-related stress often characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion, a sense of alienation or frustration about your work, and decreased productivity or reduced performance. These symptoms may also lead to experiencing a loss of personal identity – often an unexpected and very distressing experience for most individuals.

Counselling and therapy can help to determine the causes of your feelings of burnout and introduce you to strategies that will help to alleviate your stress. Addressing burnout early can help to increase your overall mood, enhance your ability to cope, build resiliency, and even help to make positive and productive changes in both your work and life.

Burnout can often feel very isolating and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Reaching out to talk to a therapist or counsellor is the first step toward feeling and doing better.