Burnout is more than just stress.

It’s not a recognized medical condition but rather a syndrome of symptoms resulting from unmanaged work-related stress.

Unfortunately, it is becoming a more familiar part of our working landscape.

Woman sitting at kitchen table in front of a laptop. Her eyes are closed and she’s pinching the bridge of her nose, appearing stressed, burned out, or in pain.

fizkes / Getty Images

fizkes / Getty Images

What Is Burnout and How Bad Is It?

Burnout can affect your mental and physical health as well as your work and relationships.

Difficulty Sleeping

Burnout can also affect sleep quality.

Improving your sleepthrough strategies like mindfulness and sleep hygienecould help with burnout symptoms.

Inconsistent Appetite

Your appetite could also be a sign of burnout.

Feeling Useless

Feeling useless is another sign of burnout.

Frequent Headaches

Headaches are another possible sign of burnout.

In one study of 3,406 participants, 65% of participants with burnout experienced frequent headaches.

Gut Pain

Gastrointestinal (gut) symptoms can be physical signs of burnout.

Vision Changes

Changes in your vision are a possible sign of burnout.

How to Recover From Burnout

Recognizing that you’re experiencing burnout is the first step toward recovery.

Below are suggestions for recovering from burnout.

Setting boundaries and consciouslyreducing screen timemay help with burnout symptoms.

Focus on Self-Care

Self-care practices can be an essential tool for dealing with burnout.

Take a Break

Taking a breakcan be one of the most powerful tools in recovering from burnout.

Be Open to Change

Be open to change in your work and home life.

Talk With a Mental Health Professional

Consider talking with amental health professionalabout your experience with burnout.

A mental health professional can help you develop coping skills and ways to relieve stress.

How Long Does Recovering From Burnout Take?

Recovering from burnout takes longer if you’re still in an environment that is overworking you.

Summary

Burnout can be challenging to identify because it’s become common in American working life.

Signs and symptoms range from exhaustion and lack of motivation to headaches, blurry vision, and gut problems.

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