When the discussion of burnout it raised, there are very often several questions that go with it. Such questions include:
What is burnout?
What are the causes of burnout?
Why is it suffered by so many people?
Why did it happen to me?
It isn't simple to use only one definition of burnout, as it is an unclear notion. Scientists are therefore inclined to use the symptoms of burnout as the clarification. However, this is very often even more bewildering for people to understand and define burnout, as there are a great amount of different symptoms. And to complicate matters even more, these hundreds of symptoms are never apparent at the same time. These symptoms are very often experienced by even the healthiest of people, without them being the actual symptoms of burnout.
When burnout symptoms are suffered by people for a long period of time, and the person does not have the same amount of physical strength as normal, then the diagnosis of burnout can certainly be in order.
When burnout symptoms are taken into consideration, there are three very characteristic symptoms. People initially suffer from chronic fatigue, a feeling of emptiness and a feeling of being squeezed out.
Secondly a person feels as though they have very little association with others. This is rather abnormal, as they would always stand up ready and prepared to assist others in their times of need, and they would seem to work harder and longer than their colleagues, putting their entire heart and soul into everything that they did.
And in the third instance, burnout sufferers feel that they are performing less than average, making them doubt their own ability to complete tasks, as well as doubt their skills.
Apart from these three main symptoms, when people are suffering from burnout, they display physical complaints such as:
- headache,
- dizziness,
- shortness of breath, and
- stomach aches.
It is after these physical complaints last for a long period of time that they usually call upon the assistance of a doctor.
The symptoms that appear are the result of a person's physical and psychological weaknesses. The physical and psychological barrier of a burnout victim is weakened during the process. For example, a burnout strain does not necessarily result in psychological complaints. However, it may result in heart and vascular diseases, strokes and even cancer. These diseases however, are not automatic results of stress or burnout.
It is plausible for these three factors to cause burnout. It may be a result of a person's duties and obligations to work life, family life and leisure time, or simply events that occur in an individuals life that are seen as being a problem. This can be defined as the "weight on the shoulders" that people have to carry around with them.
People show physical and mental strength and lean on others, in order to carry this weight. It is when the individual cannot carry this weight and it tips to the wrong side, that burnout can be experienced.
Therefore, in conclusion, when a person cannot balance their scales any longer, they may become prone to burnout. It is a result of the weight being far too heavy to carry.