Burnout: What is it and how do you get rid of it?

What is burnout?

Burnout is caused by long-term stress. This means that for a long time you ask more of yourself than you can actually handle. You get overloaded. As if your battery is completely empty, and recharging no longer seems to help.

Common complaints associated with burnout:

• You always feel tired, even after a good night's sleep.
• It is difficult to concentrate or remember things.
• You feel gloomy, anxious or easily irritated.
• You suffer from physical complaints such as back pain, headaches or palpitations.
• You sleep poorly and feel lifeless.

How do you recognize the first signs of stress?

Burnout does not come overnight. It is often the result of months or even years of stress. Do you recognize the following signs?

• You no longer enjoy daily activities.
• You don't manage to really relax, even in your spare time.
• You have a short temper and feel angry or sad easily.
• You fret a lot and cannot let go of problems.
• You suffer from physical complaints, such as muscle aches and headaches.
• It is difficult to concentrate or forgets things.
• You sleep poorly, or you wake up tired.
• At the end of the day, you are completely exhausted.
• You get sick faster.

What can you do to prevent burnout?

If you notice that you are suffering from these signs, it is important to take action in time. The sooner you do something, the better you can prevent it from getting worse.

Tips to reduce stress:

You can start by adjusting your daily routines. For example, go to bed early so that you really get at least 8 hours of sleep. Also, learn to set your limits and say "no" a little more often. You can't do everything, so it's helpful to speak out to your boss, for example, that there is too much on your plate.

Put your phone away more often and exercise. The occasional outdoor exercise will do you extra good.

Another helpful tip is to have something in your calendar to look forward to. Preferably sometime in the next two weeks. Just so you have something to look forward to.

Free stress training from Doorzaam

Are you employed as a temporary worker? Then you can make free use of our stress training program 'Less stress, more energy'. At Doorzaam we believe that every temporary worker should be able to work in a healthy way. Now and in the future.

'Less stress, more energy' is a 6-week training where you will work on your stress for 15 minutes a day via your cell phone and a professional coach. By doing breathing techniques and answering some questions daily.

Want to know more? You can sign up for "Less Stress, More Energy" here.

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