Not only have you most definitely experienced burnout from work, but you’ve also experienced burnout from your favorite hobbies, food, and everyday activities. 

Let’s put it into perspective: when you become stagnant at the gym, you create a new routine. When you’re burnout from your chicken and rice diet, you experiment with new recipes. 

Life gets boring when you’re stuck on repeat. The problem is that some burnout signs mean that it’s time to make a change— and not just in your routine. 

So what are you supposed to do when you burn out from work, hobbies, or everything else? 

5 Burnout Signs That Tell You It’s Time To Make a Change

The signs of burnout, according to almost all medical websites, are as follows:

• Exhaustion
• Cynical
• Feeling useless
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Irritation
• Hate
• Lack of focus
• Insomnia
• Pain or headaches
• Excessive drinking or drug use
• Sickness

Now let’s explore why you’re really feeling burnt out from work. 

We’re not talking about the obvious physical signs but the toll it has on your day-to-day. 

1. You’re Inconsistent

You have so much you want to do.

But now, you don’t trust yourself to make decisions or stick to your plans, and it’s bumming you out.

So you do nothing instead! And the cycle continues. 

A Solution: Set boundaries for yourself and those around you. Practice saying “no” at least once when someone asks you out for drinks. Or, if you say you’ll get Project X done in a week, hold yourself to that promise. Be realistic with your self-expectations, and be patient with yourself. 

2. Your Spark is Gone

Do you love your job? If so, you might question why you can’t get anything done and why every task feels daunting or boring. 

Maybe it’s depression or maybe exhaustion. But oftentimes, it’s that you’ve lost that spark. 

We can all get bored with work and routines, no matter how much we love them. However, if you’ve felt out of alignment with your passions for months or even years, it’s one of those burnout signs that require a deeper internal analysis. 

A Solution: Don’t quit your job just yet. Maybe you started taking yourself too seriously in the pursuit of success. Find a way to have fun with your work again!

3. You’re Not Progressing

Are you at the place in your life where you think you should be? Or did you do one of those “Where I will be in 5 years from now” journal prompts, and now you feel disappointed?

Signs of burnout might be physical, like headaches and fatigue, but it can also look like:

• Not getting a promotion
• Having the same “To-Do” tasks for months
• Making the same (or less) money after several years

A Solution: Create a new schedule. Something is clearly not working. Try working out at night instead of in the morning. Figure out what time of day you’re the most productive, and assign your most important work during those hours. You’ll accomplish more and finally start seeing the needle move. 

4. Your Idea List is HUGE

One of the burnout signs that may look all too familiar is having a list of ideas on which you never take action.

You probably say you’re going to create that video, write that blog, or learn that instrument— you even add it to your To-Do List!

And now that list is a mile long, too. And you still haven’t done a damn thing.

A Solution: Tackle one project at a time and give yourself a deadline. If you have a work project that needs to get done ASAP, make a To-Do list for that project for one week. Once that’s done, reward yourself by following along with a piano tutorial or batch-creating video content. Do something you need to do, and follow it up with something on your list you want to do. Balance. 

5. Your Space is Chaotic

Look at your desk right now.

Is it a little chaotic? Or did you just clean it for the first time in weeks? 

If you can’t see your desk or the floor in your bedroom, it’s because your work and other life activities are overflowing. You simply don’t have the energy to keep your space clean. 

Your environment affects your productivity. You’re less likely to work efficiently if your desk or home is a mess. You may even use it as an excuse not to go to the gym or hang out with friends.

“I can’t right now. I need to clean.”

Sound familiar?

A Solution: Declutter. I find that having The Home Edit on in the background helps! Then, buy storage bins and assign a “home” for every part of your desk/living space. This makes things at least seem organized and helps you get out of Burnout Brain. 

Do these burnout signs have you stressing? Grab my Free Weekly Planning Calendar at this link for more ideas about how to get back on track.