Can You Detect the Unexpected Symptoms of Burnout?

If you search for ‘burnout’ on your web browser a cascade of humorously gloomy images will flood your computer screen. Perhaps it’s a woman dramatically slumped over her desk, eyes anxiously squeezed shut. Or a man hiding behind an imposing stack of papers, manically gripping the sides of his head in despair. These hyperbolic depictions of fatigue and anxiety are indeed indicative of burnout, but there are other symptoms of burnout that are sneakily less detectable.

We recently tuned into an episode of the Magical Overthinkers podcast where host Amanda Montell interviews Amelia Nagoksi, a co-author for the book, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. In their chat, Nagoksi explains that burnout is “the experience of being overwhelmed and exhausted by everything you have to do, yet somehow still worried you’re not doing enough.”

The term ‘burnout’ was coined in the 1970s by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. It was used to describe the physical and emotional exhaustion he was observing among professionals in healthcare and helping professions and was broken down into three main characteristics: Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation, and Reduced Personal Accomplishment.

In their book, Nagoksi positions burnout as a result of not completing the ‘stress cycle,’ which begins with a stressor, then a stress response, followed by implementing tools to manage or take action, and finally a release. Because some stressors can’t be cycled through as easily as others, this can lead to an incomplete stress cycle, and eventually, burnout.

To dive a bit deeper, we tapped Associate Therapist Lila Glantzman-Leib, LMSW at Holistic Psychotherapy NYC to get her insight on how we can identify less-expected symptoms of burnout. Scroll below for her and Nagoksi’s guide to the covert ways burnout can manifest in your mind and body.

1. Shame and Guilt

A signature burnout symptom that we can all identify with is lower productivity – but it goes beyond this. “Lower productivity can often manifest as feelings of shame and guilt,” Glantzman-Leib explains. “This can look like feelings of low self esteem and worth, internal dialogue of being hard on one's self, and/or feeling quick to anger or tears.” These feelings of shame and guilt, she adds, “are also perpetuated by systemic capitalist ideals of productivity.”

2. Cynicism

Similar to the depersonalisation characteristic cited in Freudenberger’s research, those who are experiencing burnout can embody feelings of cynicism. “This could show up as less patience with the people around you, being more quick to anger, and general irritability,” Glantzman-Leib says. “If you have difficulty expressing your emotions, built-up anger can also result in somatic symptoms like back and neck pain.”

3. Insomnia

Despite characterisations of burnout often showing individuals asleep at their desks, the opposite is a very real possibility. “Despite feeling sluggish and sleepy, it can impact people's ability to fall asleep and/or stay asleep,” Glantzman-Leib says. “Burnout causes an extended internal experience of nervous system activation and stress resulting in the body not feeling safe to be relaxed for extended periods of time.”

4. Reproductive issues

In the podcast episode with Nagoksi, they explain that burnout manifests differently in everyone’s bodies, and one area it can cause issues is within your reproductive system. According to Dr. Ashley Margeson, ND, burnout can lower your progesterone, negatively impact thyroid function, lower your gonadotropin releasing hormone (GNRH), and elevate cortisol, which all affect fertility.

For more details on burnout and how to address its numerous symptoms (both obvious and oblique), add a few of these strategies and techniques from Holistic Psychotherapy to your daily practice and give Nagoksi’s Magical Overthinkers episode a listen.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualised health advice. If you are concerned about your health and well-being, please speak to your GP, who will advise on the correct treatment plan.