Emotional exhaustion can happen to any professions. Although it’s often seen in high-achievers, anyone with a job is at risk.

Signs of Emotional Exhaustion at Work

What is emotional exhaustion at work?

Emotional exhaustion, or burnout, is a chronic stress condition. It may result in a distrustful attitude, social withdrawal, feelings of incompetence and lack of accomplishment. When you experience emotional exhaustion, you can no longer function at work. The dangerous thing is that burnout builds up over time. You don’t wake up with it like a cold. It grows on you gradually, making it harder to recognize and seek treatment. However, there are still certain warning signs.

Signs of emotional exhaustion at work

Negative feelings

If you are emotionally exhausted, you may find yourself frustrated and irritated. Your negative feelings may be directed at your job, your coworkers, or your company policy.

Feeling pressured and overwhelmed

People with emotional exhaustion have a hard time dealing with professional pressure. You may feel like you have to succeed at any cost but you can’t find the time to plan or to finish your tasks. Your work demands seem too high for you to meet.

Negative thoughts

When you feel bad, you are more likely to have negative thoughts. Common negative thoughts associated with emotional exhaustion at work include:

Thoughts of being alone

Judgmental thoughts directed at coworkers

Harsh thoughts about oneself

If you constantly think “I don’t have to take all this garbage”, “This isn’t fair they get the easier tasks”, “The supervisor is clueless”, etc., you may be emotionally exhausted.

Relationship problems

Negative feelings and thoughts about your job and coworkers may take a toll on your professional relationships. As a result, you feel even more estranged and isolated.

Sleep disturbances

At first, you may only experience sleep difficulties for only a couple of nights per week. Over time, it may turn into a constant problem you have to deal with every night. Even though you are exhausted, you still cannot sleep.

Cognitive impairment

Decreased attention span, lack of concentration, and forgetfulness are all early signs of emotional exhaustion at work. As time goes by, it may get to a point where you can no longer get anything done at all.

It’s important to identify emotional exhaustion at work, especially in professions that employees may be put at risk when errors occur. Although there is no exact cure for emotional exhaustion at work, addressing the problem and seek help early give you the chance to make positive choices about your career.

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Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.