I got to work and realized I didn’t have my office keys. A small thing for many, but for me it was a wake-up call. I never forget my keys. When I do it is a sure sign of stress, and that something has to change.
We all experience times when we have to “put the pedal to the metal” and get things done. But sometimes what should belong to a period of our lives becomes a way of living, and we find ourselves stressed with no end in sight. Unchecked, stress and anxiety can lead to a sensory overload that will eventually drain our emotional, physical and mental stamina. We become depleted and disengaged – better known as burnout.
We don’t always realize what is happening, but there are common signs that accompany the road from stress to total burnout. For me, it is prolonged forgetfulness.
Burnout sneaks up on you, so it is important to recognize your stress indicators. Check out https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/high-octane-women/201311/the-tell-tale-signs-burnout-do-you-have-them for a helpful list of common signposts of stress.
Once you recognize your signs, take action, no matter how small, to change your situation. Nourish your body with sleep, good food and exercise. Do something you enjoy. Talk to someone. Intervention now will prevent a more serious problem in the long run.
Faithful HR 
October 21, 2015 at 9:18 AM
Yup. been there. done that. Good advice. I had a pretty serious burnout about 30 years ago that took me out of the workforce for about 6 weeks. Since then I heed my own signals and take care of myself without a sense of guilt to avoid it happening again. Thanks for the reminder.
October 21, 2015 at 9:45 AM
I hear you Elsie. It is so important for people not to feel guilty about taking care of themselves. Even though I know it is true, I need the occasional reminder as well.