Discussions of burnout have been on the rise in recent years. People are feeling overworked and exhausted, thanks in part to current events. While many have become more aware of the warning signs of burnout, few people truly understand the physical tolls that stress, exhaustion, and burnout can cause.

Burnout is a mental and physical reaction to prolonged exposure to stress, demanding hours/work, etc. To many, it feels like exhaustion combined with a lack of caring about work (or sometimes anything else). It is a phenomenon we need to take more seriously as a society, especially now. Hopefully, understanding the physical costs of burnout will help people understand why we need to tackle it.

Exhaustion

Exhaustion is perhaps the most obvious physical symptom that comes with burnout. Burnout can cause two different forms of exhaustion – physical and emotional. Some people may experience one or the other, while others suffer from both. 

Have you ever felt utterly drained? So drained that it felt like you had no energy for the things you loved? This is exhaustion. People who have experienced fatigue from burnout have commented on feeling like they need a nap after every workday or dealing with the daily struggle of staying awake while at work.

Physical Pain

Anyone who has ever experienced significant stress levels can tell you that pain and stress sometimes go hand in hand. The same is true for burnout. Some people who suffer from burnout experience headaches, stomach pain, and other physical issues or pain.

A Constant Battle for Health

It shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that burnout can lead to a higher chance of getting sick, making it feel like we’re constantly fighting for our health. But how does burnout cause health issues? By affecting our sleep, eating habits, and mood, burnout makes us more susceptible to illness as our immune system is weakened. 

Unfortunately, the battle doesn’t stop there. High stress increases the amount of cortisol in the body. Over the short term, this isn’t likely to do much to the body, but in the long term, it can cause issues with inflammation within the body. This can eventually lead to certain diseases such as diabetes and other chronic inflammatory conditions.

One study found that prolonged burnout symptoms could lead to a higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory issues. In other words, to help reduce the risk of these conditions, we must be more aware of the warning signs of burnout and what we can do to prevent it.