Stress is a temporary reaction categorised by a sense of urgency caused by challenges or situations. But burnout is a prolonged process of being exposed to exhaustion. “Stress is often a temporary reaction to life's challenges, sparking urgency, anxiety, and even temporary boosts in productivity. But left unchecked, it can erode our well-being, leading to burnout—a prolonged state of emotional and physical exhaustion.
With burnout, hope dims as feelings of detachment, failure, and helplessness set in. It's more than just a bad day; it's a continuous sense that nothing will improve,” explained Psychologist Carolyn Rubenstein in a social media post. Here are some of the signs that it is burnout, and not stress.
Even when we take adequate rest, we feel physically and emotionally exhausted because of the prolonged exhaustion that sets in.
We start getting brain fog where we are unable to remember things, or important information. This happens due to burnout.
With burnout comes a sense of detachment from happiness and positivity. We start to look at everything with a negative lens – this makes us develop a detached and cynical perspective.
We start to feel detached from ourselves – we lose interest in things, people and activities that we once loved and cherished.
Burnout can show up as physical symptoms, such as chronic headache, stomach issue and fatigue, changes in sleep routine, appetite loss and frequent illnesses.
