Am I burning out? What to Watch For and What You Can Do

It’s a common question people ask themselves when they start feeling overwhelmed, tired, and they're making more mistakes than usual at work. 

Burnout is caused by chronic occupational stress, and an imbalance between the demands of our role and our resources.  

We’ve got too much to do, not enough resources, and it’s affecting us negatively. 

If that sounds like you, this article is for you. 

Stress isn’t a word we like to use. Most of us will say we’re “busy”, “under the pump”, or “juggling a lot”. High performers especially pride themselves on being able to do it all, and often do. But even though you are capable, smart, and resilient, you can still be on the early path to burnout. 

Burnout doesn’t hit lazy people. It’s the high achievers, the top performers, the people everyone relies on who are most vulnerable. And because you’re capable, you tend to push through, ignore the signs, and keep going… until your body forces you to stop. 

The good news is that burnout is predictable and can be avoided. The early signs are loud and clear if you know what to look for. When you catch these signals – in what I call the activation zone - you can reverse the downward spiral long before it turns into chronic stress or full-blown burnout. 

You’re getting more headaches. You’re catching every cold. You feel tension in your shoulders, jaw, or back. When stress builds up in the body, it shows up as tight muscles, clenched jaws, and tension headaches or migraines. Stress hormones suppress immunity, and the body starts showing what the mind ignores.  

This is the body saying, “Hey, something needs attention”. 

What you can do:

You’re more impatient, snappy, or tearful than usual. You might have emotional “meltdowns” or find yourself thinking, “What’s the point?” Negativity creeps in about work, others, or yourself. 

Chronic stress narrows your “window of tolerance,” increasing emotional reactivity and reducing your ability to respond calmly or think clearly. 

What you can do: 

You’re working longer hours but getting less done. Mistakes creep in. You can’t find your focus or flow. You reread the same sentence five times and still don’t retain it. Perhaps you call it “brain fog”, and you might start feeling ashamed and criticising yourself “Why can’t I just get it together?” 

This is cognitive fatigue: your brain is overloaded. Reduced personal accomplishment (the sense of inefficacy) is one of the three core burnout dimensions, and it begins here. 

What you can do: 

You cancel plans. You isolate. You stop caring about things you used to enjoy, and you are “losing your spark”. This is emotional exhaustion showing up as self-protection: your brain is trying to conserve energy.

 
Left unchecked, it turns into cynicism and full detachment -> burnout.

What you can do: 

Sure you can do a lot on your own, but you shouldn’t do it alone. 

Speak to your doctor, therapist, coach, or any professional who can support you.  

If you’re employed, book a conversation with your supervisor. Explain your workload, your capacity, and what support you need. Burnout prevention is a shared responsibility. 

If you’re self-employed, have an honest look at your workload. Decide what can be reduced, delayed, paused, or dropped altogether so you can operate sustainably. Talk to another business owner who can inspire you, or talk to a business mentor or coach. 

In Queensland, there is heaps of support for small business owners.

Visit this website: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/support-services/programs-networks/support-network

 

Make journaling or voice memos part of your daily routine. Track what energises you, what drains you, and what patterns you notice. Awareness creates clarity, and clarity drives change. 

I deliver keynotes and workshops on burnout prevention for workplaces, teams, and leaders. If you’re an employer and you value someone who is showing early signs of burnout, you can sponsor a coaching package to support them.  

And if you’re an individual navigating this yourself, I offer coaching support. If finances are a barrier, I can help you access funding options. 

You don’t have to wait until you crash to start feeling better again.

Catch the signs early, take practical action, and you can absolutely prevent burnout.