Entering the workforce after college can feel like a total shock. Say bye-bye to the days of sleeping in, late nights with friends, and doing whatever you want, when you want! A 9-5 is a major adjustment, especially in your 20s. As you continue in your professional journey, it's hard to tell if what you're experiencing is the “daily grind” or burnout and a total lack of work-life balance.
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Well wonder no more, check out these nine signs to tell if you've lost control of your work-life balance and are on the road to burnout:
1. Pain.
Never ending headaches? Shoulder and neck pain that just won't go away? Maybe that's your body's way of saying “Hey! Something's off!” It's probably time to step up your self-care routine. Creating an at home spa night can be cheap and easy. Draw yourself a bath, get your essential oils out, and let the stress melt away!
2. Exhaustion.
Not the, “Oh I didn't sleep last night,” type of exhaustion. I'm talking the constant perpetual state of exhaustion. The “fog” that won't seem to lift. Persistent fatigue is likely your brain saying it's on overload! When we feel exhausted all the time, it's our brains way of saying “hey, I can't keep concentrating or making decisions at this level! Give me a break!”
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3. Thin Patience
Short temper? Holding onto resentments? Take note if you're getting short with others as it could be a sign that your work-life balance is off kilter.
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4. Team No-Fun
Seriously, when was the last time you had some fun and truly enjoyed yourself? Take a moment to really reflect on that, because when we're overworked it's easy to lose track of time; and that fun outing with friends that feels like just last weekend? Well it actually may have happened six months ago!
5. Struggling Relationships
When was the last time you were really present for any of your relationships? If you find your friends/family often complain about never seeing you, that's a sign you may need to reprioritize your time. Furthermore, physically showing up for them is only half the battle. Take note if your mind is always drifting to work while your loved ones talk to you, that's a major red flag.
6. Messy Spaces.
A messy external world can actually overload the brain and lead to burnout! If your home and workspace are in a constant disarray, you may be adding to the problem!
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7. Phone-Hand.
If your phone is constantly glued to your hand, you may be experiencing “phone-hand” where the two become one ?. Listen, I get it, it's harder than ever to actually leave work at work. But, just because you get an e-mail at 8 or 10 pm does not mean you need to respond to that email. Take some time to unplug.
8. Priorities?
If you're asking yourself “what the heck are those!?” then you probably need to re-evaluate. Unclear priorities can make it hard to tell when it's time to say “no.” Which often leads to over scheduling and trying to do all the things. Your priorities should align with your work-life balance, which should shape where you invest your time.
9. Seeking Perfection
Perfectionism comes at a cost, often times leading to anxiety, depression, and zero work-life balance. Forget failure as a bad thing, instead think of it as failing forward. Each mistake is a step towards growth. Perfection isn't about having it all, it's about finding contentedness.
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Getting your work-life balance under control is essential if you want to avoid burnout levels. If any of the above situations are coming up in your life, look at it as a warning. Take some time to adjust your schedule and priorities to support your passions and purpose.
Adjust your schedule & priorities to support your passions and purpose.Click To Tweet9 Signs You're Burnt Out With No Work-Life Balance
1. Pain.
2. Exhaustion.
3. Thin Patience
4. Team No-Fun
5. Struggling Relationships
6. Messy Spaces.
7. Phone-Hand.
8. Priorities?
9. Seeking Perfection
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Love this post! I am SO bad about wanting perfect material and sometimes it is just too much to constantly keep up with!
Oh man, I’ve been burnt out for faaaaar too long. At this point I’m looking forward to my maternity leave so I can have a break from work, even though I know a newborn wont be a walk in the park either haha!
These are all so true! I eventually had to quit my part time because I was so exhausted and pretty moody!
YAS. Seriously felt all of this right before I quit my job. My body ached, I was tired all of the time, and my relationship with my hubby was struggling because I was too mentally drained to invest in our relationship.
Haha ‘phone-hand’ is totally me!
I definitely recognize some of these signs in myself when I get super stressed and forget to take care of myself. Love that you posted the signs, I haven’t read anything like this before, so thanks for sharing 🙂
Ahh great tips! I definitely need to pay even more attention to these now that I’m working an actual 9 to 5!
These were big wakeup calls for me when I worked my last professional job. You are spot on!
Thanks for this post. i’m still working right now at 2:52 am, you never know how much you’ve shut yourself away from all that matters in life when you get too ambitious and fail to balance life. Sometimes, we fail to realise the money we are pursuing is mean’t to give use comfort and not torture.
I wouldn’t say I am at this point right now but I can see why these signs can be a quick signal of burn out. I am pretty good about self care at this point in my life but I am trying to be better about disconnecting from my phone on a regular basis.
This has honestly been me and uni for the past month, it’s been so stressful that I’ve been so exhausted. It definitely feels like a “fog that won’t lift” like you’ve mentioned! It’s not going to be over anytime soon, but I really do need to take some time for a little self-care. A relaxing bath sounds so good! Thanks for the post!
You’re welcome! I hope the fog does lift soon for you though and you get a night in or some time for yourself <3
Exhaustion always does it for me…I get SO POOPED and feel my body just start to shut down. It’s the worst!
Girlll i know it! You have to set limits and take care of yourself! Don’t like to see you so stressed!
Yes these are so good. Thin patience is always a sign you’re headed for no good!
For sure!
The email thing is something I really struggle with. I need to keep a 9-5 email schedule and only respond during those hours so I can have some peace!
Haha for sure! I just don’t have it on my phone! I will check it after 5 sometimes (because of west coast clients or brands) but it really alleviates anxiety when its not on my phone!
These are great points! I really need to work on self care more
soooo…. i’m so guilty of all of this. i love how you coined “phone hand” lol
self care and mental health days are incredibly important. i can understand how people are apprehensive to take one because they don’t want to seem “weak”.
HAHA thank you! I was like “I hope people don’t this is weird!” – And that’s exactly it! there were a few studies done where millennials are even afraid to take their PTO because they’ll be vacation shamed!
I think a lot of young professionals struggle with work life balance, myself included. Our society is set up to praise those of us who overwork ourselves, but its so essential to take a step back occasionally.
Great post!
Trecee
For sure! It’s a real old school mentality that it’s a division of time instead of a division of passions! I know a lot of Gen X bosses who still care more about behinds in seats rather than quality of work and efficiency which is a shame! I’m excited to see how things change as millennials and gen z continue in the workforce and management roles!
I know once I’m short on patience, I need to RELAX! Thanks for the info!
Haha right on! Thanks for reading!
These are the exact things that I look for when I’m starting to burnout, and it’s so so true! I always find that I get so much more irritated with the people around me, especially at work, when I’m about to burnout, and that’s when I know I need to cancel all my plans and give myself some me time to recover.
That’s some good insight Logan!!
Thin patience and team no fun are always early warning signs for me but I’m usually so bad at paying attention to them lol oops
It’s always a work in progress for me too!