“I can’t do this anymore.”

I must have repeated this line more than 50 times last year. Getting through the day felt harder than usual, and everything—including getting out of bed—required a copious amount of effort on my part.

Even when I wasn’t doing something “big” or tiring, I felt tired still. I felt exhausted, demotivated, and unusually anxious.

In other words, I was burnt out. 

But I couldn’t easily see it. I thought keeping myself busy, overworking, and saying yes to almost everything could give meaning to my life. It could make me worthy or appreciated or more loved. It could give me the recognition I desperately wanted to get. Slowly, my constant busyness turned into stress and stress turned into burnout.

I had to realign my priorities and figure out what was important to me. I learned the hard way that being busy doesn’t mean being okay. It doesn’t mean being happy or satisfied. It simply means we’re mentally and emotionally exhausted, and we need to stop.

Here are six warning signs you’re burnt out:

If you’re wondering what real burnout looks like, watch this five-minute video by Psych2Go. They explain how we might overlook obvious signs of burnout (I have been guilty of this) while gradually neglecting self-care practices and social commitments.

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