Everyone experiences some degree of stress in their life. For example, being in a rush for work, a deadline that needs to be done and nowadays social media can also serve as a source of stress. But when does stress get unhealthy?

What is stress?

A little stress is not bad, it can even be beneficial for your work performance. Stress is not bad for you as long as your body is able to recover from it. When your body does not have enough time to recover, we speak of distress, or unhealthy stress. A burnout can occur due to a long period of distress and insufficient rest. It is extremely important to listen to your body and not to ignore the signals.

Are the symptoms listed below familiar to you? Do you run into things and would you like to change this? Download the NiceDay app now! Our professionals are ready to offer you that little bit of extra support.

Stress and perfectionists

Sometimes, people assume that a burn-out is something that is easy to overcome and that it happens to ‘weak’ people. This is nothing but true: often people who have a great sense of responsibility and who are perfectionists are vulnerable to develop a burnout. A burnout provides complete physical and mental exhaustion. The most daily activities can no longer be performed. People often underestimate the recovery from a burnout: it can last for months or even years.

In order to prevent and recognize a burnout, it is useful to have a look at the symptoms. A distinction is made between psychological and physical burnout symptoms. The symptoms are summed up below:

Psychological burnout symptoms

• Concentration loss and memory problems
• Being indecisive
• Anxiety and panic symptoms
• Have a temper, getting angry/aggressive quickly
• Feeling of impotence
• You get annoyed easily
• Feeling rushed
• Feeling depressed
• Being suspicious
• Feelings of uncertainty
• More likely to develop an addiction

Physical burnout symptoms

• Experience (constant) fatigue
• Experience insomnia
• Feelings of exhaustion
• Have pain in your muscles
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Stress on the abdominal area
• Having an monotonous voice
• Having a high breathing
• Forgetting things
• No or little desire to have sex
• Quickly tired or feeling sick
• Experience abdominal pain
• Having a high heart rate and high blood pressure

Listen consciously to your feelings

In sum, there are many different physical and psychological symptoms that may indicate a burnout. Your body sends you signals for a reason, often it is a sign that your body is out of balance and needs rest. Consider what your body tells you. Plan a moment to take a step back to focus on your body. What do you feel? Are you comfortable with yourself? Are you tired or do you experience pain? Notice the signals and do not ignore them. Make sure you rest properly and in this way your body can recover from all the hectic.

NiceDay app

Plan a moment of relaxation in NiceDay to reflect on what your body tells you. Notice the signals and try to act on them by, for example, taking a step back by reading a book instead of working overtime.