Paradoxically, it is the “pillars” that are prone to burnout. They no longer manage to recharge their batteries. “It is essential to maintain a balance between the private sphere and the work”, insists the psychologist Catherine Vasey. But this is a pernicious process, because it is only detected after months of psychological and physical suffering. “We’re not talking about”burn out“that if the state of chronic stress lasts for more than six months, explains the expert. It then causes fatigue which exhausts the body.”.
Work that invades private life
The mind is perpetually occupied with work. We no longer manage to recharge our batteries. Some people can spend time with their children while being away because they are too preoccupied. Or, they can no longer focus on a magazine. “It is possible to give fully in your work without risk if you resource side by side, if you manage to clear your mind at home,” says the psychologist. You have to be able to take some distance from work, in order to better protect yourself.
Great internal tensions
The person who goes through a burnout also has physical suffering: pain in the chest, difficulty in breathing. “You can feel tension in the neck, shoulders, but also have headaches, throat and solar plexus knotted” underlines Catherine Vasey.
Hyperactivity
It manifests itself especially at work, we do a lot of it. “We start working in the evening,” says the psychologist. And conversely, in the private sphere, we no longer have any desires. It is usually the relatives who notice this attitude.
Constant irritability
“We get disproportionately angry,” says our specialist. It is rare that irritability manifests itself in the workplace, this attitude manifests itself rather at home. In general, in the evening, we release the tensions that we have stored up during the day.
Emotional exhaustion
No more desire or motivation. Emotions are disorganized: we cry for no reason, we can collapse at any time. “Behavior change is always a sign,” insists Catherine Vasey.
A real fatigue
“It’s a tension fatigue, specifies the expert, not that which one feels after a session of sport”. This fatigue, while thoughts continue to rush, is characteristic of a state of burnout. And above all, it does not pass, even after a good night’s sleep.
What to do when symptoms of exhaustion accumulate?
If the symptoms are frequent and have lasted for several months, you should consult your GP and have a health check-up, in order to rule out other causes (lack of iron, etc.). “In the event of significant exhaustion, thesick leave is necessary, and it is important to go see a specialist afterwards, ”explains Catherine Vasey. However, it is possible to protect yourself. “We must be attentive to the way in which we resource ourselves, rather than trying to reduce the workload,” she continues. You have to find valves, even in the workplace. Help a colleague on a file, for example, and distance yourself from the activity on which you are concentrating.
