1: WHAT DOES BURNOUT LOOK LIKE AT THE BEHAVIOURAL LEVEL?

Burnout manifests at the behavioural level in various ways, often impacting an individual's work performance, interactions, and personal life. 

• Procrastination: Delaying tasks, struggling to meet targets and deadlines. 
• Drop in the quality of output: Increased mistakes and lapses in concentration.
• Decision Fatigue: Indecisiveness, procrastination, and feeling paralyzed by the pressure to make the “right” decision.
• Absenteeism: Taking more sick days or time off than usual.
• Emotional Detachment: Reduced engagement in team meetings, lack of emotional response to issues, and difficulty providing support and guidance.
• Isolation: Avoiding social interactions with colleagues. Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early
• Reduced Communication: Minimizing conversations and collaborations, often becoming less responsive to emails and messages.
• Increased Conflict and Tension: Elevated levels of conflict, difficulty managing relationships with colleagues, and heightened stress from interpersonal issues.
• Ineffective Leadership:: Poor team performance, lack of clear objectives, and diminished leadership effectiveness.
• Slow Work Pace: Taking longer to complete tasks that were once easy to manage.
• Low Energy: Displaying physical signs of fatigue and exhaustion.
• Avoidance: Withdrawing from responsibilities and inability to provide support to others
• Changes in Habits: experiencing insomnia or excessive sleeping, significant changes in eating habits, either eating too much or too little.
• Substance Use: Increased Consumption: Turning to alcohol, drugs, or caffeine to cope with stress and developing a reliance on these substances to manage daily functioning.
• Neglect of Personal Needs: Ignoring personal hygiene, exercise, and other self-care routines, losing interest in hobbies and activities that were previously enjoyable.
• Coping mechanisms: Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope with routine of life.

Burnout can significantly impact the body, manifesting in a range of physical symptoms. 

• Chronic Fatigue: Persistent tiredness that doesn't go away even after a good night's sleep. You may feel physically drained and exhausted most of the time.
• Insomnia: Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, even when you feel extremely tired. This can lead to a vicious cycle of fatigue and sleep deprivation.
• Headaches: Frequent headaches or migraines are common physical manifestations of burnout. Stress and tension can lead to muscle tension and headaches.
• Muscle Pain and Tension: Muscle aches, tension, and pain, particularly in the neck, shoulders, and back. This can be due to prolonged stress and poor posture.
• Gastrointestinal Issues: Problems such as stomach pain, indigestion, nausea, diarrhoea, or constipation. Stress and burnout can significantly affect your digestive system.
• Frequent Illness: A weakened immune system, making you more susceptible to colds, flu, and other infections. Chronic stress can impair your body's ability to fight off illnesses.
• Changes in Appetite: Either a significant increase or decrease in appetite. Some people may turn to comfort eating, while others may lose interest in food altogether.
• Heart Palpitations: A sensation that your heart is racing, pounding, or skipping beats. This can be a response to chronic stress and anxiety.
• Shortness of Breath: Experiencing difficulty breathing or a feeling of tightness in the chest, often linked to anxiety and panic attacks.
• Dizziness or Fainting: Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or even fainting due to prolonged stress and fatigue.
• Sweating: Excessive sweating, particularly in stressful situations, as a result of the body's fight-or-flight response being constantly activated.
• Weight Fluctuations: Unexplained weight loss or gain, which can result from changes in eating habits and metabolic rate due to chronic stress.
• Decreased Sexual Desire: A noticeable drop in libido and sexual interest, often linked to hormonal imbalances and fatigue.