Unbound Ambitions; Career. Relationships. Wellbeing

The Hidden Signs of Burnout You’re Ignoring

• Penelope Magoulianiti • Season 5 • Episode 2

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Burnout is a silent thief that robs us of energy, happiness, and even our confidence.

Understanding burnout and recognizing its hidden signs offer crucial tools for improving mental health and vitality in personal and professional realms. This episode provides insights into a more balanced life and practical strategies to combat burnout.

• Identifying the definition and signs of burnout
• Discussing cultural normalization and reluctance to admit burnout
• Examining the impact of burnout on work and personal life
• Offering practical steps for recognizing and addressing burnout
• Suggesting ways to set healthy boundaries
• Promoting the burnout assessment as a resource to gauge personal burnout levels
• Teasing the next episode's focus on boundaries and energy protection.

Take the free Burnout Assessment quiz here.

If you're ready to tackle the ongoing problem of feeling numb or depleted, and if you want for once and for all to stop struggling and start to enjoy your life and your relationship to the fullest, then book your free breakthrough call on this link. 

Enjoy xox

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Unbound Ambitions, the podcast where aspirations meet action, dreams fuel drive and every ceiling is just another floor to break through. Here we celebrate the power of persistence, explore the art of balancing career and personal life and unlock the secrets to growth and fulfillment. Whether climbing the corporate ladder, navigating entrepreneurship or finding harmony in your daily life, unbound Ambitions is your companion in journeying toward your highest goals. Join us as we get real about challenges, present valuable information and equip you with insights for a life that's as thriving as it is grounded. Because here we believe your ambitions are just the beginning. And now your host, penelope Magilniti.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

Have you ever woken up exhausted and dreading the day ahead, even though you know you have things under control? Or maybe you are constantly irritable, snapping at your husband or kids for no reason? If this is what has been going on, you might be experiencing burnout, and you are not alone. Recent studies have shown that burnout has become an increasingly prevalent issue across various professions and age groups. Recent studies highlight this constant trend. A survey by Mental Health UK found that nearly one third of employees aged 18 to 24 took time off due to stress in the past year, and this is higher a significantly higher rate compared to older age groups. Another study, a systematic review and meta-analysis that happened within the healthcare professionals, estimated that over one third of the global public health workforce experiences burnout, underscoring the widespread nature of this phenomenon. Focusing on Southeast Asia reported a burnout prevalence of 62.91% among full-time working adults, indicating that burnout is not confined to specific sectors, but it affects the broader working population. These findings demonstrate that burnout is a common and pressing issue, affecting us across different industries and demographics. So in this episode, we will uncover the hidden signs of burnout that are so easy to ignore but very crucial to recognize, and by the end, you will know how to spot burnout early on and what to do next to reclaim your energy. But let's first see what burnout is and what isn't.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

Burnout isn't only about feeling tired after a long week. It's that overwhelming sense of emotional, mental and physical depletion that often goes unnoticed until it's too late. It is the constant overachiever in you, where you pride yourself on being the go-to person for your team. There is no harming this, you may think, and I agree with you, but only for the short term. But over time you start skipping meals, sleeping fewer hours and working late into the night to meet deadlines. You brush off your constant fatigue and you Say that it's just part of the job. And one day you find yourself unable to focus on even the simplest tasks and you break down in tears during a routine meeting or for no particular reason, and I know what I'm talking about.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

This was one of my clients. By the time she reached out to me, her health and performance had already taken a significant hit. Or maybe it's the exhausted caregiver, the manager and mother who struggles with work demands and family responsibilities seamlessly responsibilities seamlessly, or so she believes. She feels emotionally detached from her work and becomes increasingly irritable at home, she convinces herself it's just life as a working mom. This is how it is from now on. I am a mom and I do have a career to work on. But when she finally takes time to reflect, she's shocked to realize that she might not be in a relationship for much longer if she continues like this, because she's always tired, always angry and frustrated and never smiles. This was me 12 years ago. This was me 12 years ago.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

So the real cost of ignoring burnout is that it affects your work, health, relationships and overall happiness. Ignoring it means continuing to burn through your life, but at a much greater personal cost. On a personal level, it impacts how you show up. Your performance might suffer or you might notice yourself procrastinating more, struggling to focus or even feeling disconnected from a work that you used to love so much, that you used to love so much. Maybe you are spending more time staring at your computer screen, feeling paralyzed by even the most minor decisions, or maybe you find yourself caught in the loop of perfectionism, redoing tasks over and over. If you have started quiet, quitting in your mind doing the bare minimum or avoiding extra responsibilities because you simply can't, these substantial shifts in engagement can be signals of burnout. And then we have the impact on our personal lives. It's not just professional Strain relationships due to irritability or lack of energy, feeling guilty about not being present for those we love dearly, losing interest in hobbies or socializing. This is why burnout can feel so isolating. It can strip away the parts of your life that once brought you joy and connection, and I want to give you six examples to help you discover if you are experiencing burnout.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

The first sign is emotional exhaustion. You might feel emotionally drained, like there is nothing left to give. Even after you take some time off, you find yourself going just through the motions at work and in your personal life. You feel disconnected from what once fueled you. I've been there. For me, it showed up as a feeling of feeling emotionally numb and getting irritable for no reason. The second sign is cynicism or detachment. You may notice yourself becoming more cynical about your work with your colleagues or your personal life. You have lost the sense of passion or excitement about your career and it feels like you are just checking off boxes.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

The third symptom can be physical. Burnout often takes a toll on your physical health. You might experience insomnia, headaches, back pain or digestive problems In my case, my shoulders would tense up so much I had trouble turning my neck and I was experiencing lots of headaches. In these symptoms, your body sends you signals that you can no longer ignore. You need to start paying more attention to what's going on. One thing you certainly should not do is ignore the signs.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

The fifth symptom is loss of confidence or increased self-doubt, because when burnout sets in, you begin to doubt your abilities and that inner critic gets louder, making you question even more if you're good enough for your role or if you are failing in some way your role or if you are failing in some way. And you might find that you start comparing yourself to others and feel like you are falling short. Even when achieving impressive results. You might feel that you are not good enough. And number six is feeling like you are running on empty, despite all the success you're having. You might have the promotions, the accolades, the recognition, but inside it feels hollow. You've achieved the success, but it's not fulfilling you, believe it or not. This feeling can often lead to a deeper sense of frustration and for many of us, the narrative of success equals happiness. And this is another lie we have been fed. And burnout is the uncomfortable truth of that lie. So you may wonder why burnout goes unnoticed.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

One reason is cultural normalization. We live in a world that is always rushing. It's an achievement-driven, materialistic world and, sadly, burnout is often normalized. We hear people say just power through, you're too young to be burned out, or it's part of the job, get over it. But it's this mindset that is dangerous, because it tells us to ignore our limits, and women are often conditioned to keep going, keep succeeding, no matter the cost. But that comes at a price. Another reason is the reluctance to admit it.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

Admitting burnout feels like admitting failure, but it's not. It's a sign that you've been pushing yourself too hard for too long. I've worked with many women who feel guilty about admitting they need help because they believe they should be able to handle it. But real strength comes from asking for help, not from the other way around. The question becomes what can we do about it? I want to offer three practical steps for you to do.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

Step number one is to acknowledge and reflect. It may sound easy and widely used, but taking time to reflect helps you become more aware. So when you take a couple of minutes to reflect on how you are feeling, to identify if you're exhausted, detached, or maybe to recognize that you are constantly questioning your worth. This step will help you recognize that you are not okay and that's okay. Journaling can be a great tool for this. Write down how you feel and track any physical or emotional symptoms.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

Step two is to start small, with boundaries. Start by setting a small boundary. Today it might be saying no to a work task or taking 15 minutes to yourself for a mental reset. Just close your eyes for a couple of minutes, just go for a walk for 15 minutes. This is your mental reset. Boundaries are your first line of defense against burnout. Doesn't have to be complicated. Start with something simple, as I've said. Maybe it's not checking email after 7 pm or allowing yourself to say I need a break without guilt.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

Step number three take the burnout assessment To truly understand where you stand. Take my free burnout assessment. It only takes a few minutes and it will give you a clearer picture of your burnout level. This assessment will help you pinpoint where burnout is showing up in your life and where you need to start shifting your focus. You can access it through the link in the show notes and in the upcoming episodes we will explore even more how to recover from burnout and set boundaries that work for your lifestyle. Don't wait until burnout takes over. The simplest and easiest step is to take the burnout assessment and gain the clarity you need to make changes. So click the link in the show notes or visit penelopemagoulianiti. com/a ssessment.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

Next week we will discuss practical steps to set boundaries and protect your energy without guilt. And how do we drop the guilt? By learning to value ourselves more. So if you're ready to take control and avoid burnout, make sure to tune in. I want you to know that burnout doesn't define you. It's just a phase, it's just a season and, like any season, it passes. You can find your vibrant self again with the right tools and support. This is what I had for you today. Until next week, much love.

Penelope Magoulianiti:

Thank you so much for joining me today on Unbound Ambitions. I hope this episode helped you see burnout in a new light and give you the tools to start recognizing those hidden signs in your own life. If you're ready to dive deeper and take back control, don't forget to check out my free burnout assessment. It's quick, insightful and designed to give you clarity on where you stand. You can find the link in the show notes or visit www. penelopemagoulianiti. com/ assessment. And if today's conversation resonated with you, I would love to hear your thoughts. Connect with me on social media platforms. I am on Facebook, instagram, linkedin, or shoot me an email, and I would love to hear your stories and also your questions. Next week, we will be talking about how to set boundaries that actually stick so you can start reclaiming your energy and focus and, trust me, you won't want to miss it. Until next time, remember you don't have to trade your happiness for success. You are worthy of a life that feels as good as it looks, and I am here to help you create it.