Are You Suffering from Workplace Burnout? 22 Symptoms That are Clear Warning Signs.

Burnout isn’t just feeling tired after a long week — it’s a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that can derail your wellbeing and productivity. Alarmingly, burnout rates are climbing, up 32% year-over-year, with three out of four employees reporting they experience burnout at least occasionally.

Recovering from burnout isn’t a quick fix. Depending on how long and how deeply you’ve been struggling, it can take weeks or even months to heal, often requiring lifestyle changes, workplace adjustments, and intentional recovery strategies. 

That’s why recognizing the early warning signs is crucial: the sooner you act, the easier it is to prevent burnout from taking hold.

Leverage these tactical tips to identify the key symptoms of burnout so you can take real steps  on your recovery journey.

What You'll Learn

• Burnout Manifests Across Physical, Emotional, and Behavioral Categories: Symptoms can include exhaustion, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, cynicism, detachment, reduced productivity, and social withdrawal.
   
• Three Core Components Define Burnout: Burnout typically consists of exhaustion, cynicism, and feelings of inadequacy—each person may experience a unique combination of these elements.
   
• Physical Symptoms Signal Deep Fatigue: Persistent tiredness, frequent illness, insomnia, and even muscle pain often indicate physical burnout.
   
• Emotional Burnout Erodes Engagement and Positivity: Emotional signs include anger, pessimism, detachment, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in both work and personal life.
   
• Behavioral Changes Reflect Growing Disconnection: Difficulty concentrating, lack of motivation, work avoidance, and reduced effectiveness are common behavioral signals that burnout is affecting daily functioning.

The Most Common Burnout Symptoms by Category

Employee burnout is a serious condition of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion, caused by chronic, unrelenting workplace stress. 

While it's classified as an occupational phenomenon rather than a medical disease, its effects are anything but minor. Burnout creates a state of sustained strain marked by deep exhaustion and persistent negative attitudes, especially toward work-related responsibilities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In our article, “how to prevent burnout. Physical Symptoms These symptoms are connected to the “exhaustion” component of burnout. Symptom How It Manifests Extreme exhaustion and fatigue You feel overwhelming tiredness that persists even after resting. Frequent headaches You experience intense headaches or recurring migraines. Increased susceptibility to illness Your immune system feels weakened, leading to frequent infections like colds or the flu. Insomnia You struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, resulting in chronic sleep deprivation. Muscle pain You experience unexplained muscle aches and discomfort. Anxiety You started with mild symptoms like tension, worry, and restlessness, which have progressed into more severe and constant anxiety. Loss of appetite You notice a significant decrease in appetite and changes in your eating habits. Emotional Symptoms These symptoms are connected to the “cynicism” component of burnout. Symptom How It Manifests Anger or irritability You feel easily frustrated or annoyed with coworkers, friends, or family (often over minor issues). Cynicism You have negative and skeptical attitudes toward your work and the people around you. Depersonalization or detachment You experience a sense of disconnection from yourself and your surroundings. Depression You feel persistent sadness, hopelessness, or worthlessness. Pessimism You engage in negative self-talk and/or constantly see the glass as half-empty. Apathy and lack of energy You lack the energy or interest to engage in daily activities. Hopelessness You feel like nothing matters and that things won’t get better. Loss of enjoyment You stop doing activities and hobbies you once enjoyed. Lack of control You feel powerless over your work or personal life. Behavioral Symptoms These symptoms are related to the “feelings of inadequacy” component of burnout. Symptom How It Manifests Concentration problems You struggle to focus on work tasks or personal responsibilities. Decreased productivity You notice a drop in your work performance and quality. Work aversion You feel a strong resistance to your job and your workplace. Social withdrawal You isolate yourself from your social circle and avoid activities you once enjoyed. Lack of motivation You experience ongoing feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or worthlessness. Reduced effectiveness You feel drained and uninterested in daily tasks and responsibilities. Managers are Burnt Out Too. Here’s How to Combat Burnout in Leadership. I Think I’m Suffering from Burnout—Now What? If you’ve identified several of these symptoms in yourself, there’s a good chance you’re experiencing job burnout. It’s important to take the necessary steps to recover and prevent the problem from recurring. Start by following the advice of Dr. Monique Valcour, which we explore in more detail in “How to Treat and Combat Burnout? 4 Actions You Can Take According to an Expert”: Focus on deep self-care Look for ways to change your work environment where possible Limit your exposure to the factors causing you stress and exhaustion Seek out and nurture supportive connections A Holistic Strategy to Address Workplace Burnout Symptoms Preventing burnout isn’t simple. High stress, low energy, and mental exhaustion drain teams fast. Supporting your people with a wellbeing program can help them recharge and stay focused. Offering a wellbeing program gives employees tools to manage stress and avoid burnout: Employees with wellness programs are more than twice as likely than those without to say they have time to care for their wellbeing. And all that goodness comes right back to your business — the vast majority of businesses see a positive return on investment from their wellness program. Speak with a Wellhub Wellbeing Specialist to banish burnout from your workplace!">4 Ways to Treat and Combat Burnout</a>,” we explain that burnout typically has three core components:

• Exhaustion (feeling mentally and physically drained)
   
• Cynicism (detachment or negativity toward your job)
   
• Feelings of inadequacy (believing your efforts aren’t good enough)

It’s important to note that burnout looks different for everyone. One person might feel exhausted and inadequate without seeming cynical, while another might act cynical and disengaged without feeling physically depleted

Want to stop burnout from taking root at your organization? Here’s how to prevent burnout.

Physical Symptoms

These symptoms are connected to the “exhaustion” component of burnout.

Emotional Symptoms

These symptoms are connected to the “cynicism” component of burnout.

Behavioral Symptoms

These symptoms are related to the “feelings of inadequacy” component of burnout.

Managers burn out too. Here’s how to combat burnout in leadership.

I Think I’m Suffering from Burnout—Now What?

If you’ve identified several of these symptoms in yourself, there’s a good chance you’re experiencing job burnout. It’s important to take the necessary steps to recover and prevent the problem from recurring. 

Start by following the advice of Dr. Monique Valcour, which we explore in more detail in “How to Treat and Combat Burnout? 4 Actions You Can Take According to an Expert”:

• Focus on deep self-care
   
• Look for ways to change your work environment where possible
   
• Limit your exposure to the factors causing you stress and exhaustion
   
• Seek out and nurture supportive connections

A Holistic Strategy to Address Workplace Burnout Symptoms

Preventing burnout isn’t simple. High stress, low energy, and mental exhaustion drain teams fast. Supporting your people with a wellbeing program can help them recharge and stay focused.

Offering a wellbeing program gives employees tools to manage stress and avoid burnout: Employees with wellness programs are more than twice as likely than those without to say they have time to care for their wellbeing. And all that goodness comes right back to your business — the vast majority of businesses see a positive return on investment from their wellness program.

Speak with a Wellhub Wellbeing Specialist to banish burnout from your workplace!