Ask yourself these questions to see if you're experiencing signs and symptoms of burnout:

• Do you find yourself being more cynical, critical and sarcastic at work?
• Have you lost the ability to experience joy?
• Do you drag yourself into work and have trouble getting started once you arrive?
• Have you become more irritable and less patient with co-workers, customers or clients?
• Do you feel that you face insurmountable barriers at work?
• Do you feel that you lack the energy to be consistently productive?
• Do you no longer feel satisfaction from your achievements?
• Do you have a hard time laughing at yourself?
• Are you tired of your co-workers asking if you're OK?
• Do you feel disillusioned about your job?
• Are you self-medicating — using food, drugs or alcohol — to feel better or to simply not feel?
• Have your sleep habits or appetite changed?
• Are you troubled by headaches, neck pain or lower back pain?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be experiencing burnout. Identify the Causes: You can overcome burnout. But first you have to understand what caused it. The following scenarios can lead to workplace burnout:

• Setting unrealistic goals for yourself or having them imposed upon you.
• Being expected to be too many things to too many people.
• Working under rules that seem unreasonably coercive or punitive.
• Doing work that frequently causes you to violate your personal values.
• Boredom from doing work that never changes or doesn’t challenge you.
• Feeling trapped for economic reasons by a job that fits any of the scenarios above.

Remember, workplace burnout isn’t the same as workplace stress. When you’re stressed, you care too much, but when you’re burned out, you don’t see any hope of improvement. You don’t want to get to that point.

• Lack of control. Perhaps you're unable to influence decisions that affect your job, such as which hours you'll work or which assignments you get. Perhaps you're unable to control the amount of work that comes in.
• Unclear job expectations. Examples include uncertainty over what degree of authority you have and not having the necessary resources to do your work.
• Dysfunctional workplace dynamics. Examples are working with an office bully, being undermined by colleagues or having a boss who micromanages your work.
• Mismatch in values. If your values differ from the way your company does business or handles employee grievances, it will wear on you.
• Poor job fit. Working in a job that poorly aligns with your interests and skills is certain to become more and more stressful over time.
• Extremes of activity. When a job is always monotonous or chaotic, you'll need constant energy to remain focused. Over time this energy drain can lead to burnout.

Is it Time to Take Action? If you feel you may have signs or symptoms of burnout don't ignore them, look for options to reverse your burnout situation.. Talk to your supervisor or mentor, or see your doctor or a mental health professional. Recovery from burnout is possible, but it may require changes and take time, so don't expect a quick fix. Keep an open mind and consider all your options. Don't let a demanding job affect your health.