Emotions, Burnout, Is This You?

Emotional exhaustion is a state of feeling emotionally worn-out and drained as a result of accumulated stress from your personal or work lives, or a combination of both. Emotional exhaustion is one of the signs of burnout.

People experiencing emotional exhaustion often feel like they have no power or control over what happens in life. They may feel “stuck” or “trapped” in a situation. Lack of energy, poor sleep, and decreased motivation can make it difficult to overcome emotional exhaustion. Over time, this chronic, stressed-out state can cause permanent damage to your health. Anyone experiencing long-term stress can become emotionally exhausted and overwhelmed. In difficult times, emotional exhaustion can sneak up on you, but it’s never too late to get help.

What are the symptoms of emotional exhaustion? The symptoms of emotional exhaustion can be both emotional and physical.

People experience emotional exhaustion differently, but generally symptoms include: lack of motivation trouble sleeping irritability physical fatigue feelings of hopelessness absentmindedness apathy headaches change in appetite nervousness difficulty concentrating irrational anger increased cynicism or pessimism sense of dread depression

Can stress make you tired?

Yes. We all experience stress, but when stress is too high, we lose our sense of control and our energy. When that happens, our emergency response system triggers an adrenaline rush. Our natural mood-stabilizing hormone, serotonin, gets used up or starts running low. 

Now, on top of dealing with stress, you’re also dealing with adrenaline side effects which may include a racing heart, sweating, or rapid breathing. 

If you’re feeling drained and don’t think you can’t bounce back naturally, you may be experiencing emotional exhaustion.