Unfortunately the number of people experiencing burnout from work is on the rise. Are you one of them?

I think a lot of us hoped the work world would shift more than it actually has as so much of the world experienced pandemic lockdowns starting in 2020.

But the truth is, we’re more burned out than ever before. According to McKinsey & Co, 43% of women are experiencing burnout from work while only 38% of men are. 

An Indeed survey put the number much higher, showing that 53% of all workers are experiencing burnout, up from 43% pre-pandemic.

So, how do you know if you’re amongst the burned out…and what do you do about it if you are?

3 Signs You’re Suffering Burnout from Work

1. You’re exhausted.

Your body never lies. If you’re tired all the time and getting a good night’s sleep barely scratches the surface on the abyss of fatigue, you could be burned out.

2. You have trouble concentrating and/or remembering things.

When you’ve overdone it for a long time, your brain will stop functioning optimally. While our work culture has taught us more hours are better, our brain feels differently.

3. Your desire to get going on new things is in the toilet.

Your level of inspiration and initiative suffers when you’re burned out. When we’ve lost our get up and go, we often think that we just need to try harder (or drink more coffee) but actually, this kind of disengagement is a sign of burnout.

Having trouble sleeping, having difficulty making decisions, poor performance, overwhelm, and disengagement are more signs of burnout that may feel familiar.

So, what are you supposed to do about having burnout from work?

1. Accept it.

We have a pervasive work culture that celebrates people who give 1,000% of themselves to work and never need a break, so accepting that you’re burned out might feel hard. But healing from it requires accepting it. How do you accept it? Try telling a few people who love you no matter what. Imagine how you might respond if someone you loved told you they were burned out and then respond to yourself the same way.

2. Know that it’s not your fault.

You didn’t create a work culture that celebrates toxic work habits and you also didn’t create the system in which caregivers who also work outside the home are often expected to do 2 full-time jobs on their own (one for pay and one for free.)

The fact that your body, mind, and soul are crying out to you for a break by showing up with signs of burnout is completely understandable given the standards of both corporate and entrepreneurial cultures. Beating yourself up and thinking there’s something wrong with you will only make it worse. Your burnout is not your fault, but it is your responsibility to do something about it if you want to feel better and do the work you came here to do.

3. Stop your toxic work habits.

One of the most important parts of healing from burnout (and preventing it in the first place) is taking an honest look at your work habits and asking yourself if they’re life-giving or toxic.

If you’ve been holding up the status quo of always being available, making everyone else’s priorities yours, saying yes to every request, and working well beyond the time your body asked you to stop, you likely have some toxic work habits that aren’t doing your body or your bottom line any favors. (It’s true! Toxic work behaviors don’t actually get us better results!)

Here’s how this works:

Step one: Identify the toxic habits.

Step two: Get into right relationship with your body and your creative energy.

Step three: Heal the way you work.

Want help? This week I’m teaching a free training to help you with all 3 of these steps and it’s called:

How to Stop Toxic Work Habits

Reserve your spot for the free training.

I’m only teaching this free training one time in 2021 so make sure you do whatever you can to be there.

If you’re showing signs of suffering from burnout from work, know this: There is plenty you can do to heal.

You do not have to be burned out forever.

The more of us who stop our toxic work habits and heal the way we work, the more we heal our very broken work system so that our children and our children’s children don’t grow up thinking the feeling of having burnout from work is “just the way it is.”

Remember: Your burnout is not your fault but it is your responsibility. Accept it, stop your toxic work habits, and over time, you’ll heal the way you work.

P.S. My new How to Stop Toxic Work Habits free training is a MUST attend if you’re experiencing signs of burnout from work. Reserve your seat so you don’t miss out on this life-giving training.

Kate Northrup is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, mother, and founder and CEO of The Origin Company, which reaches hundreds of thousands globally. Kate is committed to supporting ambitious women to light up the world without burning themselves out. She’s the author of Do Less, the Do Less Planner System creator, and runs The Origin Membership, which helps business owners grow their business while doing less.