The symptoms can differ from person to person, but most people experience that they loose more and more control, and they feel they can’t do anything about the situation. The symptoms come usually very gradually, and increase after a while in extent and intensity.

Loose more and more control

On the road to burn-out most people experience that they loose control over their own time, and everything feels hectic.

This can be similar to sitting on a train that after a while starts running wild. In the beginning the train’s speed is calm and comfortable, and you sit there looking out the window. The train starts running faster, but that is ok – some speed is fun and exciting. But the train speeds up, it begins to get uncomfortable. You feel a need to get off, but you stay a little longer... The speed increase even more, but how can you get off? The train goes faster and faster and you are desperately holding on… until the train derails.

Trapped in the situation

If you start getting burned out, you will probably feel unable to do anything about your situation. It is like you are “trapped”. For other people, sometimes also for yourself, it can be obvious that you have to do something. But to do something with the situation is not easy when you have lost your power of judgement and are desperately holding on…

The symptoms come gradually

The symptoms of burn-out come usually over time. In some cases they come so slowly that the person believes it is suppose to be like this, and can not remember anything else than being stressed, tired and fatigue.

This can be illustrated by using two frogs. Put one frog into a bowl with boiling water, and it will immediately jump out due to pain. Put another frog into a bowl with cold water, and it will swim around. If you gradually turn up the heat under the bowl – what does the frog? The frog will, without knowledge of the temperature gradually is increasing, slowly boil to death.

If this is transferred into a work situation; you may not realize that you are stressed and tired, if the pressure you feel has gradually increased and you now accept it as “normal”.

Other symptoms

The symptoms can differ from person to person. Usually as a person starts getting burned out, they become less social, apathetic (or hyper active) and more negative. People also experience increased mental and physical fatigue and increased physical tension and pain. At work they will have lower motivation and diminishing concentration, and poor work performance both in quality and quantity. The symptoms degree and extent will gradually get more severe.

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