Emotional Exhaustion Overview

When people experience emotional exhaustion, it can make them feel emotionally drained, overwhelmed, and fatigued. These feelings tend to build up over a long period, though people may not notice the early warning signs.

This can have significant impacts on a person’s everyday life, relationships, and behavior. In this article, we discuss the symptoms, causes, and risk factors of emotional exhaustion, and we explore the many ways people can treat it or prevent it from happening.

What is Emotional Exhaustion?

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.

Causes of Emotional Exhaustion

Emotional exhaustion usually arises after a period of stress.

Different things can contribute to emotional exhaustion in people, depending on a person’s tolerance for stress and other factors in their lives at the time.

Examples of things that can triggers emotional exhaustion include the following:

• Being a caregiver for a loved one
• Experiencing financial stress 
• Going through a significant life change, such as divorce or death of a loved one
• Having a baby or raising children 
• Juggling several things at once, such as work, family, and school
• Homelessness
• Working long hours
• Living with a chronic medical condition
• Working in a high-pressure environment

Typically, emotional exhaustion occurs if someone feels overwhelmed by factors in their life. They may believe they have a lack of control over their life or they may not be correctly balancing self-care with life’s demands.

Signs and Symptoms of Emotional Exhaustion

Emotional exhaustion causes both physical and emotional effects that, in turn, can affect a person’s behavior. The symptoms can build up over time and with repeated stress, though people may not recognize the early warnings.

Looking out for and recognizing the symptoms of emotional exhaustion in oneself and others is necessary so that a person can start taking steps toward feeling better.

Here, we discuss some common symptoms of emotional exhaustion:

Changing Mood

Emotional exhaustion affects a person’s mood and mental health.

People may initially notice that they are feeling more cynical or pessimistic than usual. They may lose their motivation to work, socialize, or perform simple tasks.

Eventually, these feelings can become stronger and cause individuals to feel trapped or disconnected.

Emotional exhaustion can lead to feelings of:

• Anxiety
  
• Anger and irritability
• Apathy
• Depression
• Failure
• Hopelessness
• Lack of motivation
• Pessimism

People who experience anxiety, depression, and thoughts of self-harm should seek help from a doctor or therapist, as soon as possible.

Effects on Work and Personal Relationships

Physical, emotional, and cognitive changes can affect a person’s relationships, and their ability to function in their home and workplace, such as:

• A lack of enthusiasm in work and personal life
• Less ability to connect with others on a personal or emotional level
• Increased rates of absence from work
  
• Low self-esteem
• Missed deadlines
• Poor work performance
• Social withdrawal from others

Physical Changes

Emotional issues can manifest themselves in physical ways, including:

• Changes in appetite
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• Heart palpitations
• Weight loss or gain

Sleep Problems

During stressful periods of life, it can be challenging to maintain a regular sleeping pattern.

People with emotional exhaustion also feel physically fatigued and may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at night. Otherwise, they may oversleep in the morning.

Low mood and brain fog can make it difficult to get out of bed in the morning or to make it through the day.

Thinking Difficulties

Those with emotional exhaustion may experience changes in thinking and memory. Some people refer to these symptoms as “brain fog.” They include:

• Confusion
• Difficulty concentrating 
• Loss of memory
• Forgetfulness
• Lack of imagination

Research suggests that burnout, which involves emotional exhaustion, is linked to a decline in three main cognitive areas:

• Attention
• Executive function, such as planning and organizing
• Memory

Effects on Workplace

Cognitive changes can be especially challenging when a person is trying to juggle stressful situations, including work pressure or emotionally demanding tasks.

Employers whose employees are overworked and emotionally exhausted may begin to notice changes in job performance and overall team morale. For example, they might start to notice that their employees have:

• Failure to meet deadlines
• Lower commitment to the organization
• More absences
• High turnover rate

Risk Factors for Emotional Exhaustion

Anyone can experience emotional exhaustion, especially if they live with long-term stress or if they have recently experienced a significant change in their lives.

But some people are more at risk than others, including people who experience the following:

Demanding Jobs

Those in demanding or stressful jobs are more likely to experience emotional exhaustion and burnout than others.

For example, medical professors in the early stages of their career show higher indicators of emotional exhaustion and burnout risk, according to a 2014 study from the Netherlands.

Research suggests that people with high work demands, and those who are preoccupied with thoughts about work during leisure time, are more at risk.

Police officers, nurses, social workers, and teachers may also be more at risk than others.

The risk of emotional exhaustion increases for anyone who:

• Has a poor job fit
• Feels a lack of control at work
• Works in a job they dislike
• Has a poor job fit
• Works long hours

Perfectionism

Individuals who strive for what they see as “perfection” in one or more areas of their lives often experience emotional exhaustion and burnout. Numerous studies have cited perfectionism as being a risk factor for such conditions.

By way of explanation, perfectionists are more likely to put themselves under excessive stress by taking on more than they can comfortably manage.

Loneliness

Loneliness may increase feelings of emotional exhaustion and burnout. People without many close relationships may have fewer people with whom to share their feelings.

Research suggests that fostering social relationships may help people lessen the harmful effects of burnout, potentially, by promoting resilience and a sense of greater well-being.

Poor Self-Care

People who do not prioritize their own well-being may be more prone to emotional exhaustion. This can include those who do not get enough exercise, sleep, or healthful foods.

For example, some research links insufficient sleep with a greater risk of burnout.

Excessive use of alcohol or illicit drugs may also increase risk, especially if people use these instead of more constructive coping techniques.

Other Factors

Individuals may be more likely to experience emotional exhaustion if they:

• Feel they have too few personal resources, such as status, money, or support
• Live or work in a culture that does not value their freedom of expression 
• Use harmful coping strategies, such as drugs or alcohol, to deal with stress

Emotional Exhaustion and Burnout

Psychologists first began using the term “burnout” in the 1970s to describe the effects of severe stress on “helping” professionals, such as doctors and nurses.

Today, people use “burnout” to describe the results of chronic stress on anyone. Even so, no clear definition of burnout exists.

According to the United States National Library of Medicine, emotional exhaustion is one of the symptoms of burnout. The other two are:

• Alienation from work activities. Those with burnout become increasingly more stressed about their work. They may feel less committed to their organization, and they may distance themselves emotionally from colleagues.
• Reduced performance. Burnout causes cynicism and feelings of negativity about work-related tasks. Coupled with emotional exhaustion, this leads those with burnout to miss deadlines and otherwise perform poorly at work.

Treatment of Emotional Exhaustion

To reduce emotional exhaustion and burnout, people typically need to make lifestyle changes. In some cases, they may require medications or therapy. Treatments and tips to aid recovery include:

Reduce stress

Where possible, people should try to reduce sources of stress. They may be able to take on fewer tasks, delegate to others, and ask for help. Another tact is to consider moving to a different role or organization if work is a significant source of stress.

Make healthful lifestyle choices

Living a healthful life can improve physical and mental health and foster resilience. To do this:

• Eat a balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of protein.
• Limit how much alcohol you drink.
• Avoid tobacco smoking.
• Exercise for 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.
• Establish a sleep routine by going to bed at the same time each night and getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

Maintain a Good Work-Life Balance

People should try not to let work or caring for a loved one take over, and ensure they plan regular vacations and rest days.

People should take scheduled breaks throughout the day and make time for things they enjoy at least weekly. This may include:

• Collecting items, such as stamps coins
• Drawing
• Gardening
• Reading
• Seeing a movie
• Spending time with pets
• Walking in the park

Practice Mindfulness

Regular mindfulness practice can reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood.

According to one research study, people who practice mindfulness report significantly less emotional exhaustion and more job satisfaction than those who do not use mindfulness techniques.

Connect with Others

Social disconnection is both a symptom of and a risk factor for emotional exhaustion. To avoid emotional exhaustion and other mental health issues, people should try to connect with others whenever possible.

Meeting up with a friend, joining a club or walking group, and reaching out to family and neighbors are all ways of connecting socially.

Change your Attitude

Changing a person’s thoughts can alter their moods and behaviors. These small changes can have a big impact on physical and emotional well-being. Examples of ways to change negative thinking include:

• Avoiding comparisons with others
• Focusing on what is going right in life rather than what is not
• Replacing negative thoughts with more positive or realistic ones
• Accepting that sometimes negative feelings occur and not fighting them
• Staying in the present rather than focusing on the past or trying to anticipate the future
• Remembering that these unhelpful feelings will pass

See a Therapist or Doctor

Therapy can be an effective way to treat emotional exhaustion. A therapist can help people work through stress, anxiety, and depression. They can help individuals challenge negative thoughts and equip them with new coping skills.

Sometimes, a doctor may recommend medication to treat depression or anxiety, such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medicines, or medications to help sleep.

Prevention

Many of the treatments for emotional exhaustion can also help prevent it from occurring in the first place. These include:

• Connecting with friends, family, and others
• Eating a healthful diet 
• Exercising regularly 
• Keeping a positive mindset
• Reducing stressors at home and work
• Engaging in enjoyable activities 
• Limiting alcohol and avoiding tobacco
• Taking time out for oneself
• Getting enough sleep
• Maintaining a good work-life balance 
• Practicing mindfulness and meditation
• Seeking professional help at the onset of anxiety or other changes in mood

Outlook

People can experience emotional exhaustion after a period of excessive stress. It can have wide-ranging effects of a person’s physical and mental health, careers, and relationships with others.

Looking out for the symptoms can help people take steps to improve them. Lifestyle changes and stress reduction methods can help.

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