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Amélie Boukhobza (Clinical Psychologist)
Ten days after going back to school, you are exhausted. A state of exhaustion, which can be indicative of a “pre-burn-out”. Let’s take stock of the symptoms of this pathology, with Amélie Boukhobza, psychologist.
Ten days after the start of the school year, many of us are feeling intensely tired. The blame lies in the endless days of metro-work-sleep, the fragile balance between personal and professional life or the pressure we are under, often significant at the beginning of the year. A feeling of great fatigue that can increase to the point of becoming “pre-burnout”. Analysis.
What is pre-burnout?
Pre-burnout is, as its name suggests, the stage that precedes the famous burnout – “A physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that results from prolonged investment in emotionally demanding work situations“, reports the website of the High Authority of Health (HAS).
Pre-burnout can be defined as “a phase of overheating” where the worker has not yet reached the breaking point… but is dangerously close to it.
This is the case, for example, of some French people who have returned to a hellish pace this fall and who already feel overwhelmed.
“This feeling of exhaustion so early in the year can be explained by several factors. The start of the school year is not just a return to work, it is also like a shock after the holidays. The rhythm changes abruptly: the days resume their frantic pace, the diaries fill up suddenly and the responsibilities accumulate. This violent contrast between the suspended time of the holidays and the pressure of the start of the school year creates an internal tension which, if it is not managed, can lead straight to burn-out”, warns Amélie Boukhobza.
And it is essential not to wait for the implosion to react. The multiple signs of pre-burnout can be identified, provided you listen to your body and your sensations.
Pre-burnout: signs to look out for
According to the psychologist, several key symptoms must be taken into account, such as:
- Very tired. “You wake up in the morning with a tiredness that never really goes away, as if the vacation never happened,” underlines the expert;
- Strong irritability. “You begin to feel growing irritability, everything annoys you: your colleagues, your loved ones, even small daily tasks become insurmountable mountains”, reveals the practitioner;
- Poor quality sleep. “Sleep, although essential, becomes less restorative, punctuated by nighttime awakenings or insomnia”, warns the psychologist;
- Intense stress. “Stress settles into your body in the form of muscle tension, frequent headaches or digestive problems,” indicates the specialist;
- A decrease in concentration. “Concentration also becomes a luxury: you have difficulty staying focused, everything seems blurry, and mistakes come one after another,” warns the expert;
- A form of emotional detachment. “More subtle but equally revealing, you begin to feel a form of emotional detachment. The projects that once motivated you now leave you indifferent. You feel like an automaton, chaining together days without real passion, in “autopilot” mode. At this stage, it is urgent to pay attention to these signals. Pre-burnout is not a state to ignore, it is an alert that the body and mind send before the situation worsens.“, warns Amélie Boukhobza.
This feeling of general exhaustion felt barely ten days after the start of the school year is therefore not insignificant.
“This is a direct consequence of an accumulation of pressures and a disconnection from your essential needs. If these signs resonate with you, stop! Slow down, review your priorities and take care of yourself before the spiral becomes uncontrollable. And it’s too late!” concludes the psychologist.
It may also be helpful to discuss these symptoms with a trusted professional to assess your physical and psychological state.
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