Do you dread going to the office every morning? You feel sapped and your motivation is running on empty, but you can't quite put your finger on what's wrong. If this is how you feel about your work life, you may have a job burnout. Learn how you can overcome a burnout and stay sane.

What is a burnout?

Burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by constant exposure to demanding work situations. Burnout is not simply stress. Rather, it is related to feelings of inadequacy and emotional exhaustion regarding your work, and an increasingly negative attitude toward your job.

Burnout leaves you feeling powerless, hopeless, cynical, fatigued and resentful, and it can adversely affect your job, and your relationships and your health.

Signs of a burnout

Incidences of job burnout may be on the rise in today's stressful workplace, but it's not something that strikes you overnight. Therefore it's important to recognize the early signs and take action before the problem worsens. Common signs of burnout include:

• Dreading going to work in the morning.
• Regularly experiencing fatigue at work.
• Feeling overworked and underappreciated.
• Worries about job security.
• Feeling overcommitted with responsibilities.
• Bitterness about your duties that are not commensurate with pay.
• Confusion about job expectations and priorities.