Notes from research Physical and behavioral clues

Physical and behavioral clues

These 4 dimensions can portrait themselves of physical and behavioral signs as well, after all our minds and bodies are more connected than most people think. Here are a few:

Physical fatigue: Sitting at the desk in front of a computer for 8+ hours per day is bad for your health: it causes body pain, headache, eye strain, and more. If you don’t get enough physical activity, fatigue and lethargy become the norm.

Mental fatigue: Programming is a cognitively demanding job that requires you to solve complex problems. If you don’t take breaks, the fatigue accumulates. If you don’t switch activities and let your brains rest, the fatigue will eventually take its toll.

Procrastination: When drained and in doubt of your skills, you are most likely to withdraw from responsibilities to avoid possible failure.

Change in appetite or sleep habits: A lack of proper sleep, use of stimulants, accumulated stress, and anxiety are most likely to influence your eating or sleep habits. For example, you may try to eat away your anxiety by having more snacks throughout the day, which may lead to overeating and weight gain, or sleep for 10-12 hours a day and still feel tired.

Frequent body aches: Body tensions, joint and muscle pain may appear not only due to low physical activity but also be caused by exhaustion – one of the key symptoms of burnout.

Isolating yourself from others: You may no longer want to talk to friends or coworkers, decline invitations, become angry when someone speaks to you, or even come in early or leave late to avoid interactions. When you feel overwhelmed and exhausted by your job, it seems like you no longer have energy for socializing, which translates social isolation into loneliness and aggravates burnout.