Modern society has brought many advancements, from personal computers and factory lines to artificial intelligence and smartphones. One unexpected side effect of modernization is burnout, a term coined in the 1970s. It was originally described by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger as becoming exhausted by making excessive demands on energy, strength, or resources. In recent years, the definition has expanded. Burnout is physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion that causes decreased motivation, low performance, and negative attitudes. It can result from prolonged stress or enduring overwhelming physical or mental exertion that is beyond one's workload. The concept of burnout has recently made a comeback thanks to the pandemic. With the transition to remote work, many people are experiencing burnout at home. Remote work makes life easier, but without healthy boundaries in place, your personal life could suffer. You may experience typical emotional or mental cues of burnout, such as reduced focus or lack of motivation, but there are physical signs of burnout as well. We'll explore 7 signs of burnout and possible solutions. 1. Overall Fatigue The most obvious sign of burnout is fatigue. Feeling drained and exhausted from working is understandable, but fatigue is a bit different. Though it's usually a physical state, it can also affect your mental and emotional well-being, like making you emotionally sensitive. The fatigue you feel when you're burnt out isn't just linked to the amount of work you have to do, but also to the amount of stress you're under. Stress consumes a lot of energy, and chronic stress is like contracting a muscle for a long time. It gets fatigued and isn't very useful. The same happens to us. Chronic stress affects your sleep and eating habits, but also overproduces cortisol, which takes up a lot of energy and doesn't replenish it. In a dangerous situation, this is a normal response. Your body is priming you to fight or run away. However, we don't confront tigers on our way to work or have to run miles from our enemies. We sit at our desks without using up the glucose our stressed-out bodies have produced. PhD researcher Robert Juster explains that burnout causes extreme exhaustion that isn't solved by getting sleep. A great way to prevent fatigue and an increase in cortisol levels is by taking 10 minutes out of your day to relax. Just close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Try to detach yourself from all the things you think you have to do or know you have to do. 2. Sweet Cravings Craving sweets is common when you're chronically stressed and burnt out. It's your body's way of replenishing the glucose it spends. However, constantly adding glucose into your body and not actually using it can cause future problems down the road. A common result is type 2 diabetes, which occurs when your body develops a resistance to insulin, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Also, it doesn't help that when you're stressed, you naturally crave sugar because your body uses that as fuel to confront the dangers that have got you stressed. 3. Tension Headaches Another common sign of burnout is tension headaches, says psychologist Dr. Adam Borland. Tension headaches are also a side effect of too much stress, but can also be caused by a change in eating habits. When you're stressed, you might forget to eat or drink water throughout the day. Or worse, you might also eat unhealthy junk food because they're either faster to cook or less fussy. No judgment, but those types of foods can be culprits for your headaches. If cooking isn't your thing, try to prepare food ahead of time. Take 30 minutes over the weekend to plan your meals for the next couple of days. Make sure you include plenty of vegetables in your prepped meal.