six signs of job burnout

Sign #1: Your Job Is Making You a Jerk

When you started your job you were the happy, healthy person who greeted people with a smile and an upbeat attitude. But lately, you've become more ill-tempered than a troll. Guess what? The right career change could turn that frown upside down again.

"I see this a lot with my clients," says Adams. "For instance, I had a client whose personality changed because he dreaded work so much that he went from a nice, outgoing, extroverted guy to being grumpy and mean all the time."

And becoming disgruntled could also affect more than the corners of your mouth, says Adams. "When the joy gets sucked out of your work, the stress and the pressures start to wear so heavily on you that your health starts to take a toll and your personality changes."

And remember, she says, people don't want to work with jerks - especially your boss. You need to find a way to breathe new excitement into your career or the decision to find a new one might be made for you.

Sign #2: You're Driving Loved Ones Crazy With Your Complaining

Okay, so you're not Mr. Grumpy at work, driving your coworkers batty with your venting. Why? Because you save it all for the dinner table. If you haven't figured it out already, constantly complaining to friends and family is a bad sign. In fact, this type of behavior could weigh so heavily on your personal relationships, it might lead to a career intervention.

Take it from Adams: "I've actually gotten clients because spouses called me and said, 'I can't take it anymore, my husband has to change jobs and find something that he really enjoys. I'm hiring you to help him find a new career.'" [Related: Six High-Paying Jobs on the Rise]

Debra Wheatman, president of Careers Done Write and certified professional career coach, says that complaining at home too much could do more damage than losing your job, it could affect your personal relationships.

"If you're complaining all the time - if you're grumpy, if you're unhappy, if all you do is have a negative outlook on your workplace, the workers, and the work you're doing - that will affect other parts of your life, so it's probably time to consider making a change," she says.

Sign #3: You're Thinking About Everything But Work

Is your butt in the office while your mind is anywhere but? We all know the feeling, but using your work computer as a good way to catch up on cat videos is a sign you've lost interest in your job. And Adams says if you're not careful, your work could soon lose interest in you. [Related: Seven Options If You Are Bored With Your Job]

"When you're having a hard time becoming productive at work because you're so distracted by other things that you're dreading everything, it becomes too much," says Adams. "Dreading meetings, dreading working on a project, dreading calling a customer and telling the same old story. The feeling of dread and being overwhelmed shuts people down."

Adams says people might find themselves in this situation because humans are good at slogging through, grinding each day out for a paycheck or just to be the good employee.

"But if you hang on too long, you become unproductive, and before you know it, you're being laid off," says Adams. Before it comes to that, it might be time to proactively change your situation, she says. Doing so could prevent a lot of stress and land you in a happier, more productive place.

Sign #4: Your Industry Is on Life Support

Horse-buggy maker. Monocle buffer. Quill sharpener. If you're getting signs that your industry or product is on its way to becoming a thing of the past, don't turn a blind eye. Do something about it.

"You can't stay in a work bubble," advises Adams. The most important thing to be in this day and age is flexible, staying up to date and being willing to adapt, she says.

"People definitely should be keeping track of their industry trends and changes so that they know whether the industry has long-term potential for them," says Wheatman. "There are certainly industries that are growing more than others and you'll want to make sure your industry has long-term potential." [Related: Dying Careers You Should Avoid]

For example, she says, take an objective look at whether your company is dynamic, proactive, and adapting to the world around it. Remember, that last buggy maker probably scoffed at Henry Ford - right before filing for bankruptcy.

Sign #5: You Don't Feel Like You Fit In

Whether it's in middle school, a party, or your company office, no one enjoys feeling like the odd man out. Because you spend so much time at work, you want your company and industry to reflect your personality, interests, and values.

"I call it the four Cs: the commute, the compensation, the colleagues, and the culture. That all plays into work environment and colleagues you want to work with. Culture can be so many things," says Adams.

For instance, do you want to work at a big company, a start-up, in a corporate environment, or a casual one? Are you more of a cutting edge, trendy person, or do you gravitate toward the traditional? "If the culture and type of people are not a good fit for you, you're going to hate it," says Adams.

And don't blame yourself, she says. "[A person] may have taken the job and thought it was a great fit, but they just read it wrong. Or, the company changes so much that it's a different company than when they started," she says. [Related: Top Careers for People Haters]

The important takeaway, says Adams, is not to keep pretending you're in the right place if it truly is wrong for you. That creates stress, low productivity, and ultimately unhappiness. And that's never a good fit.

Sign #6: You'd Rather Go to the Dentist Than to Your Job

We've all had that heavier-than-lead feeling in the morning. You know, those days when you'd rather get a root canal without anesthesia than clock in at the office. But if that feeling visits you five mornings a week, it may be a sign that something's gotta give.

"If you're not getting up every day invigorated to go to work and contribute to the environment you're in, then that's probably a sign it's time for a change," says Wheatman. "Often, instead of taking an honest, introspective look, people stick it out so long that they're miserable or not performing in a way that they should, or to their own expectations, or their coworkers'."

That's when trouble starts, says Adams. "Whether it's because they're Debbie Downer and not part of the team or because they're unproductive, their work will suffer and management or bosses will notice," says Adams.

Heeding the Signs*