Life

How You Experience Burnout, Based On Your Sign

by Megan Grant
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Constant exhaustion. Dwindling patience. A funky appetite. It's burnout, and it's a real buzzkill. It looks a little different for everyone, too, so let's consider how you experience burnout, based on your sign.

The term "burnout" is often associated with our job. For instance, the Mayo Clinic explains that job burnout is a specific kind of stress that involves physical or emotional exhaustion (or both), a reduced sense of accomplishment, and even a loss of personal identity. While it's not technically a medical diagnosis, sometimes, bigger issues are behind it — like depression.

Work can definitely be the culprit, but so can just about anything that taxes your system for too long without giving you enough time to recover. For example, if you're constantly caring for an elderly parent, studying for exams nonstop, or partying too hard, you can run into the nightmare that is burnout, although it might be called something different.

Burnout might make you feel like you're simply tired, but there's a lot more to it than that. If it goes unaddressed for too long, it can lead to substance misuse, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, insomnia, and it can make you more vulnerable to illnesses, says the Mayo Clinic.

So, how might you experience it, based on your sign?

1

Aquarius

Aquarius takes real pride in their sense of creativity, and it's always been something that makes them so good at their job. If you're experiencing burnout, you might find that the creative juices are no longer flowing. Your inspiration is gone, and what used to make your work so unique seems to have just fizzled out.

2

Pisces

Nobody is more compassionate than Pisces. It's what helps them relate to everyone, from coworkers to friends to relatives. As burnout starts to creep in, that patience and understanding that Pisces is known for begins to fade. They get snappy with a shorter fuse. They might feel like they can't tolerate anyone else's drama at the moment.

3

Aries

Aries is normally completely confident in their ability to get the job done, no matter what it is. When burnout takes hold, though, they start to doubt themselves and second-guess all of their decisions. They don't typically question themselves, so this feeling of insecurity is unsettling, to say the least.

4

Taurus

Taurus is all about material goods and the tiny luxuries in life. It's the reason why their desk has always looked flawless — perfectly clean and beautifully decorated. But when they start to experience burnout, they stop caring about the aesthetics of their desk — something they once took pride in. Papers pile up, dust collects, and it starts to look like somebody else's desk.

5

Gemini

Because Gemini loves change, they're able to adapt and learn quickly. Burnout totally changes this. They might start having a more difficult time accommodating adjustments or switching up their routines. They'll feel uncomfortable, unsettled, and like something is just... off.

6

Cancer

Cancer tends to be the life of the party. They love going out after work for dinner and cocktails. Such is not the case if they're experiencing burnout, though. The social butterfly becomes quiet and withdrawn. Instead of wanting to spend time with friends, they want to go home and be alone.

7

Leo

Leo has the greatest sense of humor, and nothing gets in the way of that — except maybe burnout. Once it hits, Leo runs out of jokes. They smile less, laugh less, find fewer things funny. Burnout can pretty much kill their ability to have an awesome time.

8

Virgo

Virgo's life is neat and tidy in every way possible, from their home to their office to their car. But it gets really hard to maintain that when they're struggling with burnout. They typically take pride in maintaining clean appearances, but when they're this exhausted, they just can't find the energy to care.

9

Libra

Nothing fills Libra with joy like spending time outdoors. From long walks to hiking to playing volleyball on the beach, they soak it all up. A sign of burnout might be that they lose their love of the outdoors. It doesn't matter that the sun is shining and there isn't a cloud in the sky — nothing lifts their spirits.

10

Scorpio

Scorpio is passionate, a little stubborn, and they love being right — but they know how to harness this and use it for the best! They're amazing at what they do and don't stop until they get it just right. Scorpio isn't a quitter. Burnout can change that, though. They lose that will, that motivation. They might give in and give up way more easily than they ever normally would.

11

Sagittarius

Nothing lights Sagittarius's fire like traveling to unknown places. Adventure is what gives them life. This is what motivates them to bring home a paycheck, and they're just dying to go on that next trip. But burnout can smother their sense of wanderlust, and thoughts of upcoming getaways no longer give them excitement.

12

Capricorn

The other signs envy Capricorn for their self-control and discipline. They're incredibly responsible, and whatever needs to be done, they'll find a way to do it. Burnout changes everything. They start sleeping through their alarms and showing up late to meetings. They stop taking pride in their appearance. They back out of social engagements. They just don't have the energy or the desire.