Can relationships cause burnout too? 3 signs that give clarity

In the beginning, relationships go through a honeymoon phase where everything is wonderful and exciting. You look at the relationship with the rose-tinted glasses of love. What most people forget is that falling in love is easy but maintaining a relationship takes a considerable amount of work. When things are not working out, a relationship can cause severe stress.

The term ‘burnout’ is mostly used in the context of our work life but it can apply to relationships too. This is because burnout occurs due to being under severe stress for a prolonged period of time. Relationships can be a source of stress and if the situation doesn’t improve, it can turn to burnout over time. Signs of burnout include:

• Anxiety
• Fatigue, mental and physical
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sleep problems
• Irritability and mood swings
• Feeling hopeless about the future
• Lack of motivation to improve the relationship

Here are certain signs that your relationship is causing burnout:

1. Feeling emotional exhaustion

You develop emotional exhaustion after dealing with long-term stress. When your relationship is a constant source of stress, it can affect your emotional health and make you exhausted. This doesn’t just affect how you feel about your relationship but also your interaction with friends, family as well as colleagues. Emotional exhaustion is characterised by irritability, anxiety, sleep problems, forgetfulness and difficulty in concentrating on other aspects of your life. Needless to say, this sort of emotional exhaustion might stem from your relationship but will negatively impact your whole life.

2. Feeling a mental distance

A key symptom of burnout due to a relationship is feeling a sort of mental distance. A healthy relationship is one where you’re able to communicate freely, trust each other and look forward to spending time together. You’re essentially able to view your partner as a safe space. However, burnout often causes you to distance yourself from the mental idea of your significant other as your partner. You’re not able to envision a future with them, feel uncomfortable with telling them things and don’t feel like you’re connected to them at an emotional level.

3. Feeling negativity towards the relationship

When you’re in a relationship with someone, you view them in a positive light due to the happiness and joy they bring! From the caring nature to the thoughtful things they say, you appreciate their personality. In addition, you can also appreciate their quirks and tend to forgive them for things you may not like, such as lacking punctuality. That’s because you feel like the good outweighs the bad. But, experiencing relationship burnout often causes you to develop feelings of negativity. You start to see the relationship as lacking any potential for growth, or may even view it as something that is making you feel trapped.

It is best to speak with your partner if you’re experiencing feelings of burnout due to the relationship.