Everyone is tired and under pressure sometimes. Short-term stress is normal and passes when the load eases. Exhaustion is different: the tiredness does not lift on holiday, work feels meaningless and even small things take an unreasonable amount of effort. The earlier you recognise it, the easier it is to turn things around.
How to tell it is more than a busy patch
Exhaustion builds slowly, which is why it is hard to react in time. Typical signs include:
- tiredness that does not recover with a weekend or a holiday
- sleep problems: trouble falling asleep, or waking in the early hours with your thoughts racing
- poorer concentration and memory, with even simple tasks dragging on
- irritability, cynicism or a feeling that nothing is ever enough
- physical symptoms: headache, neck and shoulder pain, stomach trouble, palpitations
- withdrawing from people and from things that used to bring joy
- using more alcohol or sleeping pills to keep going
In Finland, burnout is not a diagnosis in its own right, but if it drags on it can lead to depression, an anxiety disorder or an adjustment disorder. Those are treatable conditions.
First steps
- Name the situation. Admit to yourself that you are struggling. That is not weakness.
- Talk to someone: a person close to you, your manager or a colleague. The workload can often be shared once people know about it.
- Protect your sleep. A regular bedtime, screens off an hour before, and no work in the bedroom.
- Move gently every day, preferably outdoors. Adding hard training when you are exhausted is not a good idea.
- Cut down on alcohol. It worsens sleep and mood, even though it feels relaxing in the moment.
- Set limits on work. Agree when you are reachable, take your breaks and finish the working day at the same time.
When to seek help
Seek help at the latest when
- the symptoms have lasted several weeks and your own measures are not helping
- your mood is constantly low, or nothing feels like anything
- insomnia is persistent
- you cannot manage your work or everyday life
- people close to you are worried about you
- you have thoughts that life has no meaning
For someone in work, occupational healthcare is the natural place to go. Your own health centre and a remote doctor are also good first steps. The main thing is not to wait for the situation to get worse before talking to a professional.
How a doctor can help
A doctor's assessment starts with listening: what has happened, how you sleep, how you are coping and what has changed. At the same time, physical causes that can produce similar symptoms are ruled out, for example an underactive thyroid, anaemia or sleep apnoea. Sometimes that needs laboratory tests.
After that, a doctor can
- write a sick leave certificate when rest is medically justified. A short break can interrupt the spiral, but time off alone does not fix the cause.
- refer you to an occupational psychologist, psychotherapy or mental health services
- assess whether medication is needed, if depression or an anxiety disorder lies behind it
- recommend an occupational health meeting, where the workload is adjusted together with the employer
The doctor is bound by confidentiality, and your employer may process your health information only to the extent the law allows, for example to establish the grounds for a sick leave. Treat does not disclose your individual health information to your employer.
If this is a crisis
If you have suicidal thoughts or are at risk of harming yourself or others, call 112 immediately or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not stay alone with it.
For someone to talk to, MIELI Mental Health Finland offers English-language crisis support through booked video or phone appointments. Its Finnish-language crisis helpline 09 2525 0111 answers around the clock and can be called anonymously. In immediate danger, call 112.
How Treat can help
In Treat you can describe how you are coping in your own words, without booking an appointment. A licensed doctor usually assesses the situation within minutes during service hours and can write a sick leave certificate, direct you to tests or further care, and tell you what a sensible next step is. Treat complements occupational healthcare rather than replacing it, and it is not a crisis service: in an emergency, call 112.
This article is general health information and does not replace an individual assessment by a doctor.