Burnout, a type of fatigue experienced commonly throughout many millennials was announced last year as an official syndrome by the World Health Organisation.
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The World Health Organisations Handbook officially states that burnout is:
'a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.'
With this condition comes symptoms such as fatigue, stress, depression and anxiety relating to one's job, and this isn't news. With the rising of fast-paced technology and demanding society, more and more people are coming home drained and demoralised. As of 2019 74% of the UK population claimed to have felt 'overwhelmed or unable to cope' in that past year.
John Hopkins University even states that some people can even get a little addicted to burnout in what they claim to be 'The Cult of Busyness' where being busy or chronically stressed is valued for a status symbol or 'badge of honour'.
However, a new study published by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology claims that burnout can affect the heart, causing dangerous and at times deadly irregular heart rhythms known as atrial fibrillation or AFib.
As well as irregular heart rhythms AFib can also cause chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. The link established to AFib is said to be a small one but keep in mind that vital fatigue can have an effect on the body in many ways resulting in an increase of blood pressure and stroke risk.
Dr Budoff from UCLA warns for people to keep an eye out for signs and symptoms to prevent and manage the syndrome:
“People need to find ways of alleviating stress when they feel burnout, be it by exercise, other interests or, of course, by changing their environment.”
Mental health has often in the past proven to have an effect on the physical body and it is important to be mindful and look after yourself when the world is in such an increasingly stressful time.
