There’s a pandemic among us. And no, it’s not the one you’re thinking of so don’t start stocking up on toilet paper just yet. The World Health Organization is calling it “the health epidemic of the 21st century” affecting 70% of people at some point in their lives. But you won’t find this pandemic being talked about on the news. In fact, you may even be “infected” right now and not know. Drained energy, lack of motivation, and emotionally fatigued. Sound familiar? Let me explain.

People have been locked up inside, their workloads increased, and the lines between the office and home have been blurred. People are more stressed than ever. This has led to the birth of a silent crisis: burnout. A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.

Burnout is hard to understand. The symptoms aren’t always easy to spot and can be dismissed as something else. It affects people in different ways, poses no warning signs, comes out of nowhere, and can be deadly. And the worst part? At its peak, you will feel like you hit a brick wall. Stressors come in every shape and size: employment, home life, relationships with partners and children, money issues and health. So how do you know if you are burning out and how do you prevent it?