Stress & Burnout Expressions
Gå in i väggen, utmattningssyndrom, sjukskriven — Sweden's careful vocabulary for exhaustion.
Utmattningssyndrom in full: the ignored signals, the bodily symptoms, sjukskrivning measured in months — and the trap of going back för fort.
- 1
gå in i väggen
to hit the wall
Tip: lit. 'go into the wall' — the standard Swedish phrase for burnout.
- 2
utmattningssyndrom
exhaustion syndrome
Tip: lit. the same — a recognised medical diagnosis in Sweden.
- 3
vara sjukskriven
to be signed off sick
Tip: lit. 'be sick-written' — by a doctor, with sick pay.
- 4
successiv återgång
a phased return
Tip: lit. 'gradual return' — the standard rehabilitation model.
- 5
jobba deltid en period
to work part time for a while
Tip: lit. the same.
- 6
varningssignaler
warning signs
Tip: lit. the same.
- 7
strunta i signalerna
to ignore the signals
Tip: lit. the same.
- 8
vara pressad
to be under pressure
Tip: lit. the same.
- 9
ha för mycket på sitt bord
to have too much on your plate
Tip: lit. 'have too much on one's table'.
- 10
arbetsbelastningen är orimlig
the workload is unreasonable
Tip: lit. the same.
- 11
aldrig kunna släppa jobbet
to never switch off
Tip: lit. 'never be able to let go of work'.
- 12
kolla mejlen i sängen
to check email in bed
Tip: lit. the same.
- 13
vara ständigt nåbar
to be always available
Tip: lit. the same.
- 14
sätta gränser
to set boundaries
Tip: lit. the same.
- 15
säga nej för en gångs skull
to say no for once
Tip: lit. the same — genuinely hard for many.
- 16
delegera
to delegate
Tip: lit. the same.
- 17
be om hjälp i tid
to ask for help in time
Tip: lit. the same.
- 18
företagshälsovården
the occupational health service
Tip: lit. the same — most Swedish employers have one.
- 19
en rehabiliteringsplan
a rehabilitation plan
Tip: lit. the same — the employer is legally required to make one.
- 20
prata med chefen
to talk to your manager
Tip: lit. the same.
- 21
ha dåligt samvete för att vila
to feel guilty about resting
Tip: lit. 'have a bad conscience for resting'.
- 22
vila är en del av jobbet
rest is part of the work
Tip: lit. the same.
- 23
återhämtning tar lång tid
recovery takes a long time
Tip: lit. the same — months, not weeks.
- 24
ett steg fram, två tillbaka
one step forward, two back
Tip: lit. the same.
- 25
komma tillbaka starkare
to come back stronger
Tip: lit. the same.
- 26
det drabbar de mest kompetenta
it happens to the most capable people
Tip: lit. the same — and it's true.
- 27
du är inte ensam om det
you're not alone in this
Tip: lit. the same.
- 28
en stressreaktion
a stress reaction
Tip: lit. the same.
- 29
kroppsliga symtom
physical symptoms
Tip: lit. the same — it shows in the body first.
- 30
hjärtklappning
heart palpitations
Tip: lit. the same.
- 31
spänningshuvudvärk
tension headaches
Tip: lit. the same.
- 32
magbesvär
stomach trouble
Tip: lit. the same.
- 33
minnesproblem
memory problems
Tip: lit. the same — a classic warning sign.
- 34
tappa ord mitt i meningen
to forget words mid-sentence
Tip: lit. the same.
- 35
gråta över ingenting
to cry over nothing
Tip: lit. the same.
- 36
inte känna någonting alls
to feel nothing at all
Tip: lit. the same — the other version.
- 37
tappa lusten till allt
to lose interest in everything
Tip: lit. the same.
- 38
en läkare som tar det på allvar
a doctor who takes it seriously
Tip: lit. the same.
- 39
sjukintyg i två veckor först
a sick note for two weeks first
Tip: lit. the same — then it's extended.
- 40
ofta månader, inte veckor
often months, not weeks
Tip: lit. the same.
- 41
göra ingenting alls i början
to do nothing at all at first
Tip: lit. the same — that's the treatment.
- 42
en promenad, sen en affär, sen ett fik
a walk, then a shop, then a coffee
Tip: lit. the same — rebuilding in small steps.
- 43
en rehabkoordinator
a rehabilitation coordinator
Tip: lit. the same — the region provides one.
- 44
ett avstämningsmöte
a meeting with employer and doctor
Tip: lit. the same.
- 45
tjugofem procent till att börja med
twenty-five percent to start
Tip: lit. the same — a phased return.
- 46
gå tillbaka för fort
to go back too fast
Tip: lit. the same — the commonest mistake.
- 47
och hamna på ruta ett igen
and to end up back at square one
Tip: lit. the same.