Managing Job Burnout
Burnout is a human reaction to chronic job stress. It refers to physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by extreme workload. This condition is likely to occur when you are overworked and/or are emotionally drained and overwhelmed because of not feeling appreciated at work, no matter how hard you are working. You may feel inefficient or unable to meet the expectations of your workplace. It causes continuous mental stress which hampers your motivation and interest to work hard. The three main dimensions of burnout are:
· Exhaustion
· Cynicism or less recognition on the job
· Reduced professional ability and interest
Burnout decreases your productivity and drains your work energy, leaving you feeling hopeless, helpless, and resentful. You are likely to feel that you don’t have anything more to give, and your mind and body is taken over by negative thoughts and feelings. You feel so exhausted all the time that you cannot put any energy into your work. Headaches, body aches, frequent illnesses, trouble sleeping, difficulty focusing, and emotional breakdowns are common during burnout. It is likely to affect your progress at work, and you may lose the job in the long run.
If you are stressing over work and feeling burned out, you can do something about it. Here some potential tips that can help you to manage burnout. So, let’s begin.
How to manage burnout?
The best way to deal with the situation is the “3-R” approach, which is recognize, reverse, and resilience. Recognize your situation by looking for the warning signs. Reverse or undo the damage by finding emotional support. Finally, build your resilience to stress through self-care help. Here is what you can do.
· Seek emotional support
Stress is only painful when you keep it with you. When you start talking it out, it will bother you less. It is healthy to ask for help. You can turn to people who are close to you or who you trust. Tell them about your problems – just talk to them. Humans are social creatures, and social contact is great antidote to stress. The person listening to you might not be able to fix your situation but can help you vent, and venting is a great stress reliever.
· Shift your perspective about your job
When your mind is loaded with negative thoughts about your job, look for something positive. Try to find some meaning and value in your work. Figure out ways through which you can add value to the project or business. Concentrate on the job aspects that you enjoy the most. Socialize with your coworkers; doing so can improve your mood and frame of mind. Stay away from negative people so that negative thoughts stay away.
· Develop a healthy routine after work
When you are not working, make time to do something that you enjoy. Engage in a hobby, like reading, painting, listening to or playing music, collecting interesting rocks, writing, crocheting, building model airplanes, gardening – it can be anything. Cook healthy food and get good sleep. Take out time for yourself. Try meditation or yoga or take a hot bath or shower. Try to move your body and/or get some exercise because physical activity helps reduce stress. Doing these things will help reduce work-related stress and will help create work/life balance.
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