Work Burnout
Table of Contents
Disclaimer: If you have any questions about your overall health and wellness, always seek professional help.
Do you sometimes feel extremely exhausted at work and have lost all productivity? You may be experiencing burnout. Sometimes things get so intense that it starts to affect you a lot.
Job burnout is actually a type of stress. Like all stresses, it exhausts people both physically and mentally and can manifest itself in various ways. Work burnout especially makes you feel unsuccessful and lowers self-confidence.
It should be kept in mind that the concept of burnout isn’t a medical concept. Experts concerned with this issue suggest that it may be a form of depression.
In this article, we’ll examine the concept of job burnout for you. Because no matter what reason you’re experiencing this, burnout affects you physically and mentally, causing negative developments in your life. Thanks to this article, you can discover whether you’re experiencing job stress, and if you’re suffering from it, you can start looking for a solution.
What Is Workplace Burnout?
Work burnout is a type of stress. What’s distinctive about job burnout is that it’s a type of work-related stress. This stress causes a decrease in the sense of achievement in the work and causes a loss of personal identity. It can be said to be exactly a state of emotional exhaustion related to work.
Burnout has been officially classified as a medical diagnosis by the World Health Organization (WHO), which includes the condition in the International Classification of Diseases as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed."
Job Burnout Symptoms
Job burnout can manifest itself in various ways. These can be physical or mental or both. In some cases, it’s very obvious, while in some cases you may not be aware that you’re experiencing job burnout. To understand the burnout symptoms, there are some questions you can ask yourself, such as:
- Do you have problems such as constant headaches, or stomach or intestinal pain?
- Do you resort to things like food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better?
- How is your sleep pattern? Have you had any sleep problems lately?
- Do you feel successful?
- How do you feel about your job? Does it live up to your expectations or do you wish you were somewhere else? Or, would you rather do another job?
- How is your focus? How long can you take care of a task?
- Have you been productive at work lately? Or, do you suddenly feel sluggish when you’re trying to be productive?
- How do you get along with your colleagues and customers? Are you having trouble communicating?
- Has it become an ordeal for you to wake up every morning and go to work?
- How do you behave at work? For example, how do you think people around you describe you?
Write these questions down on a piece of paper and answer yourself. When you look at your answers to these questions, you can have an idea about whether you’re experiencing job burnout or not. It should be noted that because work burnout can also be a form of depression, you may want to consider seeking professional help if you’re not feeling well. You can go to therapy or see a psychiatrist.
Possible Causes of Job Burnout
So, what can cause job burnout? We’ll list a few reasons below. There may be some of these, but it should be kept in mind that there may be other reasons as well.
Lack of Work-life Balance
If you’re overloaded with work and it has reached a level that it’ll affect your social life, you may be experiencing job burnout. When there’s no balance in life, one gets very tired. If you work a lot and this causes you to not spend time with your family, and your friends, the risk of having work burnout increases.
Incorrect Job Expectations
If you feel like your job isn’t meeting expectations, that could be a reason too. It can be any expectation and it's not being met. For example, the job may not meet your expectations. Maybe you want to do another job or at another company. Or, there may be an issue with your performance. You want to do a lot of work, but you’re not able to do it because of the intensity, this can happen. Or, it could be against your supervisor. If you don’t get along very well with your supervisor, you may feel like you’re not meeting his/her expectations.
Colleagues
Unfortunately, not all companies are perfect. Sometimes coworkers can be very annoying. They can even be bullying. This is a very tiring situation. This can make you feel powerless and it can be a cause of work burnout.
Overworking
When you have too many tasks on you all the time, it’s very common to feel exhausted after a while. This is also true in the opposite case. You can experience the same feeling when you have no task on you. So, as in almost every field, balance is very important in this field as well. In case of a lack of balance, burnout may occur.
Lack of Social Life
A person needs to see and spend time with their loved ones, albeit occasionally. This is one of the most important steps to one's well-being. If you have this deficiency in your life, this may be one of the reasons for work burnout.
Consequences of Job Burnout
If you’re experiencing work-related stress and you’re not aware of it or you’re ignoring it, unfortunately, it can have bad consequences for you physically or mentally. These could be:
- Extreme stress in your personal life
- Depression
- Sleep problems
- Extreme emotional states (extreme sadness, extreme irritability, etc.)
- Disposition to use alcohol or drugs
- Overeating or loss of appetite
- Heart diseases
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Lowered immunity
How To Deal With Job Burnout
So, what should you do when you realize that you’re experiencing burnout and job-related stress? Before we move on to our recommendations, we should point out that if you realize that your problems are serious, first of all, you need to talk to a specialist. If you think you’re just the beginning and you think what can I do, here are some suggestions for you:
Evaluate the Possibilities
If there’s someone you can talk to about your concerns and chronic workplace stress, contact them. This could be your supervisor on the job. We hope that at some point they’ll understand you…Even a change in your position may be made. Or, there may be a change in the responsibilities assigned to you. It’ll do you good to even discuss this and consider options. Set goals and try to achieve them.
Get Help
There’s nothing better than spending time with loved ones most of the time. Try to do this. Try to spend time with your loved ones and relatives. If you like your co-workers and they feel good about you, try to do the same with them. For example, how about offering to try a new place for lunch when you go to work one day? It’s not just good for you, it’s good for all of you. Moreover, sometimes people feel good when they help those around them. Also, if your company has a support program, you might want to consider taking advantage of it.
Try To Do Something Relaxing
You may need some relaxation. Try to do things that’ll relax you and make you feel good. This can be something different for everyone. For example, if doing yoga is good for you, do it. For some, it’s good to take a walk. What you have to do is find what works for you, what relaxes you, and do it at least 2 days a week.
Do Sports
Doing sports is really good for your physical and mental health. Therefore, try to include sports in your daily routine, even for a short time. Rest assured it’ll be good for you. You’ll notice that you cope with stress better when you start doing sports. You’ll also be keeping your mind off work for a bit. Plug in your headphones and enjoy!
Sleep Well
One of the best things you can do to feel good about yourself and avoid burnout in daily life is to try to sleep well. Try to sleep at least 7-8 hours a night. Try to stay away from things that interrupt your sleep. You can research and take advantage of some things that’ll help you sleep well at night. This can be to take advantage of the power of scents or listen to relaxing music while going to bed.
Awareness
It’s one of the most difficult ones, but one of the best for you and your well-being. Try to be aware of how you feel. This habit will enable you to realize how you feel in daily life, and how you react to events, and change them as you wish.
Learn To Say No
You don’t have to do things at work that don’t belong in your job description. If someone is giving you a task that you don’t want to do and you don’t have a job to do, it’s okay to politely say no.
Conclusion
First of all, if you’re aware of work burnout, you’re in luck! Many people go days, months, or even years without noticing this condition. Remember that this isn’t something you can’t get over. You can start with the tips we give you in the article to get through it. You know that you’re stronger than work burnout!
We hope this article will be of use to you and you’ll feel better. Good luck on this journey!
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FAQ
What are the five symptoms of burnout?
We can specify the five symptoms of burnout as follows:
- High anxiety
- Sleep disorders
- Feeling tired all the time
- Lack of productivity
- Emotional ups and downs
Should you quit your job if you have burnout?
It depends on whether you really like your job or not. Sometimes yes. Sometimes the best thing to do is quit the job. Sometimes just following some tips or taking a short break from work is the solution. Otherwise, your mental health can be affected, too.
How long can job burnout last?
It depends on you and how you go through this process. Sometimes it takes a year, sometimes it takes years. However, there are studies that say that recovery is possible between one year and three years in general.
How do I know if I’m burnout?
Burnout can manifest itself physically or emotionally. You may realize that you’re experiencing burnout from the decrease in your sense of excitement. You no longer enjoy activities that you normally find enjoyable. You may be in a state of pessimism.
Is burnout temporary or permanent?
It’s often temporary. Once the person realizes this emotion and starts trying to eliminate it, it disappears. But you’d better to a specialist if you feel like it’s affecting your mental health or if there are physical symptoms.
What is the final stage of burnout?
The final stage is habitual burnout. It means you’ve taken it for granted now and you’re used to living with it.
Can an employer fire you for burnout?
Normally you shouldn’t be fired. But unfortunately, this can happen. The reason is often cited as poor job performance.