Be Aware of Workplace Burnout

Are you feeling constantly stressed and feeling helpless, disillusioned, and completely exhausted, you may be experiencing burnout. 

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and ongoing stress. It can occur when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. Eventually you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.

Burnout reduces your productivity and energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.

Physical

• Feeling tired most of the time
• Lowered immunity
• Frequent headaches, back pain, or muscle aches
• Change in appetite or sleep habits

Emotional

• Self-doubt
• Feeling helpless and hopeless
• Detachment
• Decreased motivation
• Increasingly negative outlook
• Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

Behaviour

• Withdrawing from responsibilities
• Isolation
• Procrastination
• Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope
• Taking out frustration on others
• Skipping class – or coming in late or leaving early

(Szigethy, 2014)

Stage One - Milder Symptoms

• Mental fatigue at the end of the day
• Feeling unappreciated, frustrated, or tense
• Physical aches or pains
• Feel like you are falling behind in work
• Dread the next day

Stage Two – Longer lasting symptoms

• More challenging to reverse symptoms
• Disillusionment about the job
• Feeling bored, apathetic, or frustrated
• Feel ruled by a schedule
• Intermittent periods of psychological/physical symptoms that last even when the provoking situation subsides
• Psychological symptoms
• Irritability, aggression, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts

Stage Three – Severe symptoms

• ·        Chronic symptoms
• ·        If left untreated, can evolve into psychiatric and physical health disorders
• ·        Severe personal consequences
• ·        Substance dependence
• ·        Shorter life expectancy
• ·        Divorce
• ·        High job turnover

• Early recognition of burnout - sometimes self-denial can occur
• Learn to self-reflect - attend to your own needs, realign goals and expectations for yourself and evaluate a typical weekly schedule and reduce or eliminate unnecessary items
• Complete a regular assessment and realignment of goals, skills, and work passions
• Exercise regularly
• Eat a well-balanced, healthy diet
• Get enough sleep
• Include daily enjoyable “timeouts”, such as yoga, mindfulness, a hobby, or meditation
• Make an appointment with a Workplace Counsellor, Mentor or Career Counsellor for support or to learn skills such at Time Management, Team Communications and how to set SMART Goals
• Build up your professional and personal support system
• Ensure you have dedicated family time, meet  with mentors to discuss setbacks, have time management strategies