Burnout is very common in our societies now, and it is no accident. The values ​​of performance and productivity as well as the quest for profit are omnipresent. On an individual level, it is therefore important to seek a balance between professional, family and personal life. This is up to you, even if work organization problems are obviously a shared responsibility with your employer and your colleagues.

No one is immune to burnout. In my opinion, here as elsewhere, it is much better to prevent the burnout than having to look after him. We must therefore quickly detect the first physical and psychological symptoms related to stress (fatigue, demotivation, irritability, loss of self-confidence, anxiety, sleep disorders, etc.). It is therefore necessary to seek the best possible social support in the workplace, to try to bring about profitable transformations in the organization of work and, above all, to learn to set personal limits. No one else can do it.

If you are suffering from burnout, it will be really important to take advantage of the leave from work to not only rest, but also to make the real changes that will allow you to regain a sense of control over your life. This step is essential. You must therefore find out the reasons which led to this exhaustion. To do this, consulting a psychologist is often very helpful.

D^r Jacques Allard, MD, FCMFC