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To get a good job, it is no longer enough just to do a test task well and show that you are a competent specialist. Employers want to see that you really “burn” with your work and are eager to join their team. They can be understood. But why is such excessive enthusiasm dangerous for you?
Burned-burned – and burned out
“Burnout” is another buzzword. On the one hand, it managed to set the teeth on edge for many, and on the other hand, it is used by the majority to the point and out of place. “Something I burned out,” say those who have not had a day at work or who have simply not been on vacation for a long time. (Apparently, these are the same people who “had such a terrible depression for two whole hours! ..” and who label everyone they don’t like “toxic”, but this is not about that.)
In fact, burnout is a serious problem that negatively affects health, interferes with being happy, and generally reduces the quality of life of those who are prone to it.
Signs of burnout:
physical and emotional exhaustion (here and chronic fatigue, and insomnia, and deterioration in attention and concentration, and loss of appetite, and constant colds);
a persistent feeling of one’s own inefficiency, a feeling that nothing can be achieved;
cynicism and detachment in relation to work and duties, which until recently were “lit”.
Sounds like symptoms of chronic stress, right? So it is: stress and burnout differ, in fact, by the “degree of heat”. And the saddest thing is that in most cases a person realizes what happened to him too late, already “burned to the ground.” And the recovery in this case can take months, or even years.
“I’ll prove it to you all!”
But how do we even get to such a life? At what point does something go wrong and our initial work enthusiasm becomes “fuel” for future burnout? To understand this, it is useful to understand how our relationship with work develops in general.
12 phases of professional burnout
They were identified by the American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. And if you carefully analyze the list below, it will not be difficult to find the answer:
An irresistible desire to prove oneself, to demonstrate one’s value as an employee, to “wipe one’s nose” with the best of the best.
Work above the norm and the inability to “turn off”.
Neglect of own needs: at this stage, the employee begins to eat less, does not get enough sleep, neglects family and friends.
Repression of problems: a person prefers not to notice that he is overworking and experiencing stress.
Reassessment of values: all former hobbies and hobbies fade into the background, friends and relatives are forgotten, everything is replaced by work.
Denial of emerging problems: at this stage, a person can become intolerant, begin to consider his colleagues stupid, lazy, incompetent and undisciplined, criticize them, show aggression. It seems that all the problems are only because of the pressure at work, and not because life has changed.
Looking for ways to relieve stress – often alcohol or drugs become them.
Behavioral changes that concern not only colleagues, but also family members and relatives.
Depersonalization: a person ceases to consider himself and others valuable, ceases to listen to his desires, emotions and needs, but only performs his functions.
A feeling of inner emptiness that a person is trying to fill with food, alcohol, sex.
Depression, feeling lost and insecure; the future seems hopeless and hopeless.
Actually, the burnout syndrome: a once productive employee experiences a mental and psychic collapse, and often the support of a specialist is required to cope with all this.
Do you remember how it all began?
That’s right – from those very “burning eyes”, from the desire to prove oneself and prove something to someone. We are so fascinated by the new job, we want to show the employer so much that he hired us for a reason, that we can really change something in the company, that we take on any task, take on too much, completely forgetting about personal boundaries and about that resources actually need to be replenished.
The number of ways to replenish these resources is also gradually decreasing, because our work is too important to waste our time on friends and hobbies.
“Emotional burnout in the profession occurs in a situation of uneven distribution of periods of work and rest,” confirms clinical psychologist Victoria Ivannikova. – Yes, the first stage of work in a new place can initially provide a resource and pleasure. However, our body is designed in such a way that we cannot constantly invest, make efforts and give away without receiving anything in return, including rest and pleasure.
What do we give to work? Memory, attention, thinking… The brain is constantly working, solving new problems, adapting to new “input data”. And, if you do not give him a rest, the entire nervous system is depleted, the thresholds of sensitivity are reduced. A person becomes irritable, emotional, sleep patterns are disturbed, immunity is reduced … “
“We burn out when we give more strength and energy than we receive and replenish”
“Often, behind this is insufficient internal self-worth and attitude towards oneself as a “function,” agrees with a colleague Gestalt therapist Aleftina Shaulskaya. – This particular role a person considers the most important. This attitude can be changed by long-term practice of self-compassion and attention to your needs.
Unfortunately, we live in a world of narcissistic values where achievement, productivity, efficiency, and positivity are very important. Overtime and fatigue are respected by the public, while the need for rest is considered even something “shameful”. But the truth is that the body and psyche do not have “wrong” and “unnecessary” needs, and it is important to be able to listen to them and satisfy them in time.
By the way, there are different classifications of burnout, and according to one of them, those “burning eyes” are just the first stage. It all starts with them.”
We rise from the ashes
As we mentioned earlier, the good news is that you can recover from burnout. But for this, of course, you will need to radically change your lifestyle, restore balance between work and everything else.
How to do it?
“The first necessary measure is the organization of recreation, and not for the standard two weeks, but longer,” Aleftina Shaulskaya believes. – And as soon as you manage to restore your strength, you will have to make a serious review of your schedule and scope of tasks. It is important to learn how to adequately assess your health and energy levels and plan tasks in accordance with them.
“Be sure to take a break from those work activities that waste resources”
“During the working day, take breaks to just sit with your eyes closed, go out for a breath of air, listen to your favorite song on your headphones,” adds Victoria Ivannikova. – And, of course, do in your non-working hours what relaxes you, fills you up and allows you to recover. The sooner you realize that rest is really vital, the sooner you will learn to keep yourself in balance and an energetic, filled state.
In addition, do not neglect the needs of the body: watch your diet and ensure that it is healthy and complete, do not forget to follow the drinking regimen. If you get so carried away with work that you forget about everything, set yourself reminders that it’s time to eat or drink water.
“When forces appear, it will be important to explore the “holes” into which energy flows”
“It can be too much workload, loss of interest in work, overwhelming responsibility, difficulties with a particular team, inappropriate corporate culture and a mismatch between human values and company values, or too intense communication with clients, patients …
Each burnout story is individual, and it is important to investigate – on your own or with a specialist – why this happened in your particular case, ”says Aleftina Shaulskaya.
Yes, right now you may not leave the feeling that your enthusiasm, passion and energy “burned out” in the flame of stress, but it only seems so. In fact, their source is still within you. And if the body is allowed to recover, a flame will flare up again from smoldering coals. But not a violent fire that devours you, but a steady, even fire that will warm you and illuminate everything around with its light.
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