Do you feel apathy, fatigue at work and this feeling does not go away? And even after a full vacation, the thought of an office causes despair and disgust? Perhaps you are experiencing burnout syndrome and it is worth heeding the advice of experts.
You are used to the fact that your work is difficult and full of stressful situations, but when moderate stress stretches for an infinitely long time, it is worth diagnosing and understanding: are you just knocked down by overload or is it just emotional burnout? Of course, it is best to turn to a psychologist: diagnosing emotional burnout is a matter for professionals, but if this is not possible, pay attention to the signs that the American psychotherapist Christina Maslach cites:
- emotional lethargy and detachment in communication with others;
- negative, sometimes cynical attitude towards work and colleagues;
- growing indifference to their duties;
- feeling of own professional failure;
- unmotivated aggressiveness, dissatisfaction with oneself and others;
- deterioration of somatic condition, headaches, sleep disturbances.
If you are experiencing all of the above, then you have burnout cider, which is a problem in itself. But you can make things worse if you react in the wrong way.
When is it necessary to stop?
It is very important to understand that burnout is not always the result of excessive effort and large amounts of work. Often this condition is caused simply by the inability to control the workflow. Or the tasks that management sets for you are not difficult and interesting enough: they are simply boring to deal with. In this situation, there is a temptation to give up sports, meetings with friends and work even harder to overcome overwhelming feelings. But people are not computers, they need a breather. Excessive workload makes you unhappy, and it has a deplorable effect on the results of your work.
Tips to get out of the vicious circle
The first important step is to allow yourself to slow down and relax. “Focus on carefully calculating your strengths,” advises American psychotherapist and burnout expert Michael Leiter. Start small: take short breaks from the screen, take short walks at lunchtime, and fix your bedtime: do not allow yourself to stay on your smartphone longer than planned. Bring rhythm back into your life, alternate between intense work and problem solving at a more relaxed pace. This will give you a little boost and will be able to make more responsible and long-term decisions, including, for example, changing jobs or employers.
- Stop “motivating” yourself over and over again. If you are squeezed like a lemon, it will not help. Allow yourself negative feelings, but at the same time try to act constructively.
- Meet more often outside of work with friends who are not your colleagues: this way you will have a chance to really exhale, switch, and not reduce communication to endless complaints about work.
- If emotional burnout completely deprives you of strength, act on the principle of “step by step”. Say to yourself, “What am I doing now?” All you have to do is send one letter, hold one meeting. And then another. Etc. The tactic of small steps has a calming effect.