Contents
If every Sunday is spoiled by the painful expectation of the upcoming work week, and at the height of the working day you want to get up and leave the office aimlessly, this may indicate that you have apathy. Susan Degges-White, Professor of Psychology, tells how to recognize it and not bring yourself to complete burnout.
I have good news for you: the crushing dread of yet another excruciatingly long day at work, which we habitually refer to as “burnout”, has finally made it onto the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases list. This syndrome is officially recognized and assigned the code ICD-11. This means that the fact that a person could work so hard – physically, emotionally, intellectually or even spiritually – that, due to overload, is no longer able to continue in the same spirit, is also recognized.
Whether we are fighting “on the front lines” for the good of the nation or responding to customer complaints in the rear, whether we drive data into the database or collect information about users on the instructions of the boss, we can experience something similar to burnout.
Burnout symptoms
Research shows that burnout has been a concern since about the mid-1970s, but until recently attempts to label the condition as a disease have failed.
Now the situation has changed, and the doctor can identify burnout by three symptoms:
- feelings of emptiness and lack of energy
- increasing mental distancing from work or negativity and even cynicism towards it,
- decrease in professional efficiency – in legal terms, “bad faith in the performance of duties.”
All this is similar to the manifestations of other behavioral disorders, such as depression or anxiety. Therefore, the key to diagnosing burnout is the relationship between symptoms and work. However, relationships with work often have a strong influence on the general state, so that at first glance the boundary can be erased.
If you work from Monday to Friday, then you may feel anxious when the weekend comes to an end and a new working week looms ahead.
Hello Sunday Syndrome
In high school, my kids came up with the name “sickness,” which affects some students and adults on Sundays by mid-afternoon. The feeling of fear, despondency and anxiety associated with the end of the weekend and the upcoming start of the next school week, they called the Sunday syndrome.
While some people enjoy their last free hours and even look forward to the onset of weekdays in order to return to their favorite work, others are not able to enjoy Sunday evening because of the bad mood associated with the impending Monday. While there are no plans to make Sunday Syndrome official, it could be a sign of impending or past burnout.
Burnout or apathy?
Centuries ago, an eighth, apathy, was added to the list of the seven deadly sins or “bad thoughts”. Sometimes the monks reached a state in which they could no longer perform their daily duties. This term was first used to describe this phenomenon. The words “lazy” and “slowness” describe behavior in apathy, but do not cover the full range of emotional experiences.
These days, the symptoms of apathy resemble burnout. From a theological point of view, the loss of the ability to rejoice and enjoy comfort meant indifference to the world and the inability to appreciate and realize the existential questions of life.
“I can’t take it anymore” might be apathy
Today, apathy manifests itself in an irresistible indifference – to work, the necessary daily activities, or to any other activity that requires effort. Instead, we surf the internet, talk to a virtual assistant, or mindlessly flip the remote control. We often call it depression, even if we don’t feel sad, but just “out” from the routine. Doing simple things becomes unbearably boring.
Apathy can also appear in personal relationships if we have to put in too much effort to “really be together.” It encourages some people to flee from “real life” and hide where nothing is expected of them.
In creativity, apathy can manifest itself as “writer’s block” – a state in which it is impossible to apply a single stroke, it is not possible to write on one line or express oneself in another way. In business, it is the sudden realization that the large payment received was not worth the effort, listening to the chatter of buyers, meeting with manufacturers. It is hour after hour a growing urge to scream, “I can’t take it anymore!”
Healing Paths
When burnout, experts recommend seeking support from friends and family or a professional. Mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga, and tai chi also help bring back the lost balance. Regular exercise is necessary to maintain a normal physical and emotional state, and proper rest (first of all, healthy sleep) helps to regroup and restore internal resources. When our work obligations outweigh the duty to care for our condition, both have to be sacrificed – and to a much greater extent than could be imagined.
As with the treatment of depression, it is recommended to do everything that involves us in the process. If this is typing, then we just continue to hit the keys. If watering the garden – continue to water. And do not forget about daily walks and regular practice sessions to maintain physical fitness and control the state of mind.
The author is Susan Degges-White, professor of psychology at Northern Illinois University.