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Job Burnout: 5 Ways to Detect it and What to Do About it
When you take a step back and look at your life you see many things. You lock in on the things that you care about. Sometimes you can lock into problems like “Do I have job burnout?”
Personal growth is a big deal. While I still have a long way to go I have come a long way in my own personal growth. As Joyce Meyer often says, “I’m not where I need to be but thank God I’m not where I used to be”.
Much of my growth has been in the area of productivity expectations and perfectionism. This growth, while difficult, has changed my life.
My prayer is that this story and these tips help you to:
1) identity if you are becoming burned out or already have job burnout
2) let you know that you’re not alone and
3) let you know that there is hope.
What seems like many years ago I was leading a team tasked with implementing a hot database project. One day, one of my employees said to me “You know Mary, I’m not a robot.” Her comment has stuck with me and is one I will never forget. My first internal reaction was “I’m not asking you to be prefect I’m just asking you to give 110% everyday, like I do, and to stay until you’re done.” I read these words now and shutter at how unrealistic my expectations were…
While I had much success this wasn’t a pace that I could keep up or sustain. Overtime I became burned out. While that was a painful lesson and one hard to come back from that was not the worst part. The worst part for me was knowing that I could have contributed to someone else’s burnout earlier in my career. This has turned me into an advocate for preventing burnout in others. I am thankful for this employee who stood up to me and articulated what everyone else was thinking. We need more people like her in our world.
Over the years I’ve learned that there are 5 primary ways to detect if you’re experiencing job burnout:
1 – You’re Not Yourself: Over time you don’t recognize yourself as you’ve become consumed with the constant stress of your job. You used to be positive but now you’re negative. Your job has overtaken your personality.
2 – Exhausted: You are emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted. You could sleep for days and if you get a chance you do. The thought of prolonged work stress hasn’t entered your mind. You start to think that this is “normal”.
3 – Physical Manifestations: You’re sick more often and you are sick for longer. Your back goes out. The muscles in your neck are like rocks from the tension. Then you can’t sleep. Your doctor tells you is from stress. If you are away from work long enough all of these symptoms disappear.
4 – Numbness: One of the worst feeling in the world. Due to items 1 – 3 you are not motivated to do anything. You don’t want to hang out with friends or family or do anything you once enjoyed. You are like a robot going through life with no passion. You’re just there.
5 – Giving-Up or Escaping: Burnout breeds a lot of fear. If it goes on for long enough it can leave you curled up in a ball not being able to function and have so many sick days that you may be laid off from work. The other extreme is that you turn hostile and use the last bit of energy you have to get back at the man, your team, your family or quit your job when you have no back up.
The best thing to do when you realize that you are burned out is to take a few days off of and do something you enjoy to give your body and brain a break. Limit your overtime. Know that when you are burned out you also are not very productive. By working longer hours you are not doing anyone any favors. Once you are in a refreshed state of mind look at what your situation and decide what needs to change. Be patient with yourself as it has taken time to get to this level of burnout it will take you time to dig yourself out of it.
Note: If you have been suffering from this for a prolonged period of time get some help. Talk through this with a counselor who specializes in workplace stress, a pastor or friend. You are not alone.