Everything is so good! Every day is a joy! Every one of my responsibilities matters and has a clear purpose to the mission of the business!
If these statements fit your work situation, congratulations! Chances are you’re highly satisfied and productive at work.
Alternatively, are you irritable or impatient at work? Do you have physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach problems, or other physical issues? These could be indicators of burnout.
Irritability and physical issues are among the symptoms that most clearly have an effect on work. If you feel disengaged at work, but are still producing, that’s not good, but doesn’t immediately affect your health, colleagues, or customers. However, if you’re not treating people right or are physically sick, you’re not helping anyone.
What causes this? While there are many factors, the focus for this article are lack of control and work-life imbalance.
As a result of the pandemic, people are working from home. People are working in harm’s way as essential workers. People have had wages and hours cut. People have lost their jobs. For those fortunate enough to be employed, they may also be experiencing a lack of control. No control over work assignments, workload, workspace, daily schedule, or collegial consults.
For those who choose it, working from home can provide work-life balance. Presently, people are working from home, perhaps not by choice, possibly with a spouse at home, and potentially with kids who are distance learning instead of going to school. And, our dogs are living their best lives while our cats have just about had it. Even though some people are doing well to manage these situations, it does not mean that work-life balance cannot be a factor leading to burnout.
Managing factors leading to burnout is needed to maintain health and job satisfaction. People experiencing significant burnout can experience health issues such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and an increased vulnerability to illness.
How can a person respond? While many options are available, two specific issues should be attended to: health and relationships.
If you’re experiencing burnout symptoms, do your best to properly manage your nutrition, get enough sleep (recommended amount, not “I only need 2 hours a night.”), and exercise. The relationships you should foster are with your supervisor to discuss challenges with burnout and how to respond.
In addition, if you don’t have a coach or mentor, seek someone out who can fill that role. Connecting with another human being will help you talk through concerns and look toward solutions. Seeking out someone who you can complain to without addressing possible solutions will likely not help with burnout and general job satisfaction concerns. In fact, if you never address challenges, continued venting may exacerbate how badly you feel about your situation.
Fulfilling work is challenging, engaging, and purposeful. If your burnout is negating any of the good you once enjoyed in your job, it is time to take action. Ask for help. Do your best to manage your health. Be honest. Be honest with your supervisor and coach or mentor. Above all, be honest with yourself. We spend a lot of time at work, we might as well make it as good as possible!
This article is brief. Much more information can be seen at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642
Cover art by howling red found on Unsplash.