The brain does burnout, and it can plague anyone, this regardless of what type of preventative measures are taken, or how high the IQ is. Every worker on the job force is affected, some more than others. Any profession that demands a heavy workload with poor support or morale, is the ideal environment for burnout.
So the key becomes to detect the signs of burning out. The clues to look out for, such as becoming emotionally exhausted, which turns into low motivation, which results in getting less work done. Ones character changes, where they can grow bitter and cynical towards coworkers and clients.
For those who’s career is their life, don’t fret, as there are ways on how to detect and combat job burnout. So before you start to get frantic, that you’ll be robbed of your livelihood, there are methods on rekindling yourself once feeling job burnout.
Take Care Of Your Body
Your health is your first priority and strongest asset, so you need to take care of yourself above everything else. How much are you overeating, or how much wine are you drinking after work to relieve stress.
How often do you exercise, such as taking a brisk walk during lunch, this rather than eating burgers while staring at your computer screen. Make it a point to stop eating junk food, get back becoming more active by exercising, and trade in your smartphone for a nap.
Pinpoint The Issues
There are a variety of reasons to feel overwhelmed, the most common being that the workload is just too heavy. The feeling of drowning in work, working massive overtime, but still unable to catch or keep up.
Then there’s a lack of control, that you have no choice or opinion in your job duties, the overall process, or that the deadlines are impossible.
What you also feel is exploited. You feel that you’re not being rewarded appropriately for the work that you do, this in terms of pay, prestige, or job promotion.
The work environment is constantly hostile or unjust, with persistent office politics. There’s constant backstabbing with mean spirited competition among co-workers, which results in poor morale.
Wanting To Do A Good Job
What the opposite of experiencing job burnout, is job engagement, to have a long-term fulfilling career that you always dreamed of, why you went to university for. Imagine what it would take, how you would feel, to be completely engaged.
Where would you ultimately like to reach in your career. Where or what’s the ideal workplace environment. How can you take control of your work better while making your own choices, this instead of others making them for you.
Look For Better Working Standards
There are some issues, such as a work environment that’s unethical, one which doesn’t meet your values or culture, all which are intractable. Often, change is possible, so you need to ask yourself which ones.
Can you diversify your job better, or transfer to a different location or job title within the company. Justify getting an assistant, or possibly working from home couple days a week. If the problem is personnel, then suggest changes that will improve worker morale.
If you’ve done all that you can with your current job, then it’s time to make some major decisions. Think like a boss, and make some executive decisions for yourself. If everything else fails, that might be the signal to start looking for a better job, or get better education.
Shift Your Job Expectations
This without lowering them. What’s known is that one of the key causes of job burnout, is a consequence of a longstanding conflict, or a mismatch between the expectations of the job description, and the actual job duties assigned to you.
This is the reason why those who are idealistic or ambitious, are often among the first to fall victim to job related burnout. What needs to be made are some personal internal alterations.
Shift away from trying to save the world, by helping those who’ll let you. Try to aim for improvement, this rather than perfection.
Learn To Delegate Better
Delegate in this sense doesn’t mean, to dump parts of your job that you don’t like to someone else. What it means is fighting the feeling that you’re the only one, who’s able to do the task at hand.
Those who thinks that if they want something to be done right, they need to do it themselves, are the ones who exposes themselves to be more vulnerable to burnout.
Although this may be true, often, you’re the one who’s in charge. More often than not however, things can be delegated. So if you’re someone who takes on too much responsibility, try delegating better, and eventually, hopefully, see better results.
Better Time Management
Learn to diversify your time better. By the time you experience job burnout, what happens is you often become one dimensional. Your life begins to whittle down to just working, mixed in with perhaps going to the gym, while thinking you’re taking care of yourself.
Take some time out to have some fun, to do things that you want to do and enjoy, not just the things that you “should” do. Sit down and ask yourself what you enjoyed doing in the past.
Enjoy Your Time Off
Although this may appear elemental and obvious, but it’s vitally important to relax and energize yourself. If you do happen to quit your job on a Friday, don’t hit the pavement looking for a new job on Monday. Instead, take some time off.
If you can afford it, give yourself some time off to reflect, or get better educated. Do something that you really love, and commit to it.