The world is changing every day, fueled by the rapidly evolving pandemic. Restrictions were put in place and are being revised almost daily. It’s quite natural to become bogged down with the unchartered changes and get affected by them. You have always had a certain plan and path, and all of that has been suspended for over a year. It is kind of like being thrust into a raging sea with nothing to anchor onto. Burnout is one of the consequences of having too much and too many things on your plate in connection with your job. Right from the new normal “working from home”, to being confined within four walls can be quite challenging and hard to cope with, so it is important to tackle burnout.
This term has been grabbing the limelight a lot nowadays. Burnout is not a new word, but it has been receiving attention due to the increasing number of people who seem to be going through it recently. Here is a quick introduction.
How do you define burnout and what are its features?
Burnout is more specifically related to jobs and stress connected with it. Taking the definition from WHO, “Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Even though burnout has not been classified as a medical condition, it still needs to be given due importance.
- There are certain instances that can be regarded as warning signs of impending burnout. These include a feeling of disinterest towards your work
- Animosity towards your colleagues and the office in general
- A negative impact on your mood
- Reduction in your energy levels and inability to concentrate on the task at hand
- Development of physical symptoms like headache, bowel problems, stomach aches among others
If you have these experiences creeping into your daily life, pay attention to them and try to approach them in a constructive manner.
How do you tackle burnout?
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. The best way is to avoid burnout itself. Before you even develop any signs, you can try to be on a regular and effective work schedule, take care of your mental health, and not push yourself too much. Be aware of your limitations and strengths and design a schedule around that.
Once you feel that you are facing burnout, you can follow these hacks to overcome it.
- Understand your concerns – having an insight into your feelings is the first step. If you recognize that something is amiss, and you know what that is, it gives you a head start into the healing. Try to have an internal dialogue and come up with a reason why you are feeling exhausted or unmotivated. Thus, you will definitely be able to work out simplified solutions in tackling them.
- Seek the support of others – confide in those people with whom you are comfortable and people who would support you during trying times. You just need someone who will listen to you, be it medical professionals, mental health experts, or family and friends. Revealing your hardships to someone you trust has been found to be effective in combating burnout.
- Listen to the signs – take a break if you’re feeling overwhelmed with your duties and tasks. Continuing on a job without any interest or enthusiasm is likely to lead to more pressure and worry. Taking a quick nap, getting involved with things other than work, or engaging in your favorite pastime might just do the trick! Try practicing yoga or mindfulness to be aware of your inner self and outer stimuli, and to remain in harmony with life.
You must be aware that if you do not pay attention to the stressors, it can lead to complications. You may resort to unwanted channels of resolving, for example, increased consumption of alcohol or using recreational drugs. This can have a negative impact on your mental health, disrupt your sleep cycle and daily schedules, or make you moody.
To conclude, the rising reports of burnout are something that should be studied closely, and specific measures to support people should be planned carefully. Employers can do regular wellness checks to keep abreast of their employees’ status. If you are experiencing any features of burnout, do not hesitate to seek support if needed. It will definitely help prevent any dire consequences that can arise.
This article attempts to provide a brief idea of burnout and a few simple tricks that you could adapt to tackle burnout and conquer it!
