Burnout, the illness of our era.

Burnout is a term that we hear used more and more lately as our lives become busier, more stressful and we have more and more expectations placed on us.
Hence it is no wonder that so many people are suffering and struggling to cope.
Just a few days ago a dear friend shared with me that they felt they were burning out.
The term is usually related to work but I believe (and this is just my belief), that it can also be loosely used to describe any situation in which we find ourselves exhausted and floundering.
This blog will focus on burnout from work but may also be useful in other causes of "burnout."


So what is burnout?


Officially, job burnout is classified as a special type of job stress — a state of physical, emotional or mental exhaustion combined with doubts about your competence and the value of your work.


Signs that you may be experiencing burnout.


Have you become cynical or critical at work?
Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started once you arrive?
Have you become irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers or clients?
Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?
Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?
Do you feel disillusioned about your job?
Are you using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel?
Have your sleep habits or appetite changed?
Feel that every day at work is a bad day.
Feel exhausted much of the time.
Feel no joy or interest in your work, or even feel depressed by it.
Feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities.
Feel hopeless about your life or work.
Find yourself worrying about work even when you are not there.
Experience physical symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, sleeplessness, headaches or heart palpitations. (Make sure that you see your doctor about these!)


If you answered yes to many of these then you may be personally experiencing burnout.
Often we are too busy to even take the time to work out why we feel so stressed and do not even realize what may be happening to us.


What causes job burnout?

Job burnout can result from various factors, including:
Lack of control.
Unclear job expectations. 
Dysfunctional workplace dynamics. .
Mismatch in values.
Poor job fit.
Extremes of activity.
Lack of social support.
Work-life imbalance


What can I do about these?
Take a Vacation or Leave of Absence
Reassess Your Goals and evaluate your options
Practice Positive Thinking
Try and adjust your attitude
Seek support from a counselor, your doctor, your health center or your minister
You may want to discuss your options with a career advisor
I strongly suggest that you see your doctor anyway to rule out any physical causes and/or mental health problems
Look after yourself (which we will discuss below)
Say "No", Politely (which we will also discuss below)




Ways to look after yourself.
Healthy diet and regular exercise
Regular sleep patterns and quality sleep
Manage your stress, use relaxation techniques, breathing exercises and/or meditation on a regular basis
Try and cut down on alcohol, nicotine or other drugs
Talk to someone you trust
Make sure you have quality time with your family and friends
Make sure that you have time out on your own


How to say no.


Learning to say no can be one of the hardest things to do.
We have this misguided perception that we need to say yes to most things.
Often if you can be assertive your situation will change.
I'd like to share with you what I share with my clients.
This is called the Bill of Personal Rights and applies to every one of us.


The Bill of Personal Rights


I have the right to say no to requests or demands I can't meet.
I have the right to express all of my feelings, positive or negative.
I have the right to change my mind.
I have the right to make mistakes and not have to be perfect.
I have the right to follow my own standards and standards.
I have the right to say no to anything when I feel I am not ready, it is unsafe, or it violates my values.
I have the right to determine my own priorities.
I have the right not to be responsible for others' behavior, actions, feelings, or problems.
I have the right to expect honesty from others.
I have the right to be angry at someone I love.
I have the right to be uniquely myself.
I have the right to feel scared and say "I'm scared."
I have the right to say "I don't know."
I have the right not to give excuses or reasons for my behavior.
I have the right to make decisions based on my feelings.
I have the right to my own needs for personal space and time.
I have the right to be playful and frivolous.
I have the right to be healthier than those around me.
I have the right to be in a non abusive environment.
I have the right to make friends and be comfortable around people.
I have the right to change and grow.
I have the right to have my needs and wants respected by others.
I have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
I have the right to be happy.


You may find it beneficial to write these out on a poster and place it where you can see it every day.


Hopefully the above information will help you if you are experiencing burnout symptoms.
If you would like more support and/or information, please visit my website below to see how I can help you.


Also if you have any suggestions about things that have helped you that may also help others, please feel free to share them, as the above lists are guidelines only.
Often we can learn more from those who have experienced things, than from any text book.


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