Leadership Skills

Burnout

Those who are labelled as "burned out" are those people who cannot function as they previously were functioning because of increased pressure from themselves or other people. Burnout causes a person to be emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted from not coping well under stress. It does not happen suddenly, and it slowly grows until the person sees no point in continuing.

Signs of Burnout

Some common signs of burnout are:

• Feeling overwhelmed. These are thoughts that there is too much to do, and you cannot make an impact on anything.
• Exhaustion or fatigue. This is more than decreasing energy, and it grows more each week until the person is both physically and mentally exhausted.
• Insomnia. Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. This compounds the exhaustion.
• Change in appetitie. Some people lose their appetite, and some others overeat. Weight loss or gain.
• Withdrawal or detachment. Pulling away from or feeling unconnected with people, work, activities, or community.
• Forgetfulness, hopelessness, or pessisism. A negative or uncaring attitude about self, work, projects, or the future.
• Anger, anxiety, or depression. Emotional changes reflecting the pressure.

Burnout will not simply ride the course and go away; you must take action. In the workplace, burnout is seen as a lack of taking care of yourself, and you do not want to have that label.

To assess you current burnout level, go to Oprah's site and take the Fried assessment. It is a fairly short assessment, and at the end, you will see your result and some suggestions. You may want to save or print the results for future use.

Causes of Burnout

There are many causes of stress and burnout, but below are some workplace related causes.

• Dysfunctional workplace
• Office politics
• Unclear job expectations
• Lack of control over your work
• Insufficient skills for the tasks
• Poor management
• Inefficient systems
• Lack of a clear communications structure
• Different values systems
• No social support system

Recovering from or Preventing Burnout

Here are some things you can do to recover from or prevent burnout:

• Start and end your day with routines.
  • Begin with some type of activity to get you focused. That could be meditation, yoga, journal writing, reading, or walking.
  • End your day clearing up your thoughts.
• Monitor what you eat and drink.
• Make sleep a priority. Create a bedtime routine to trigger your body that it is time for sleep.
• Develop an exercise plan. This can be anything from walking, aerobics, or weight lifting, but devote time to some regular activity. During that time, do not think about work.
• Discuss work goals and expections with supervisor. Too often we think that our supervisors know what we are doing, but that is often not the case. Take the time to outline what you are doing and go to your supervisor for guidance; that is a supervisor's role.
• Identify coping strategies. These are the little things that you could do to deal better within a situation. For some people, it could be taking a deep breath or a short walk to sort things out; For other people, it could be eliminating negative self-talk and buckling down to finish the work. Figure out what works best for you, and then remember to do it.
• Set boundaries. Remember to have some balance between your work and your life. Compartmentalize both of these. Too many busy people neglect taking care of themselves when there is too much work to do. Take the time for yourself, and do not think about work during that time.
• Maintain a positive attitude. Instead of dwelling on what cannot be accomplished, focus on doing a good job on those tasks that can be completed.
• Take a vacation. This is probably what you would pick last, but taking a few days for yourself will allow you to recuperate and come back invigorated. At least you will have a fresh, rested perspective on the work.
• Talk to a health professional. Do not wait until you are burned out. Find a local health professional and ask for guidance.