Burnout  in Job

“What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare”

–William Davies

You are always busy, running errands to meet your daily needs and that of your significant others. But do you even think once, how much of yourself and your life you are losing in the process? When did you last sit down to have a hearty conversation with your friend or spouse or children? Can’t think of it? You have high chances of soon experiencing a burnout.

What is a burnout?

Unlike Bipolar disorder or depression, burnout is not mentioned in any diagnostic manual. There are no clear symptoms to find out that you are having a burnout but there are some generally accepted indicators for the same. Many researchers are of the view that prolonged stress, depression, anxiety, fear or any other underlying mental fight could lead to a burnout. Physiological stress can also produce a burnout. As the name suggests, burnout is the complete depletion or exhaustion of mental or physical energy.

Symptoms to  assess a state of burnout:

Physiological signs:  This includes general fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, difficulty breathing, heart-related problems, loss of appetite etc, get yourself assessed by a medical practitioner.

Your immune system will become weak: When your body is already coping with a huge amount of stress, all your resources will be used up and your body will become more prone to infections, allergies, diseases etc.

Anxiety: You may experience a little fear or an edgy feeling in the beginning but later your fear may become so big that you may not continue with your professional life.

The sadness of mood or depression: Again, a burnout is insidious and takes a lot of time to come to the surface. In the beginning, it feels like mild emotional fatigue, but later on getting up from the bed becomes a task. In severe cases, it can also be suicidal(consult a therapist or a doctor at this stage mandatorily)

Loss of enjoyment and pessimism: A feeling like that of a dark-coloured cloud hovering overhead. You do not enjoy things that you earlier used to and have become very critical about everything.

Interpersonal damage: You become angry too soon and that too on trivial things. You do not feel like meeting people or socializing and keep yourself out by closing your door or not going out of the home.

Decline in productivity at work: There has been a significant decline in productivity. You do not enjoy your job either. You are also absent from your work most of the days.

When will you be having a burnout?

If you are one of those high achieving individuals. You will most likely be a victim of burnout. Do you Feel overburdened continuously, keeping a long to-do list and are always under the pressure of time? This could result in a persistent exhaustion. We are all dealing with more commitments that we could manage with our physiological or psychological capacity. It is very important to care for your own needs before you could actually help or support others.  It is hard to ignore conditions like workplace conflict or meeting your deadlines but help is available.

Do an assessment of yourself before it gets late. To win the race of life, not only do you need power but more importantly you need the consistent power supply which can last till the end. It is of no use to start with a high intensity and breakdown halfway.