You must have felt it at some point in your life. Maybe it was that impossible deadline or the fact that you haven’t had a break in so long, but being an adult in today’s world means a burnout is inevitable. It’s especially true among “I can do everything” personalities.
It is estimated that 57% of tech employees are suffering from a job burnout. And several millennial women are experiencing a job burnout even before they turn 30!
What Is A Burnout?
When you feel like you can’t function normally, both physically and mentally, you are probably going through a burnout. It doesn’t happen all of a sudden, it always creeps in slowly. It gradually builds up as high-achievers try to power through all their responsibilities, without a break, and taking on more stress. It’s a constant state of chronic stress. You feel cynical about the future, stressed, and overwhelmed all the time.
Are There Types Of A Burnout?
1. Overload Burnout
Just as the name suggests, an overload burnout is when you have too many responsibilities piled on top of each other and you try to power your way through, compromising your health. You work harder and fiercer, without pacing yourself properly. This is most commonly seen in stressful working conditions. People also compromise their personal life in the pursuit of constantly performing well.1
2. Neglect Burnout
This kind of burnout is because of a lack of dedication that comes from past experiences or just feeling helpless at work. This sort of behavioral disengagement is adopted as a coping strategy to work stress.
3. Under-Challenge Burnout
This type of burnout comes when people feel they are stuck in monotonous jobs that lead to no satisfaction. They feel indifferent and have very low levels of dedication because they aren’t intellectually stimulated anymore.
4. Study Burnout
Though a burnout is mostly seen among professionals, students experience it as well. This happens when you have a lot to study and you are coupling it with lack of sleep as well as poor eating habits. You gradually feel like you can’t absorb any more information and as a result, you have a decline in academic performance.
Signs You Need To Watch Out For
1. You Are Constantly Tired
One of the main signs of a burnout is constant fatigue. This isn’t limited to physical exhaustion but you are emotionally and mentally tired as well. You feel like all your energy has been completely used up.
2. You Feel Confused
Trying to read something but can’t seem to focus or grasp it? This cognitive blur is another common sign of a burnout. Making a decision, thinking, responding – all your cognitive functions are taken a hit. You also forget things easily and find it hard to recollect things.
3. You Aren’t Taking Care Of Yourself
Everybody needs a little time for themselves. But if you are constantly under stress, you don’t have time to take care of yourself. You aren’t sleeping enough, your eating habits become poor, and you don’t take enough rest.
4. You Neglect Your Friends And Family
Because your thoughts are only about finishing work, you hardly have time for your friends and family. And when you do, you end up having fights or have no impatience for normal conversations. The line between work life and personal life is very faded.
5. You Have A Lot Of Negative Feelings
You feel frustrated, cynical, sad, and angry most times. And you pour these feelings into your work, conversations, and the air around you. Because of this, you feel extremely dissatisfied with your work life and personal life.
What Can You Do?
While it’s important that you put passion into your career, it’s equally important that you put the same love in taking care of yourself as well. Your emotional and physical health should never take a backseat on the way to success. This is what you can do.
1. Work On Your Life Instead Of Your Job
You need to build your after-work life and learn to unplug. Follow the office timings strictly. Find a hobby and make time for that. Or go out with your friends frequently. An active social life is extremely healthy for your emotional state and it can do wonders for your happiness.
2. Get Enough Sleep
Experts recommend sleeping for 7-8 hours every night. Sleeping for less than 6 hours on an average will only make it harder to recover from a burnout. It helps to sleep and wake up at a particular time every day.
3. Organize Everything
Never underestimate the power of a good clean up! Get your responsibilities in order, prioritize things, create a to-do list and stick to it all the time.
4. Pamper Yourself
Book a spa appointment, get a massage, go traveling, do something adventurous – do something that feeds your happy hormones. Remember what made used to make you happy when you were a kid? Do that!
If your environment still makes it difficult to relax, it’s probably time to move on.
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