Your job is a drag, your co-workers are baboons and your favorite movie is “Office Space.”
Ever considered that you might be the one with the problem?
Work burnout – that persistent, nagging feeling that you loathe the hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. – may not be a clinical disorder, but it is serious. About three-fourths of workers will experience it at one time or another, according to some studies.
Five ways to battle burnout
1. Prevention is key: Tend to your spirit, stay physically fit, have a life outside of work, get plenty of rest and avoid alcohol and drugs. If you’re in good health, work doesn’t overwhelm your life, said Dr. Alan Shelton, a burnout veteran. “People probably get tired of hearing ‘exercise,”‘ said mental health counselor Wallace Goelzer, but it’s for a reason: Exercise helps ease tension and keeps the body and mind happier.
2. Meditate, pray, practice yoga or relax daily: Shelton starts his day by meditating to get connected with what he calls “the Divine.” The important thing, he said, is to feed your spirit frequently.
Mental health counselor Wallace Goelzer said research has shown that meditation leads to a more productive day. Make it a priority, and you’ll begin to feel more balanced, which brings us to …
3. Prioritize: There are more demands on our time than ever at work now, from constant e-mail to instant messaging to a greater workload, Goelzer said. To avoid getting overwhelmed, he recommends prioritizing your workload at the beginning of the day, then reassessing later if necessary. By creating priorities, you can better judge, for example, if you should be replying to a friend’s e-mail while you’re on deadline. (The answer is no.)
4. Breathe: When Shelton is put in a particularly taxing situation, he has a simple exercise. “It’s really important to just pause, take a breath and think about your breath. That sort of centers you,” he said. Then pray or meditate. When he’s calm, he tries to “respond to whatever it is out of a place of wisdom and love rather than out of a place of reactivity.” 5. Consider the root of the problem: If you’ve tried everything and you’re still feeling anxiety over work, maybe your job really is the problem. Goelzer stressed the importance of using your support network of family and friends to help develop an action plan and support you in your efforts. You might also consider contacting a therapist if the problem persists.
Twelve signs of burnout
1. Do you wake up tired first thing in the morning?
2. Have you lost the feelings of satisfaction, accomplishment and enjoyment that originally inspired you to choose your present job or profession?
3. Are you more irritable and impatient than usual? Do you often feel, “I’m not myself”?
4. Do your co-workers frequently ask you, “Are you all right?” or inquire whether something’s wrong?
5. Does taking a vacation give you a temporary sense of relief, but as soon as you return to work you feel tired and have no energy or enthusiasm for work?
6. Do you take longer lunches and breaks than you used to? Is it hard to make yourself go back to work once you’re on lunch or a break?
7. Does life seem like “all work and no play”?
8. Do you often feel overwhelmed and too tired to do your work?
9. Do you look for excuses to stop what you’re doing (procrastinate), and do you welcome interruptions?
10. Do you spend time doing nonwork activities so you won’t have to face your work?
11. When you’re doing your work, is it accompanied by a feeling of inescapable fatigue?
12. Do you daydream about “running away” and quitting your job?
– If you answered “yes” to three or more of the questions, you should consider taking action to reduce your stress at work.
– Four to seven “yes” answers means your attitude at work is suffering and serious burnout is on the horizon, so you should take action now.
– Eight or more “yes” answers means you’re experiencing acute burnout and should seek help immediately.
