Let’s face it - even if you love your career, work can still take a lot out of you, especially if you’re working long or busy hours.
If you’re feeling more anxious and less fulfilled by your work, despite giving it your all, you may be experiencing burnout. Burnout is a specific type of work-related stress, usually when somebody has been working in one role or dealing with high levels of stress at work for an extended time.
Burnout isn't an official medical condition, but rather a pattern of behaviour and symptoms that overlap with conditions like depression or anxiety.
Job burnout can seriously affect your physical and mental health. Here are some signs you should look for to determine if you’re suffering from burnout, as well as some helpful tips to address it.
1. Lack of energy
According to the Mayo Clinic, most people suffering from burnout report increased exhaustion. This can be a big challenge if you’re trying to stay alert and productive on the job, and exhaustion can negatively affect your home life and social relationships.
If you feel tired all the time, make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep at home. The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend 7 to 9 hours of good-quality sleep every night. If you’re not getting that much-needed rest, workplace stress is going to have that much more of an effect on your health which will only increase your feelings of burnout.
2. Difficulty staying productive
Along with your energy, job burnout can drain your workplace motivation as well. Those suffering from burnout often report difficulty staying on top of their projects, and may struggle to hit deadlines or fulfill their responsibilities.
If you think burnout is taking a hit out of your productivity, consider speaking with your supervisor. Be open, and see if you can work together to change expectations or reach compromises and solutions. Try to set goals for what must get done and what can wait.
Exercise can also be a huge benefit here. Exercise releases endorphins in your brain that help boost your motivation and can keep you going throughout the rest of the day, including at your desk. Even moderate activities like a lunchtime walk can help you stay mentally present and productive the rest of the day.
3. Physical health and wellness problems
Because burnout is a stress response, sufferers often report many of the same physical symptoms as those dealing with high levels of anxiety or depression. Headaches, indigestion, bowel irregularities and body aches are some of the most common physical ailments that plague those dealing with burnout.
Maintaining a consistent, healthy diet is key to offsetting the physical side-effects of burnout. Eating a balanced diet with lots of fruit, veggies and protein and ensuring your meals match your activity level will help keep your digestive system happy and should lessen the impact of stress on your GI tract. Staying hydrated is also important, as drinking plenty of water will help with the headaches and body pains.
If work-related stress or burnout are taking a significant toll on your physical health, talk to your doctor right away.
4. Lack of job fulfillment and satisfaction
One of the sneakier ways burnout affects a lot of people is through diminishing job satisfaction. Even when the work is being done, and being done well, burnout victims often feel apathetic or even disappointed in their work.
This is part of the mental game burnout plays with your head. Focusing on mindfulness and mental wellness is important to combat burnout and find the satisfaction you deserve in your work.
To practice mindfulness, focus on your breath flow and become intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling at every moment. Don’t try to process or interpret what you’re sensing. In a job setting, this could mean facing situations with patience and flexibility.
Meditation is a great way to stay on your game and grounded in reality. Meditation also improves your resilience, enabling you to deal with the mental burdens stress and burnout place on you.
At the end of the day, addressing burnout is about recognizing the signs, finding the causes and working through the solutions. Be open with yourself and your supervisor if you think you’re affected by job burnout, and speak to a doctor if you suspect burnout is seriously affecting your physical or mental health.