It has been a long day at work, and you feel extra exhausted. Not just after work, but also before and during. It feels that you have an empty space within yourself. What could have caused you to feel detached and tired from something you should be excited and motivated about? Was it a sudden feeling, or have you been experiencing it for a long time? Contemplating about it, you may be experiencing job burnout.
Job burnout is the result of a long-term stress that was not immediately recognized and addressed. It is when you feel exhausted not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. It is also the absence of positive feelings about one’s job, such as enthusiasm, optimism, encouragement, and enjoyment. It is not something that one should just disregard and belittle as it still has a negative impact one’s well-being. If you are sad and dismayed that it is the first day of work for the week again, thinking that you will not finish your work or that you want to abandon your project, and imagining the faces of your boss and some of your co-workers that make you sigh even just thinking about it, you are already experiencing some common symptoms of job burnout. Below are symptoms of job burnout that most employees experience.
· Sudden shift in mood
· Increased irritability
· Does not have any sense of focus
· Constant experiencing of fatigue
· Common health problems such as headache, body aches, and high blood pressure
· Unhealthy or bad eating habit
· Being unproductive and hopeless
· Lack of motivation and competency
· Not confident with yourself
· Struggling even with the easiest task
Now that you know what job burnout is and what its symptoms are, I will give you some tips on how to deal with job burnouts.
- Have a balanced personal and work life
Allotting all your efforts and time to work will make you easily drained. Maintaining a balanced life both inside and outside of work is beneficial to your health. Perform activities that you enjoy such as your hobbies and interests. Spend time with your loved ones, such as friends and family. In this way, you can also take a break from the tiring environment of work and the stress that comes with it.
2. Maintain a healthy diet
You need a lot of energy for work to keep up with it physically and mentally. Regardless of how busy you are, do not forget to eat and stick with a healthy diet plan. In order to get your body moving and your brain to work, you need to supply yourself with nutritious foods that are high in nutrient levels. Not only that, but feeling replenished can help reduce the stress you experience at work. It is also a great way to supplement your diet with vitamins that will help you get through the day.
3. Get enough rest and sleep
Whether we admit it or not, we all love sleeping, especially after a very long and exhausting day. Since you already exerted so much time and effort in work, you deserve a good rest and sleep. Getting proper rest and sleep can help you recharge your energy and think more clearly and rationally. Sleep also helps in stress reduction and mood regulation. It may be hard to have enough sleep especially when you have work or projects left to do but if possible, it would be better to sleep eight hours to fully recover the energy you spent throughout the entire day.
4. Meditate or do exercise
You may believe that it only adds to your tired sensation, but this is not the case. It may be exhausting at first, especially if it is your first time working out, but it provides us with lots of benefits. Exercise not only keeps us physically fit, but it also improves our mood, helps us regain our focus, and gives us more energy. It is beneficial to our mental health and assists us in making better decisions. (You can check out the previous article entitled “Five Reasons to Be Motivated About Working Out Every Morning” to know more) On the other hand, if you prefer to do something that is lighter, you can try meditation. When you meditate, you can have your thoughts clouding your mind to be straightened up and you can also regain your focus. It also assists in improving our mental and emotional health by increasing our capacity for relaxation, lessening stress and anxiety, and improving our emotional wellbeing.
5. Connect more with others
Building a healthy relationship with your colleagues is really beneficial. Having a comfortable and enjoyable work atmosphere influences how you feel about your job. Your environment will appear lighter to the feeling once you are surrounded by positive people. But it does not stop there; you should also interact with people outside of your workplace because they are a new group of individuals with whom you may spend time when your duties are done. Reaching out with the people you love and trust such as your family, friends, or partner, can make you feel better. Letting out the negative feelings and thoughts you have can make you breath more. You need a good listener that can support you in regaining positive thoughts and sentiments again. It is also a great option to make new friends but only make sure that you do not let negative people to enter and stay into your life as it can only add up to the burnout you might possibly feel.
6. Evaluate your goals
Consider the professional objectives you’ve established for yourself. Are you getting close to completing it? Or are you still a long way from your goal? Always keep in mind that everything requires time and effort. Whether you’re getting close to your objective or not, use it as incentive to keep moving forward, not as an excuse to force yourself too hard. Rethink your goals if it’s taking up too much of your time and making you feel hopeless. Is this the proper goal for you at this point in your life? Perhaps you should rethink your goals and take things one step at a time. The desire to achieve your professional goals and then not being able to do so adds to the stress you feel, which can lead to burnout so set your goals wisely.
7. Know your limitations
You should be aware of your capabilities as well as your utmost restrictions. This is applicable not only for yourself, but also for the people you work with. When you feel you can no longer handle it, you might seek assistance from your coworkers. In other cases, if you’ve reached your limit and a colleague approaches you with a request, it’s not a bad idea to say “no.” You can respectfully decline their requests and assist them later. It may appear selfish, but it is not since it benefits your mental health.
