Psychological Effects Of Burnout

You have to learn to pace yourself. Pressure. You're just like everybody else. Pressure. You've only had to run so far. So good. But you will come to a place. Where the only thing you feel. Are loaded guns in your face. And you'll have to deal with. Pressure. Lyrics from the song, Pressure: Billy Joel 1982.

Songwriters: Billy Joel

Pressure lyrics ? BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Songtrust Ave, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.

A current work stressor is the high demand placed on most employees. Even though individuals have always been expected to perform well, the parameters were generally well understood, and a manageable eight-hour day was the norm.

But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout. Today we're all trying to do more with less, which puts more work on everyone. In our multi-task-oriented and fast-paced environment, a person is often asked to go beyond traditional, narrowly defined job duties and cross over into many different areas. One individual can have a tremendously broad range of responsibilities. How does one cope with the inordinate amount of pressure that is characteristic of most positions?

If you feel overwhelmed, do an honest self-assessment of yourself and try to relieve the load. Then check with your peers. Are they, too, feeling too much pressure? If several of you are experiencing high-stress levels, a good idea is to discuss this with your manager.

In the early stages of any job, overwhelming feelings of confusion and frustration are to be expected. After a reasonable time, however, what is expected of you and what is realistic will need to be in equilibrium if you are going to experience career success. Know what is realistic, and avoid trying to go beyond it.

A potent stressor in today’s work world comes from concerns about or the actuality of being let go as companies readjust themselves. Today’s employee has no guarantee of absolute stability. Unlike the past when a person believed that unless he or she faltered, the job was secure. Now downsizing seems to be the new norm, it can affect anybody at any stage of their career.

Rather than live in fear of being let go, do all you can to perform your job as well as possible, update yourself continuously, and have some contingency plans.

So, what do you do about the hassles of your everyday life?

These minor irritants are ongoing stressors, often left unattended because they occur so often and are seemingly routine. Stressors are either external or internal. External stressors are those that come from outside yourself. For other people, most events are beyond your control, and the environment delivers daily doses of stress. I am sure you can name some. Internal stressors are those we create. Irrational thoughts, unrealistic expectations, inability to express emotions, and unnecessary worry fall into this category. When thinking about stress at work, it’s helpful to divide the stressors into these two categories. Generally, you have little or no control over the external ones and almost total control over the self-created ones.

Worry, one of the internal stressors, is quite common. Worry is a feeling of unease or tension. It is usually needless and involves fretting. People have a hard time differentiating between worries and concerns. The difference lies in your ability to do something about potential problems. Concern leads to action, while worry arises from feelings of powerlessness. People who worry usually do not act; they simply fret and multiply the stress they already have.

Try to sort out real concerns from the mass of imaginative and insignificant worries you may have. Ninety percent of what we worry about never happens (Buscaglia, 1994). The book Worry: Controlling It and Using It Wisely (Hallowell, 1997) suggests several ways to avoid turning minor problems into potential disasters.

Ninety percent of what we worry about never happens (Buscaglia, 1994).

Burnout can have significant psychological effects, and taking time off from work to address it can lead to both positive and negative outcomes, depending on the circumstances and how the time off is managed.

The book Worry: Controlling It and Using It Wisely (Hallowell, 1997) suggests several ways to avoid turning minor problems into potential disasters. Some quick tips are:

• Change "what if’ to "so what if.” For example, change a thought of, "Oh, what if I don’t get this job?” to "So what if I don’t get this job?” This isn’t intended to promote a don’t-care attitude but to allow you to put things in proper perspective.
• Keep a worry journal so that you put your thoughts on paper. Usually, you will then reduce the amount of time you spend on the issue.
• Act on your worry if possible. Use a thought-stopping technique. Say to yourself "STOP thinking this way!”

KEY POINTS:

• Balancing work and family continues to be a problem. Employers need to be encouraged to do all that is possible to help employees balance professional and family lives.
• Time management is a matter of understanding the reality of time, finding time, identifying time wasters, and defeating chronic procrastination. Understanding the costs and causes of procrastination helps to overcome the habit.
• Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, social, and physical exhaustion that many people face at some time in their careers. You can overcome it by recognizing the symptoms, identifying possible causes and effects, and employing effective techniques to combat it.
• An employee assistance program (EAP), offered by many employers, can help employees face personal and professional problems.

So, what do you do when you feel frustrated?

With the right treatment and support, you can recover from burnout, regain your energy and enthusiasm, and feel more hopeful.

REFERENCES:

Buscaglia, L. (1994). Born for love: Reflections on loving. Thorofare, NJ: Slack, Inc.

Hallowell, E. M. (1997). Worry: Controlling it and using it wisely.

HELPFUL LINK:

Prevention - Prevent burnout by building your resilience to stress and adversity. (American Psychological Association)

Please comment, like, follow, and let me know what you do when you feel frustrated.

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