From 43% pre-COVID to 52% in 2022, a considerable rise in the number of workers experiencing burned out is reported.
While stress and burnout can be comparable, they are not interchangeable. Work burnout is described to be a psychological response to persistent work stress. The World Health Organization backs it with three dimensions: the feeling of exhaustion, cynicism toward one’s job, and a sense of inefficacy. And these 3 characterize the main symptoms of the dreaded burnout.
Let’s briefly discuss the 3 primary types of work burnout: overload, under-challenged, and neglect burnout. The first one is what most think of as burnout – the feeling when duties go beyond one’s abilities. The second is the opposite. Under-challenged with the word itself is the feeling of lack of excitement towards one’s job leading to getting unengaged and unmotivated. Lastly, neglect burnout is the feeling of being hopeless and worthless in one’s job role. Factors on each type vary.
Hence, if you find yourself in the excess feeling of fatigue, frustration and upset over small things that weren’t issues in the past, and experiencing reduced performance and productivity at work, you may have to slow down a little and assess your situation because you may be approaching or experiencing burnout.
Here are small steps you can do personally when dealing with burnout related to your work.
Talk to someone
Talking to someone can instantly help offload one’s heavy feelings. Humans are designed to be social beings. Nonetheless, having someone to exchange a conversation with may help.
Take breaks
No matter how busy you can be, take breaks between your work. A popular productivity technique like Pomodoro can be used. In every 25-minute focused work, a five-minute break is followed to stay productive and keep the feeling of burnout at bay. Also, never skip meals, and don’t forget to have fun during your breaks.
Try to maintain a work-life balance.
A work-life balance is only possible if we are intentional in achieving it. Read Productivity and Personal Well-being blog for some practical tips on maintaining a balanced work and personal life.
Burnout is not inevitable. It can be avoided and prevented. Understanding oneself and taking action are the solutions.
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