Have you been feeling a lack of motivation towards your job/work recently? It could be a sign of work burnout. Feeling stressed about your work is normal but when that stress never seems to end it could be a serious problem. 

The pandemic has popularized the term work burnout more than ever due to the increased stress of work-from-home. Read further to know what is work burnout, and if you’re suffering from it then how to deal with it. 

Work Burnout

Work burnout is a relatively new term. It can be defined as a reaction to prolonged or chronic stress from your work/job which leads to exhaustion, an increase in mental distance from your work, and reduced performance. 

Some of the causes for work burnout could be: 

  • Unrealistic timelines
  • Poor communication
  • Lack of work-life balance
  • A toxic workplace
  • Inability to disconnect from work or work-related worries at the end of the day, etc. 

Burnout is more than feeling stressed because of your job and it can lead to further mental and physical issues. Here are a few of the symptoms, the presence of which could be an indication of work burnout:  

Symptoms

Lack of energy to give: Having bad days at work is very natural but feeling a lack of energy towards work, and not being able to care about your job and performance for a long period of time isn’t. If your lack of interest in your work doesn’t seem to be improving, it could mean you’re experiencing work burnout.  

 Feeling irritable: When everything about your job starts to irritate you, even the parts that you enjoyed previously, it could be a symptom of work burnout. If you’re losing interest in your work, meetings, interacting with co-workers, and everything else that entails your work, you could be headed towards work burnout. 

Reduced performance: Burnout affects everyday task at your work or in personal life. If you feel negative about your work, are lacking creativity and motivation, and can’t seem to be getting results even after trying hard, it could mean you’re experiencing work burnout.

Physical & emotional signs: Prolonged stress could be a major reason behind work burnout, and stress can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health, and some of the symptoms could be headaches, stomachaches, intestinal issues, feeling drained, unable to cope, tired, etc.  

Treatment & Prevention

Build a support network: It is very important to build a support network of family and friends to be able to deal with burnout. Being among loved ones can help you release stress by sharing your feelings. Or just spending quality time with them could be the break that you needed from stress. 

Life outside work: Remembering the mantra “you work to live, not live to work” could prove very helpful to deal with or prevent work burnout. Having a life outside work is essential. Make time for your hobbies and activities that you enjoy, so that on days when your work seems to exhaust you, your life out of work will provide you with the boost of energy you need. 

 Healthy lifestyle: Eating healthy, regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy sleep schedule is of utter importance not just to deal with work burnout but also to live a quality life. An unhealthy lifestyle could become a contributing factor to your stress which further leads to problems like burnout.

 Time-outs: Being committed to your work is very important but so is taking a time-out every once in a while. Take a holiday, go on trips, spend some time with your friends and family, because it’s common knowledge that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. 

Disconnect

Create a healthy work-life balance. When at work dedicate your time and energy towards that but make sure to do so for other activities at the end of the day. It’s alright to have a hectic week but when it seems to be never-ending, it’s a sign you need a break or you could be heading towards burnout.