Burnout at work is more than just feeling tired; it’s a serious issue that can drain your energy, diminish your productivity, and leave you feeling disconnected from your job and even your life outside of work. In today’s fast-paced work environment, where the boundaries between professional and personal life often blur, burnout has become an increasingly common challenge. But it doesn’t have to be inevitable. In this post, we’ll explore practical strategies on how to handle burnout at work before it takes a toll on your well-being and career. Whether you’re already feeling the signs or just want to prevent burnout in the future, these tips will help you stay balanced, focused, and energized.

Burnout can be seen as a state of being emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted, and this is usually and often caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
It often occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands, constantly putting yourself under undue pressure because of not achieving a feat.
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.
Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give, nothing else to deliver.
There are three major symptoms of burnout:

Physical signs and symptoms of burnout are
Feeling tired and drained most of the time.
Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses.
Frequent headaches or muscle pain.
Change in appetite or sleep habits.

Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout are
Sense of failure and self-doubt.
Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.
Detachment, feeling alone in the world.
Loss of motivation. Increasingly cynical and negative outlook.
Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.

Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout
Withdrawing from responsibilities and what you ought to do.
Isolating from others, either consciously or doing so unconsciously. You just know that you don’t want to be around anyone.
Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done and this isn’t laziness.
Using food, drugs, or alcohol as your coping mechanism.
Taking frustrations out on others, or simply put, passing aggression on others.
Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early as there’s little or no zeal.

Stages of burnout
Researchers have used several models to chart the development of burnout symptoms. For example, one model follows 12 stages, starting with a desire to prove oneself in a specific task and then advancing to unhealthier behaviors, such as neglecting self-care. Eventually, this leads toward the later stages, including feelings of emptiness and depression.
Another model simplifies burnout progression to five stages which are;

Stage 1 (Honeymoon Phase): You feel so devoted and committed to an endeavor, whether you’ve just gotten a new job, a promotion, enrolled in a class, or started parenting or caregiving. You’re ready to accept new responsibilities and eager to prove yourself worthy of it. You may feel creative, productive, and energized.

Stage 2 (Stress Onset): As the stress of your new responsibilities begins to take its toll on your mental health, you start to neglect your self-care needs. Your sleep quality diminishes as you tend to have many sleepless nights. Anxiety shows up more often, along with irritability, headaches, and fatigue. You become less productive, have a harder time focusing, and try to avoid making decisions.
Stage 3 (Chronic Stress): You’re constantly tired and feel cynical or apathetic. Social issues can also crop up. You may withdraw from coworkers or feel resentful toward your loved ones. You might frequently procrastinate or use drugs or alcohol to take solace, even as you deny the problem.
Stage 4 (Burnout): At this point, you feel pessimistic about the future and obsessed with any problems that crop up. You’re neglecting your personal health, and that comes with physical problems like gastrointestinal issues and chronic headaches. You’re plagued by self-doubt and look to socially isolate yourself.
Stage 5 (habitual burnout): Your sense of well-being reaches a low. You’re always sad and mentally and physically fatigued. Depression may develop here.

Causes of burnout

Burnout often stems from your job. But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout, from the hardworking office worker who hasn’t had a vacation in years to the frazzled stay-at-home mom tending to kids, housework, and an aging parent.
But burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many responsibilities. Other factors contribute to burnout, including your lifestyle and personality traits. In fact, what you do in your downtime and how you look at the world can play just as big of a role in causing overwhelming stress as work or home demands.

Work-related causes of burnout
Feeling like you have little or no control over your work.
Lack of recognition or reward for good work.
Unclear or overly demanding job expectations.
Doing work that’s monotonous or unchallenging.
Working in a chaotic or high-pressure environment.
Lifestyle causes of burnout
Working too much without enough time for socializing or relaxing.
Lack of close, supportive relationships.
Taking on too many responsibilities without enough help from others.
Not getting enough sleep.
Personality traits can contribute to burnout.
Perfectionistic tendencies; nothing is ever good enough.
Pessimistic view of yourself and the world.
The need to be in control; reluctance to delegate to others.
High-achieving, Type A personality.

How to deal with burnout
Whether you recognize the warning signs of impending burnout or you’re already past the breaking point, trying to push through the exhaustion and continuing as you have been will only cause further emotional and physical damage. Now is the time to pause and change direction by learning how you can help yourself overcome burnout and feel healthy and positive again.
Dealing with burnout requires the “Three R” approach:
Recognize. Watch for the warning signs of burnout.
Reverse. Undo the damage by seeking support and managing stress.
Resilience. Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and emotional health.
The following tips for preventing or dealing with burnout can help you cope with symptoms and regain your energy, focus, andTip 1: Turn to other people
When you’re burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care, let alone take action to help yourself. But you have a lot more control over stress than you may think. There are positive steps you can take to deal with overwhelming stress and get your life back into balance. One of the most effective is to reach out to others.
Social contact is nature’s antidote to stress, and talking face-to-face with a good listener is one of the fastest ways to calm your nervous system and relieve stress. The person you talk to doesn’t have to be able to “fix” your stressors; they just have to be a good listener, someone who’ll listen attentively without becoming distracted or expressing judgment.
Reach out to those closest to you, such as your partner, family, and friends. Opening up won’t make you a burden to others. In fact, most friends and loved ones will be flattered that you trust them enough to confide in them, and it will only strengthen your friendship. Try not to think about what’s burning you out and make the time you spend with loved ones positive and enjoyable.
Tip 2: Be more social with your coworkers. Developing friendships with people you work with can help buffer you from stress at work. When you take a break, for example, instead of directing your attention to your smartphone, try engaging your colleagues. Or schedule social events together after work.
Tip 3: Limit your contact with negative people. Hanging out with negative-minded people who do nothing but complain will only drag down your mood and outlook. If you have to work with a negative person, try to limit the amount of time you spend together.

Tip 4: Seek connections with a cause or community group that aligns with your values. This can provide an outlet for discussing and managing workplace stress, while also fostering new relationships. Consider joining a religious, social, or support group, or engaging with your professional association to connect with others facing similar challenges. Virtual support groups are also available through online therapy platforms.

Tip 5: Cultivate new friendships to expand your support network. If you feel lacking in social connections, it’s never too late to forge new relationships.

Tip 6: Incorporate meditation into your routine to promote mindfulness and mental well-being. You can start your mindful meditation journey by following these 5 easy ways to start your journey to mindful meditation.

Finally, deal with negative people and negative thoughts.

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