Work Burnout - Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention Strategies

Identifying and Managing Work Burnout: Key Insights and Tips

Work burnout or job burnout is a type of stress that is associated with your work. Does your work makes you exhausted, or thought of dragging yourself to work? If so, you might be experiencing burnout, which means you are tired mental and physical and this can affect in other areas of your life.

What is work burnout?

Burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused because of work stress, as it can happen to anyone. It happens when a person is physically and emotionally drained and not able to fulfil their daily needs and tasks. As the stress continues, people start to lose the motivation and interest to do certain tasks or roles in the first place. As life gets busy with work, family and other responsibilities, we forget to sit back and take a rest. That's when burnout occurs and hits hard.

Burnout can reduce your productivity and energy, which can result in you feeling hopeless, helpless, resentful and cynical. At last, you may feel like you do not have anything to give to the office and won't even feel like working. This burnout will have a negative impact on every area of your life, such as on your work, your home, your social life, and even your relationship. Burnout can have long-term effects on your health and your immune system, which can cause you to get colds and flu easily. The condition can't be diagnosed medically; if you feel or have symptoms of burnout, don't ignore it, As burnout has many harmful consequences, and it is important to deal with burnout in the right way.

Symptoms and signs of work burnout :

There are many people who have felt that they are helpless, unappreciated and overloaded at one point in there job. When coming out of the bed it a task and not in mood to go to your job is a thing. But if you feel this most of the time, you may ave burnout and need to consult your doctor and figure out the right way to deal it.

Burnout is not an overnight process; it happens slowly and can creep up on you. The symptoms and signs of burnout can be subtle at first, but they can get worse with time. Take early symptoms seriously and look at them as a red flag which needs to be addressed. However, if you pay attention and properly work towards recovery by reducing stress, you can prevent a major breakdown. On the other hand, if you keep ignoring the signs, you will eventually burst out one day. 

Some of the signs in general that can show burnout include:

• High blood pressure.
• Gastrointestinal problem.
• Sleep issues.
• Getting sick more often.
• More frequent headaches.
•  Fatigue.

Physical signs and symptoms of burnout:

•  Lowered immunity, frequent illness.
• Change in appetite or sleep habits.
• Feeling drained and tired most of the time.
• Frequent muscle pain and headaches. 

Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout:

• Feeling helpless, defeated and trapped. 
• Concentration issues. 
•  Sense of self-doubt and failure.
• Feeling worthless and detached.
• Loss of motivation and feeling depressed. 
• Increase negative thoughts.
• Decreased satisfaction and Sense of accomplishment. 

 Behavioural signs and symptoms of burnout:

• Isolating yourself from others.
• Withdrawing from responsibilities. 
•  Taking your frustration out on others.
• Using food, alcohol and drugs to cope.
• Procrastinating your work. 
• Skipping work, coming late and leaving your office early.

Burnout vs Depression:

Burnout symptoms can be the same as some mental health conditions, such as depression and stress. These similar symptoms may include a loss of interest in doing things that are actually important, feeling lonely and hopeless and cognitive and physical symptoms. How can you tell if the thing you are feeling is burnout or depression? 

However, there is a key point: where and when you feel these symptoms. Burnout symptoms usually occur when you are working, while depression tends to affect most of the areas of your life and relationships. 
When a person is depressed, they have negative thoughts and mindset about life, not just when they are at work. However, burnout and these feelings will primarily be in the workplace. If these symptoms are affecting you in any situation, a mental health professional can help you better. Seeking professional help is important because if a person is experiencing, burnout can be at a higher risk of developing depression.

Type of burnout:

Mainly there are four types of work burnout:

• Overload burnout: This mostly happens when you plan to work harder and harder to become successful in an early stage of your work. If you are experiencing this, there is a chance you may risk your health and personal life for your work and success. 
• Under-challenged burnout: When you feel underappreciated and bored with doing your work, this can happen. Or your job doesn't have room for professional growth and provides no learning opportunities. If this situation occurs, you may feel under-challenged and distance yourself from your work and responsibilities. 
• Neglected burnout: When you feel helpless at work, and you start believing that you are not doing right. Sometimes, you may believe you are incomplete or unable to cope with your responsibilities. This kind of burnout can closely relate to impostor syndrome, a physiological condition in which you start doubting your abilities and accomplishments.  
•  Habitual burnout: This is the most serious phase of burnout; it happens when a person's mental and physical Fatigue is chronic. You may feel sad most of the time, and your behaviour may change. Sometimes, it can cross over into depression and may lead to negative thoughts; it is high time you seek professional help at this stage and get proper treatment.

Ways to cope with burnout at work

You can deal with burnout at work by taking proactive steps to manage your stress and improve your work place environment. You can start with these small changes and by the time you can build up to more specific adjustments. 

1.Set clear boundaries between your work and personal life: 

Set limits on your work hours and ensure that your take personal time off for yourself, and do activates that are unrelated to work. Try ti detach from work and enter in your personal time with an intention of short shut down routine from work. 
 
2.Focus on what you can control:

Start open communication with your supervisor about your workload and stress level, Ask for practical solutions, Like additional support and workload adjustments. Figure out aspects of your work and try to do adjustment in your work schedule or environment and bring changes that help in reducing your stress. 

3.Prioritize rest and sleep:

Take a break and prioritize your sleep and rest for a while. Try to get enough sleep at night, so your body can recovers from the day's stress. You can also add meditation or mindfulness in your routine to help you manage stress easily. 

4.Engage in fun activities that recharge you:

Make some time for exercise, hobbies that you like, or social activities that can bring you relaxation and joy. These activities are very important for your emotional and physical recovery from burnout. Try making a daily exercise routine, as exercise can help reduce stress and improve your mood. Find some hobbies or activities that you enjoy and try to add them to your routine.

 
5.Evaluate your options:

If you feel that burnout is linked to your work and workplace, try making some positive changes in your work environment, Even if it is shifting roles or seeking new opportunities. 

 
6.Take regular, short breaks throughout the day: 

Taking short break can help in preventing Fatigue and low mood, it can also help in maintaining productivity. Even a moment of stretching or a five-minute walk can be very beneficial for you and help in uplifting your mood. 

7.Find support:

You can find the support of trusted coworkers, friends and family members with whom you can share your stress and feelings, as it is important to communicate when you feel low and stressed. Their support can help you deal with stress at work and can prevent you from burnout. Otherwise, going for a therapist is also an amazing option to get support and share your feelings with.  

Conclusion: 

Work burnout mostly happens when you are emotionally and physically drained. You feel overwhelmed and unable to cope up with your work and personal life's endless demands. It effects you productivity and reduce your motivation and energy to work. Dealing effectively with burnout, means you understand the seriousness of the issue and try to deal with it in a right way. Seeking for help, like counseling, asking your friends and family to help, and taking proper care of yourself and your health can help you in better way.