Stress or frustration can affect your health, job performance, relationships and happiness
Do you get a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach every Monday morning as you approach the office? Do you cringe every time you think about work? If the answer is ?yes,? you may be burning out. This feeling of stress or frustration can affect your health, job performance, relationships and happiness. Here are some warning signs that you may be burning out:?
Cognitive Problems?
Chronic stress and burnout can disrupt your ability to concentrate or pay attention. In response to stress, our attention focuses on negative elements we identify as threats. This helps us deal with short-term problems, but it causes cognitive problems when it continues for a long time, making it more difficult to make decisions or solve problems.?
Exhaustion?
If the only thing you can do after a long day at work is crash on the couch and zone out in front of the television, you may be experiencing burnout. Exhaustion means feeling completely spent, either mentally, physically or emotionally.?
Lack of Motivation?
There is a good chance you are burning out if you have lost the enthusiasm you once had for your job, no longer have a sense of internal motivation, and if work actually feels like work.?
Decreasing Performance?
If you are not sure if you have burnt out, consider your present job performance versus your past performance. Burning out is a process that takes place over a long period of time, so taking a long-term view can help you tell differentiate between chronic burnout and a temporary slump.?
Letting Yourself Go?
In response to the exhaustion and other symptoms of burnout, many people engage in unhealthy coping strategies. They may pick up smoking, drink too much, eat too much junk food or not get enough sleep.?
Never Mentally Leaving Work?
If you clock out of the office at five but are still mulling over work at ten, you may be burnt out. You cannot recover from the day’s stresses if you are still thinking about work.?
If you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself, it is time to take action to avoid experiencing more consequences of burnout. Schedule time each day to relax by listening to music, meditating, visiting with friends or taking a walk. Develop a rich life outside of work by volunteering, working out, pursuing a hobby or doing something else you are passionate about.?
If you still feel burned out, talk to your HR department or manager about creating a more positive work environment. If that is not possible, know that it may be time to move on.
