“When Janelle started her dream job at Wendy Nationals, she was so excited. She won multiple awards, created new work processes and was a customer favorite. Two years later and many days working overtime and Janelleis struggling. She has to drag herself to work each morning, and finds it hard to concentrate on assigned tasks. None of her achievements give her joy and she is impatient and easily irritated by co -workers and clients. After snapping at too many clients, Janelle is queried and suspended from work.”
The truth is Janelle is burned out and she needs a way to handle it. Job burnout is a situation where an individual experiences physical and emotional exhaustion at work. This is often accompanied by cynicism about work, health issues such as headaches and stomach problems, reduced productivity, and a loss of satisfaction in one’s achievements.
Here are a couple of things Janelle can do to combat burnout:
Ask for help
This is the first thing to do when you feel overwhelmed with work or life problems. Reach out to your supervisor and co-workers and explain how you feel. If you are a supervisor or team leader, delegate tasks more often and collaborate with other leaders when possible. Help can also come from a therapist or counselor who can help you to identify problem areas and provide adequate coping strategies.
Find your purpose
Is your work meaningful? Does it make you happy or align with your values? Are you actualizing the goals you set for yourself? Working at a job where you are stagnant or only focused on earning each paycheck, can cause deep stress. Find out why you do what you do, how it aligns with your values, and the goals you want to accomplish. Working with purpose can go a long way in the fight against burnout.
Conduct a career/job analysis
First, do you think you are in the right career field? Are you working in a role you love? If no, try some career assessments and take steps towards transitioning to a career role you actually enjoy. If you love your job, analyze the required roles for work overload. Find out which tasks you have taken on that need to be dropped. Work overload can be extremely stressful and lead to burnout. You might need to speak to your boss or supervisor about your workload and how it’s affecting your mental health.
Take a break
The best way to reset is to take a break from work and recalibrate. Make sure to leave work at work, don’t answer emails or take calls. Being away from the stressful work environment will help you clearly identify the issues you have at work: is it your job itself? Do you think you need a new career path? Is it your workload? A break will help you look at work with fresh eyes and help you make the right decision.
Find a way to relax
One of the best ways to de-stress and take your mind off work is to find relaxing hobbies or activities. Try out yoga, painting, cooking, dancing, gaming, meditating, etc. There are so many options to explore. Regular exercise is also great for stress management. Exercising helps with better sleep, increases your energy and general wellbeing.
Burnout is a severe form of work stress and can have a terrible impact on employees and the organization as a whole. Organizations should take steps to ensure that employees don’t reach their breaking point and that help is available when they do.
