What is burnout and how can you deal with it - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / What is burnout and how can you deal with it - Introvert Whisperer What is burnout and how can you deal with it? If you haven’t experienced burnout in your life, at some point you will.   When it happens to you or if you’re experiencing it with your work right now, I want to equip you so you can manage it. Burn out happens for a variety of reasons and its good to understand what it is, what causes it and how to reduce the effects. What is  burnout?  Burnout  is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. (Source: Help guides) In other words, you’ve been stressed and overwhelmed for a prolonged period of time and eventually, you find it difficult to do your work.   While life can also cause burnout, I’m only going to focus on burnout caused by your job. There are effectively 6 sources of burnout on the job. Working long days for an extended period of time No growth; limited or no new things to stimulate you Boredom; overly repetitive or tedious work or situations Unmanaged or more work demands than your ability to handle Toxic people; could be boss and/or co-workers Low pay; granted we could all use more money but this is where your pay creates problems at a personal level (not caused by your mismanagement) Generally, one or more of these sources cause burnout.   It’s important to identify what is driving your burnout so you are pursuing effective solutions. I could write pages on possible solutions to each one of these but I’m going to keep my suggestions to only one per issue in the interest of keeping this somewhat short.   You need to consider your own situation and brainstorm ideas. Possible solutions: Working long hours â€" work with your management to determine alternatives like obtaining help from others, a temp worker or canceling or delaying projects. No growth â€" Take it upon yourself to learn new things to help with your job or how you do your job. Growth is about learning. Boredom â€" If your work is repetitive consider asking for a job share so you can trade off some of your work in exchange for doing some of someone else’s work. Too much work â€" Ask for help or prioritize the work so you doing the most critical first. Don’t forget to communicate with the boss and others. Difficult people â€" This is the source of problems for most people, most of the time even if they aren’t burnt out. Find books and programs on emotional intelligence and constructive confrontation. (Look on my blog) Low pay â€" Find another job. Even if you are working in a commission situation, if your income is too low you probably aren’t in the right type of job.   One way or another, if there is no income upside where you work sticking around won’t change that situation. We are all different in terms of what causes stress and burnout.  I worked 60- hour weeks for years and it caused no stress or burnout.   I did, however, have a maniacal co-worker than did cause burnout so don’t judge your situation by someone else’s experience.   The important thing is to reduce the stress before it causes long-term health problems or damages your career. Go to top Do you know what your next career step is?   Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer