Are
You Burned-Out?
Deborah
R. Brown, MBA, MSW
"In
order to burn out, a person needs to have been on fire at one
time."
Ayala Pines
What
is burnout? And how do you know if you're suffering from it? Burnout
is various physical, emotional and mental reactions caused by
repeated stress.
Effects
of Stress
The
negative affects of stress have been documented by research studies.
Prolonged, unrelenting stress can produce psychological and physiological
consequences including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Hypertension
- Impaired
Immune System Functioning and
- Increased
risk of coronary heart disease and cancer
Who
is at Risk?
Therapists,
lawyers, health care professionals and others in the various service
professions are frequently at risk for job burnout. Also at risk
are executives, and those who work long hours or get little fulfillment
from their work.
With
a greater percentage of single parent families and longer workweeks,
more people today suffer from burnout. Single working parents
are often stressed from the pressures of working the equivalent
of two full-time jobs. Corporate downsizing has placed increased
responsibilities on those who survive, adding more pressure and
longer hours. Small business owners are at risk since there are
fewer people to do all the work.
Certain
personality characteristics often make some people more susceptible
for burnout. These include perfectionism, idealism and workaholism.
People with these characteristics sometimes have difficulty delegating
and frequently feel that there is too much work for them to do.
Service professionals can suffer from not setting limits with
work hours and availability to clients, and from taking work home
with them.
"The
sun will set without thine assistance."
Talmud
Symptoms
of Burnout
How
can you tell if your are suffering from burnout? If you are experiencing
three or more of the following, you probably are.
- Feeling
overwhelmed
- Having
trouble making decisions
- Short-tempered
- Low
energy-tired all the time
- Loss
of enthusiasm for work
- Increase
in use of cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine
- Moodiness
and irritability
- Insomnia
- Depression
If
you think you are suffering from burnout, first determine if the
main source of the stress is coming from work. Could it also be
your home environment, family demands, your health, a relationship,
or a combination of some of these? To gain clarity, keep a journal.
Write down your thoughts daily.
Coping
Strategies
Create
a plan to nurse yourself back to health. The following lists contain
steps you can take to get rest and relief from the constant stress
that results in burnout.
At
work:
- Take
it slower, take breaks from work. Leave work a little earlier.
- Don't
strive for perfection, but for "good enough."
- Use
support services effectively and delegate when possible.
- Try
to keep to a regular schedule, and don't be constantly available
to clients.
- Don't
take work home with you.
- Reduce
your commuting time and leave the driving to others by taking
public transportation when possible. This also has the positive
affect of reducing air pollution.
- Take
regular vacations from work. Long weekends once a quarter are
good ways to avoid burnout without taking off long stretches
of time. Don't take work with you or check voice mail messages
or e-mail when you are away.
- If
you are unhappy with your job, determine what changes are needed
and develop an action plan.
- Eat
healthy - 3 small meals every day, including fruits and vegetables.
- Exercise
regularly- aerobic exercise is a great stress release.
- Connect
with nature daily- take a walk; eat your lunch outside in nice
weather.
At
home:
- Try
to get 8 hours of sleep a night. We are a sleep-deprived society
and this lack of sleep contributes to accidents, low productivity
and mistakes.
- Get
help with chores. Hire a housekeeper and someone to do yard
work.
- Don't
be a perfectionist who strives for the Martha Stewart/Better
Homes and Gardens look. You don't have to be a gourmet cook
and live in a designer showplace to be happy.
- Organize
your household so the burdens are spread around.
- Get
help with childcare.
- Practice
simple living techniques.
- Live
under your means.
- Pay
off your debt.
- Reduce
your tendency toward consumerism. Buy only what your need
or cannot live without. This will reduce trips to the store
and save you money.
- Meditate
- Practice
yoga or other relaxation techniques.
- Listen
to relaxation tapes.
- Play
with your children and pets. They tend to center us and get
us in touch with what's important in life.
- Keep
a journal
- Listen
to music
- Massages
are also great ways to relax.
- Take
Hot Bath
