Burnout, Stress & Anxiety
Burnout is characterized by deep-seated sense of disillusionment and exhaustion with a job or career that used to provide so much excitement and motivation. It happens even to highly committed and passionate individuals who encounter problems or get involved in situations where their enthusiasm and passion are gradually being stripped away and eventually losing the drive to continue going on.
Stress is anything that causes bodily and mental tension which may lead to anxiety and other illnesses. It can be a situation or a thought that can weigh you down or make you feel frustrated and angry. On the other hand, anxiety is a feeling of uneasiness and apprehension over something that is recognized or unknown.
Stress and anxiety are normal parts of everyday life. Both can motivate a person to be productive and to rise up to the challenge of tough situations. However, too much stress and too much anxiety can be harmful and may cause physical, emotional, and psychological problems like infection, heart diseases, and depression. Stress and anxiety at workplace can lead to burnout.
Dealing With Burnout
Different individuals have varied ways of dealing with stressful situations such as burnout. Taking a much needed vacation may address the problem of exhaustion and boredom but may not be effective in totally eliminating the sense of disillusionment, stress and anxiety.
l Going Through The Motions – Some people deal with burnout by not dealing with it at all. To accept it and not do anything about it is one of the worst way to deal with burnout. Such indifference will soon result to anger and bitterness as opportunities pass you by. People will notice the attitude of just “going through the motions” for the sake of doing or accomplishing things, or just for the sake of income which the job brings. Eventually, they will regard you as “doomed” unless you change the situation.
l Career Change – When the passion and drive that used to inspire you to do your best has been snuffed out, disabling you from going on further with your career, make that shift. A new profession will certainly give you a new perspective. However, changing career may not credit some of the precious experiences you have already gained as relevant to your new-found endeavor. Moreover, competition will put you with much younger people who are willing to accept lower salaries, thus, affect your bargaining power. In addition, the demands of a new career may be much more difficult to handle due to your lack of experience than just successfully turning a temporary burnout situation around.
l Changing Jobs – As compared to career change, a change of job within the same field of endeavor or profession is just like having the same job but in a totally different environment. Your skills and the previous experiences you have acquired will be transferable and allows you to rededicate your original goals to start anew, without being reminded of the burdens that come with staying on the same job. Those individuals who were disillusioned their previous employers may benefit in job change. However, the downside of this response is the possibility that you may end up with the same situation again if the cause of burnout is the job itself and not the other factors such as management and co-workers. Taking this step positively, one must really understand the cause of burnout and make sure to avoid it.
l Wake-up Call – Some people manage through burnout situations by considering it as a trigger to re-evaluate their lifestyles and what they want to achieve. This form of stress management is one of the most positive ways to cope up with burnout. It is dealing with the sense of failure by talking with somebody who may have experienced the same situation and help you realized without bias why after all the inputs you have generously given and efforts you have exerted to do well did not worked out to your advantage. This person should not be from the same company to avoid prejudice which may only complicate matters. Sometimes, this is all that is needed to relieve stress and anxiety that leads to burnout. The realization may lead you to yourself or to other people as the one to be blamed. But what is important is to be able to move on without dwelling further on blame and guilt.
Moving On
When people come to terms with the situation, they will learn that hard work is not the only thing that matters, that major achievements need the support of other people, and most importantly, that they are not superhuman. They will learn to spot and communicate problems early on to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Consult with your healthcare providers regarding therapies and stress management programs in order to help you move on from a burnout situation, stress and anxiety to rise above the demands of a new and challenging career.
