Everyone has had a bad day at the office. If you have a bad work day that keeps coming up, are quick to anger, exhausted, and overwhelmed, then you might be suffering from work burnout. You are not the only one.
A gallop survey showed that 76% of workers feel burnt out occasionally, while 28% experience work burnout’very frequently’ or ‘always.
Work burnout is something that your boss may not like to admit. And, evidently, the trending up are signs of it.
What is work-burnout?
According to the World Health Organization ( WHO), a condition called burnout can be caused by unmanaged workplace stress.
Add a pandemic to the mix and it becomes even more dire. It’s all about the pressure. The ‘always-on’ culture of work is causing stress and anxiety at work.
Work burnout can be caused by many things. Here are some:
- Unclear job expectations
- You don’t have control over your work schedule.
- Stressful workplace dynamics
- Poor work-life balance
- Too much work
Here are some signs and symptoms of workplace burnout
Burnout can be described as feeling exhausted, negative, or cynical about your job, and a general sense of inadequacy. It’s not always easy to see. Burnout can sneak up on you and manifest in many different ways for different people. These are the top signs and symptoms of work exhaustion.
- Your performance is falling. This is likely because your ‘care- and effort levels’ are declining along with your performance.
- It’s easy to feel tired all the time. No matter how much you sleep or how many cups of coffee you drink, you feel exhausted all the time. A variety of factors can cause exhaustion, including depression, lack of exercise or poor eating habits. Although it’s not always a sign of burnout, if you feel tired all the time due to work stress, it might be.
- It’s difficult to find excitement for anything. Passion is lost when people are too busy. Work burnout is a condition in which you are unable to care about the things that once brought you joy.
- You don’t put in the effort. It can lead to serious apathy if you aren’t excited about something. While you might still be able to do the work, the minimum amount of energy is enough.
- You have become more critical or cynical at work. Although it can be therapeutic to complain every once in awhile, cynicism or negativity are signs of work exhaustion.
There are both short- and long-term solutions to work burnout
Burnout can quickly escalate if it’s not addressed. Even if you take a short break from work, it’s just a return to the source of your burnout.
While you might not be able cure burnout right away, you can make steps to reduce stress and work on long-term solutions.
Solutions for the short-term
1. Rely on others
You can tackle burnout by seeking out support from family, friends, and even coworkers. Look into whether your company offers an employee assistance program. Working with your manager to find solutions to stress in the workplace is one way to get it under control.
2. Embrace healthy habits
Although it does not address the root cause, managing stress is crucial for staying healthy. You can learn many different ways to manage stress. You can exercise, spend time in nature, get enough sleep, do yoga or meditate. Any activity that takes your mind off of your daily work life is great. Let’s not stop there.
3. Get rid of anxiety today
An anxiety under the surface that pops up when things get difficult is a major cause of burnout. Do you feel anxious and overwhelmed? Recognizing that you feel overwhelmed and anxious is a good first step. But what can you do?
You don’t have to wait for inspiration or be in a better/more productive state to deal with your problems.
It’s all about taking action and building systems to manage anxiety. Most likely, you already know what to do. Focus on just one or two key points and make sure you practice them every day. Be consistent in your efforts to reduce anxiety. You can do it no matter what, even the worst days.
Long-term solutions
Problem with short-term solutions? They often don’t solve the root problem. This is just a temporary solution that patched up the hole in a sinking ship. While temporary relief can be helpful, long-term solutions will be needed to treat burnout. You only have two choices if you feel burnt out at work: either improve your job or find another one.
Option 1: Improve your current job
Here are some ways to reduce burnout and increase your job satisfaction:
- Negotiate a higher Salary – We have a lot of resources including scripts that you can use.
- Negotiate for perks: If work-life balance is a problem, you can negotiate for more vacation, remote work or flexible hours to help.
- Request a transfer – This could reduce burnout and help you feel more fulfilled in your job.
Option 2: Search for a new job
If none of the above works or your boss isn’t willing to work with you, it might be time for you to make a career move. It’s scary stuff, we know! It’s worth it, even if it doesn’t bring you happiness right now.
Don’t rush to take on another job without thinking carefully. It’s a learning opportunity if things don’t go according to plan in your current job. What went wrong? What went wrong? Was it the workplace, the boss, or the environment itself? Find out what you disliked about your job and then use it to fuel your search to find your dream job.