Burnout: The Silent Pandemic Of Our Time
When stress goes too far the implications may be harder to face than we may think.
If there is one thing we know perfectly well is that work-life balance is challenging. We spend most hours of our day in our workplace, either this be our office or home. Work load, poor business relationships, overwhelming tasks, poor work-life balance, stuck careers, failed leadership. These are only some of the possible stressors one can face in the workplace. Leaders and professionals are susceptible to high work pressure and consequently high levels of stress. But how do we know when it has gone too far?
Burnout is recognized as an occupational hazard and the numbers of people suffering from burnout are on the rise.
Burnout is recognized by the World Health Organization as an occupational hazard and it is a psychological syndrome, which occurs after a prolonged period of dealing with stress in the workplace. Burnout may manifest itself through physical, emotional or even behavioral symptoms. The repercussions of burnout may affect every area of your life, including home, work, and social life. Most importantly, burnout affects your health, making you more vulnerable to illnesses like flu. Now more than ever burnout seems to be on the rise and is awfully common amongst leaders and professionals.
You may be on the road to burnout if:
· You feel exhausted all the time.
· You spend your day with tasks you find either dull or overwhelming.
· Caring about your work or home life seems like a total waste of energy.
· You feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated.
· Every day is a bad day.
“What can I do about it?”
It is essential to know where you stand in terms of burnout, in order to be able to then decide on how to address it. A burnout assessment will help determine the level of burnout, key stressors and how these affect your daily life. The next step after that is up to you. A coach can help you draft a plan and strategy to overcome burnout, regain your strength and reignite your passion. Remember, that everything is a choice and you can choose to live the extraordinary every single day.
Post Inspiration:
“You are only one defining decision away from a totally different life.”
Mark Batterson
Sources:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/24/burnout-modern-affliction-or-human-condition
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4911781/
https://www.who.int/tools/occupational-hazards-in-health-sector/occup-stress-burnout-fatigue