Feeling Burned Out At Work? Let’s Talk About It (Part 1)

Are you struggling with feeling a lack of purpose in your job? Maybe you don’t have the same energy and passion for work as you used to?  Perhaps your focus and concentration has decreased, you notice you’re more irritated with those around you, or you don’t want to go in to face another day in the office. These all may be signs that you are feeling burned out at your job.

Beth Hudnall Stamm says that “burnout is associated with feelings of hopelessness and difficulties in dealing with work or in doing your job effectively. These negative feelings usually have a gradual onset. They can reflect the feeling that your efforts make no difference, or they can be associated with a very high workload or a non-supportive work environment.” One of the important aspects to note from this definition is that is a gradual onset.

Burnout is a sign that something needs to change, and as we start to notice those first flickers of burnout, it’s important that we respond to them or we will move deeper and deeper into burnout. Because it is often a gradual onset, it is easy to miss at first, and that’s why it’s so important that we talk about what burnout is, how to identify it, and what we do to both build protective barriers against it, as well as what to do when we hit those moments of burnout in life.

Here are a few signs and symptoms of burnout (keep in mind each of these things could be signs of something else as well, which is why you want be curious about the root of each of these signs and symptoms, and work with a professional if you are noticing these in your life):

• Anxiety/Fear

• Fatigue/Low Energy

• Trouble Sleeping

• Loss of Meaning or Purpose

• Hating Work

• Feeling Cynical

• Irritability

• Sadness

• Poor Concentration

• Feeling Overwhelmed

• Self-Doubt

• Dread

• Withdrawn

• Loss of “Self”

 In the past, burnout was viewed almost as a failing on the employee’s part, but we now understand that burnout has a lot more to do with the workplace itself. In my next blog post on burnout I’ll dive more into this important topic.

If you are noticing symptoms of burnout in the workplace, you don’t need to suffer in silence or “just deal with it”. Reach out to a professional who can help you navigate the workplace and your experiences.

To learn more about Burnout in the Workplace, head to my Poland and Associates Consulting YouTube Channel!

This blog post provides general information and is not meant to be specific advice to any individual situation. This should not be taken as specific medical, psychological, or mental health advice, nor should this be construed as the initiation of a therapeutic client relationship. This blog post is not a substitute for mental health counseling. Please talk to your doctor before beginning any new exercise or movement-based routines and talk to your counselor regarding best treatments and techniques for your particular situation.