Professional burnout: how to recognize and prevent
Loving your job and working a lot is good, being able to recognize burnout on time is even better. But for many, to recognize their burnout means to show weakness and to be untenable.
We are telling why it is not always necessary to tell yourself “Catch up, a rag!”, What are the stages of burning out and how to fight it.
The psychotherapist Maria Berlin helped to understand the topic. And the Java-developer of EPAM, Yuri Bezrukov, shared his burnout history.
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Burn out, as a rule, those who love their work and invested in it. There are several other factors of burnout:
If an employee agrees with one or more of these statements, it is likely that he will burn out.
For example, the person took on the first serious work. He has high expectations from himself, he wants to prove to everyone that he can cope with tasks. There is a high probability that an employee will start to get anxious and work overtime. Often young specialists burn out, but they recover quickly enough, and this experience helps them in the future.
Yuri: “I encountered burnout about 10 years ago, I was 25 years old. I had no experience of working in large companies. Two or three months on the first big project I worked very hard: we were preparing to enter production. There were many tasks, problems, and it seemed that they were not decreasing, but only growing. I woke up, went to work, came home and continued to work, often without days off. There was an endless race. I didn’t like the state I was in at all, and the work began to cause sharply negative emotions.
The negative attitude was projected not on a specific project, but on the profession as a whole, and I thought that this would always be the case. Then it seemed to me that the development is not at all what I would like to do. ”
You can quickly get rid of fatigue. If you feel that you have recovered at the weekend and want to go to work, you do not have burnout. If after the weekend or even after vacation you constantly feel tired at work, this is probably burnout.
However, it is difficult to say that burnout is characterized by any one state. Burnout can develop in months, and it has several stages:
Stage 1. Work "on fire"
Burnout are prone to people who love their work. It is often difficult for them to take a pause, because they are passionate: they can work, returning home from the office, and not switch for a long time. If the time does not slow down or not to rest, the next stage of burnout will come.
Stage 2. Fatigue appears
When a person fully devotes himself to work, he has a feeling that he is not appreciated according to his merits: he does so much, but no one pays attention to it. Over time, there is a negative in the address of colleagues and bosses. Work begins to bring more negative emotions, and this causes fatigue.
Stage 3. Lost interest, deteriorating health
Gradually, a person loses interest in work, is disappointed in it. If it is very simplistic, in the third stage of burnout people become either more aggressive or more depressive. There is irritation in relation to tasks, colleagues or customers. Social activity is declining: people may be less likely to meet with friends or spend less time with their families.
The physical condition worsens: colds begin, there are problems with weight and sleep (drowsiness or insomnia). At this stage, impaired attention and memory may occur.
Stage 4. The work of the intellect is disrupted.
At the fourth stage, a person cannot work as efficiently and quickly as before: the work of the intellect is disturbed, the motivation is lost.
Irritation goes into breakdowns - spontaneous aggression towards colleagues. The same person can behave in the family. It becomes difficult to talk about work, in contrast to the second and third stages - then people can complain a lot and discuss working situations for a long time.
Stage 5. Dependencies increase
At the 4-5 stages of burnout, a person is more often under stress. If he has addictions that quickly help suppress the experience, they become stronger. For example, he used to drink one glass of wine a week, and now he drinks every day. Or sometimes he ate sweets for the night, and now he allows himself sweets every night.
The body produces a defensive response to prolonged stress: problems with the stomach and intestines occur.
Stage 6. Depression begins
In the sixth stage, depression begins. A person is haunted by a sense of meaninglessness - not only in work, but also in life in general. Suicidal thoughts may appear. Unfortunately, many turn to specialists only at this stage.
With the first stages of burnout can cope on their own. Here is what you can do:
• Plan your vacation
Suppose you know that for another month you will work 12 hours a day. After such a marathon, be sure to rest. Plan your vacation in advance. If you work at this pace for a month, and then immediately proceed to the next project, there is a high probability that the condition will worsen.
• Talk to those who have already burned out.
In the second or third stage of burnout, people become lonely. The farther - the more lost the feeling of self-worth and importance. Find someone you know who has already experienced burnout, and find out how he handled it.
• Ask for help or advice at work.
A frequent problem - especially on a trial period for beginners - the desire to prove to everyone that "I am smart," "I will do everything myself," by all means. Many are sure: asking for help is a sign of weakness. But it is not. Seeking advice and help is normal.
Some people on probation think they burn out because they are constantly tired. But they can get tired not because they work hard and enthusiastically, but because they experience an impostor syndrome , anxiety, lack of information or advice. In this case, a good mentor will help deal with the problem.
• Take care of your mind, feelings, and body.
Burnout operates on four levels:
- affective (a person experiences negative emotions),
- physical (begins to hurt),
- cognitive (memory, attention is disturbed),
- behavioral (all these violations affect the behavior of a person and the quality of his life).
So you need to take care of your feelings (for example, to meet with family, friends and loved ones, read books, watch movies - do everything that gives emotional nourishment), body (go in for sports, walk, do massages, take baths - which is more like) and mind (analyze, learn new).
• Do your favorite things
If you have started to burn out, but you cannot go on vacation yet, dedicate evenings and weekends to what brings pleasure.
In the early stages of burnout, such an exercise helps: make a large list of everything you love and want to do - from “eating an apple” to “learning how to play the piano”. In the evening on weekdays or on weekends, select an item from the list and follow.
Yuri: “In my opinion, the easiest and most effective way to avoid emotional burnout is to switch. Sometimes at the end of the working day you get so carried away that you want to continue working, walk and think about something. But this is the wrong approach: it is much more effective to let go of the thought, even if it torments you, and it seems that you need to urgently deal with it. You simply transfer it from the conscious to the unconscious. And, having come to work in the morning, you suddenly realize that you know the solution. Although it seems that you did not even think about it.
It can be difficult to switch, especially when nothing is planned for the evening. Therefore, it is good to have a schedule and a hobby that will completely occupy thoughts - then an emotional departure from work will really happen. ”
If you understand that there is no strength to continue working, do not rush to quit. Analyze why you burn out, what you want to change (here you can ask for help from a psychologist), and talk to the boss. Perhaps you are lucky, and the head will offer to change the project, go to another team or take a vacation - this will probably solve the problem.
Yuri: “When I realized that I couldn’t continue working in this mode, I decided to quit my job and went to the head. I was offered two options: switch to another project or rest. I used the second one - I took a vacation at my own expense for the whole summer. And when I returned, I chose a project that was completely opposite to what it was. Instead of a large-scale one, a small one, instead of a Russian customer, a foreign one, instead of a distributed team, a local one. By the time I switched to the new project, I was very eager to work again. ”
If you manage a project where you need to work a lot and quickly, figure out your own expectations, and then think about how to help the team. What is important to do?
• Give certainty.
Tell the subordinates when the project (or its acute phase) ends. For example: "This week we work 12 hours a day with one day off, but we will definitely not have one on the next one." It is easier for people to cope with difficulties if they know when they will end. It is important not only to make a promise, but also to fulfill it.
• Discuss responsibilities
Each subordinate must understand what to do. Unless you clearly discuss responsibilities, people will spend time understanding tasks and deadlines, and will begin to worry about uncertainty. And anxiety does not work effectively.
• Constantly give feedback
When people receive feedback, they realize that their work is beneficial and important. If an employee works long and hard without feedback, he ceases to see the meaning in his activity. Therefore, it is important to notice what people are doing.
The duration of treatment depends on how serious the problem is. If the burnout lasted a long time and led to a deep depression, the output will take about a year and a half. If the burnout began recently, most likely, it will take about six months. If a person turns to a psychotherapist, when he himself has matured some solution, you may need 2-3 consultations.
If you feel that work has ceased to be enjoyable, fatigue does not pass, and health is deteriorating - this is an occasion to think about whether you have a burnout.
We are telling why it is not always necessary to tell yourself “Catch up, a rag!”, What are the stages of burning out and how to fight it.
The psychotherapist Maria Berlin helped to understand the topic. And the Java-developer of EPAM, Yuri Bezrukov, shared his burnout history.
')
Burn out, as a rule, those who love their work and invested in it. There are several other factors of burnout:
If an employee agrees with one or more of these statements, it is likely that he will burn out.
For example, the person took on the first serious work. He has high expectations from himself, he wants to prove to everyone that he can cope with tasks. There is a high probability that an employee will start to get anxious and work overtime. Often young specialists burn out, but they recover quickly enough, and this experience helps them in the future.
Yuri: “I encountered burnout about 10 years ago, I was 25 years old. I had no experience of working in large companies. Two or three months on the first big project I worked very hard: we were preparing to enter production. There were many tasks, problems, and it seemed that they were not decreasing, but only growing. I woke up, went to work, came home and continued to work, often without days off. There was an endless race. I didn’t like the state I was in at all, and the work began to cause sharply negative emotions.
The negative attitude was projected not on a specific project, but on the profession as a whole, and I thought that this would always be the case. Then it seemed to me that the development is not at all what I would like to do. ”
Burnout or just tired? How to distinguish?
You can quickly get rid of fatigue. If you feel that you have recovered at the weekend and want to go to work, you do not have burnout. If after the weekend or even after vacation you constantly feel tired at work, this is probably burnout.
However, it is difficult to say that burnout is characterized by any one state. Burnout can develop in months, and it has several stages:
Stage 1. Work "on fire"
Burnout are prone to people who love their work. It is often difficult for them to take a pause, because they are passionate: they can work, returning home from the office, and not switch for a long time. If the time does not slow down or not to rest, the next stage of burnout will come.
Stage 2. Fatigue appears
When a person fully devotes himself to work, he has a feeling that he is not appreciated according to his merits: he does so much, but no one pays attention to it. Over time, there is a negative in the address of colleagues and bosses. Work begins to bring more negative emotions, and this causes fatigue.
Stage 3. Lost interest, deteriorating health
Gradually, a person loses interest in work, is disappointed in it. If it is very simplistic, in the third stage of burnout people become either more aggressive or more depressive. There is irritation in relation to tasks, colleagues or customers. Social activity is declining: people may be less likely to meet with friends or spend less time with their families.
The physical condition worsens: colds begin, there are problems with weight and sleep (drowsiness or insomnia). At this stage, impaired attention and memory may occur.
Stage 4. The work of the intellect is disrupted.
At the fourth stage, a person cannot work as efficiently and quickly as before: the work of the intellect is disturbed, the motivation is lost.
Irritation goes into breakdowns - spontaneous aggression towards colleagues. The same person can behave in the family. It becomes difficult to talk about work, in contrast to the second and third stages - then people can complain a lot and discuss working situations for a long time.
Stage 5. Dependencies increase
At the 4-5 stages of burnout, a person is more often under stress. If he has addictions that quickly help suppress the experience, they become stronger. For example, he used to drink one glass of wine a week, and now he drinks every day. Or sometimes he ate sweets for the night, and now he allows himself sweets every night.
The body produces a defensive response to prolonged stress: problems with the stomach and intestines occur.
Stage 6. Depression begins
In the sixth stage, depression begins. A person is haunted by a sense of meaninglessness - not only in work, but also in life in general. Suicidal thoughts may appear. Unfortunately, many turn to specialists only at this stage.
I'm starting to fade. What to do?
With the first stages of burnout can cope on their own. Here is what you can do:
• Plan your vacation
Suppose you know that for another month you will work 12 hours a day. After such a marathon, be sure to rest. Plan your vacation in advance. If you work at this pace for a month, and then immediately proceed to the next project, there is a high probability that the condition will worsen.
• Talk to those who have already burned out.
In the second or third stage of burnout, people become lonely. The farther - the more lost the feeling of self-worth and importance. Find someone you know who has already experienced burnout, and find out how he handled it.
• Ask for help or advice at work.
A frequent problem - especially on a trial period for beginners - the desire to prove to everyone that "I am smart," "I will do everything myself," by all means. Many are sure: asking for help is a sign of weakness. But it is not. Seeking advice and help is normal.
Some people on probation think they burn out because they are constantly tired. But they can get tired not because they work hard and enthusiastically, but because they experience an impostor syndrome , anxiety, lack of information or advice. In this case, a good mentor will help deal with the problem.
• Take care of your mind, feelings, and body.
Burnout operates on four levels:
- affective (a person experiences negative emotions),
- physical (begins to hurt),
- cognitive (memory, attention is disturbed),
- behavioral (all these violations affect the behavior of a person and the quality of his life).
So you need to take care of your feelings (for example, to meet with family, friends and loved ones, read books, watch movies - do everything that gives emotional nourishment), body (go in for sports, walk, do massages, take baths - which is more like) and mind (analyze, learn new).
• Do your favorite things
If you have started to burn out, but you cannot go on vacation yet, dedicate evenings and weekends to what brings pleasure.
In the early stages of burnout, such an exercise helps: make a large list of everything you love and want to do - from “eating an apple” to “learning how to play the piano”. In the evening on weekdays or on weekends, select an item from the list and follow.
Yuri: “In my opinion, the easiest and most effective way to avoid emotional burnout is to switch. Sometimes at the end of the working day you get so carried away that you want to continue working, walk and think about something. But this is the wrong approach: it is much more effective to let go of the thought, even if it torments you, and it seems that you need to urgently deal with it. You simply transfer it from the conscious to the unconscious. And, having come to work in the morning, you suddenly realize that you know the solution. Although it seems that you did not even think about it.
It can be difficult to switch, especially when nothing is planned for the evening. Therefore, it is good to have a schedule and a hobby that will completely occupy thoughts - then an emotional departure from work will really happen. ”
Should I tell my boss that I’ll burn out?
If you understand that there is no strength to continue working, do not rush to quit. Analyze why you burn out, what you want to change (here you can ask for help from a psychologist), and talk to the boss. Perhaps you are lucky, and the head will offer to change the project, go to another team or take a vacation - this will probably solve the problem.
Yuri: “When I realized that I couldn’t continue working in this mode, I decided to quit my job and went to the head. I was offered two options: switch to another project or rest. I used the second one - I took a vacation at my own expense for the whole summer. And when I returned, I chose a project that was completely opposite to what it was. Instead of a large-scale one, a small one, instead of a Russian customer, a foreign one, instead of a distributed team, a local one. By the time I switched to the new project, I was very eager to work again. ”
My subordinates burn out. What to do?
If you manage a project where you need to work a lot and quickly, figure out your own expectations, and then think about how to help the team. What is important to do?
• Give certainty.
Tell the subordinates when the project (or its acute phase) ends. For example: "This week we work 12 hours a day with one day off, but we will definitely not have one on the next one." It is easier for people to cope with difficulties if they know when they will end. It is important not only to make a promise, but also to fulfill it.
• Discuss responsibilities
Each subordinate must understand what to do. Unless you clearly discuss responsibilities, people will spend time understanding tasks and deadlines, and will begin to worry about uncertainty. And anxiety does not work effectively.
• Constantly give feedback
When people receive feedback, they realize that their work is beneficial and important. If an employee works long and hard without feedback, he ceases to see the meaning in his activity. Therefore, it is important to notice what people are doing.
How much burnout is treated?
The duration of treatment depends on how serious the problem is. If the burnout lasted a long time and led to a deep depression, the output will take about a year and a half. If the burnout began recently, most likely, it will take about six months. If a person turns to a psychotherapist, when he himself has matured some solution, you may need 2-3 consultations.
If you feel that work has ceased to be enjoyable, fatigue does not pass, and health is deteriorating - this is an occasion to think about whether you have a burnout.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/353376/
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