As a Masters Social Worker I approve this article & its informative content & cautionary prevention for mental health as the holidays approach us 🙂
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As rewarding as some professions are, the amount of work and responsibility required on a daily basis can take its toll on the people performing them. While everyone has challenging periods at work, the constant pressure to perform and various hurdles that may stand between you and the desired results may deplete you both physically and mentally. The good news is that there are ways to avoid feeling like this, regardless of your line of work.
What is burnout?
Burnout is an umbrella term for feeling physically, mentally, or emotionally exhausted due to work. Its exact characteristics differ from one person to another and it usually appears after a prolonged period of intense physical or psychological strain. Some common effects are a constant feeling of tiredness, being overwhelmed by your workload, and generally feeling discouraged and helpless regarding your life. Although it’s not something that happens overnight, people typically don’t realize it until they feel its full effects.
Some common reasons why people may experience burnout are:
- A lack of barriers between their personal and professional lives: People working in some professions are expected to always be available to answer emails and calls, even on nights and weekends. Not being able to fully relax and detach yourself from your work is a major reason for burnout.
- The feeling that your career is stagnating: We all love to see progress in everything we do, so we may lose motivation when we’re stuck in the same position for longer than we’d like. This can have an even greater impact when it refers to your career and livelihood.
- Not being appreciated for the work you put in:Â Knowing that those who work alongside you appreciate your output can make a significant difference to your mood and motivation. On the other hand, not getting this feeling, plus the pay and benefits that come with it, may lead to frustration and burnout.
- Not receiving enough pay for your work: Regardless of your line of work, the satisfaction that you get from it is usually proportional to the money you make. The dissatisfaction that you feel when you’re not being paid enough for the amount of work you put in can lead to burnout.
- Being expected to do more than you’re able to: Many bosses have unrealistic expectations from their employees. Constantly feeling like your output is below standard without guidance regarding ways to improve it may lead to feeling burned out.
“Although it’s not something that happens overnight, people typically don’t realize it until they feel its full effects.”
Professions most likely to lead to burnout
While every active professional in any field may experience burnout at some point in their career, there are some professions with exceptionally high burnout rates. Some of them are:
Social workers
Dedicating your life to helping others is a noble thing to do and social workers are of great benefit to humanity. However, constantly dealing with trauma over a long period of time makes people in this profession exceptionally prone to burnout. Being overworked and getting personally attached to the people you’re trying to help are also potential factors that may lead to burnout.
Medical professionals
The main cause for burnout in medical professionals like doctors and nurses is similar to that of social workers, meaning that they have to interact with people in severe distress on a daily basis. Also, besides constantly dealing with injuries and illnesses, many of them also work highly irregular hours and suffer from chronic lack of sleep. This may also affect their work-life balance.
Emergency response professionals
Jobs like police officer and firefighter are vital for a functioning society, but also highly demanding for the people performing them. Working as an emergency response professional generally exposes you to a wide variety of challenging situations that can wear you out both physically and mentally. You’re also usually expected to work multiple shifts, since bad things happen at all times of the day. This means that a lack of sleep and an erratic sleep schedule are added risk factors for burnout.
Design professionals
While it’s not much of a surprise that jobs like medical professionals, social workers, and emergency workers are highly demanding, few outsiders would expect that people working in design jobs also have high burnout rates. While it may seem odd that talented professionals working in a field they’re likely to be passionate about have such a hard time coping with their job demands, it makes sense if you analyze it closely. Design is a highly subjective field, with relative standards for quality. Design professionals constantly have to deal with clients that have unrealistic expectations and don’t provide accurate feedback.
Retail workers
As mentioned earlier, feeling that the amount of money you get paid doesn’t match your workload is a major reason for feeling burned out. Retail workers often experience this, as they’re expected to work long shifts or multiple part-time jobs for relatively little pay. This, plus the feeling of not being valued as an employee and a relative lack of promotion opportunities, is likely to lead to burnout over the long term.
Sales professionals
People who work in sales feel constant pressure to close as many deals as possible and constantly reach their targets. Over time, this burden of expectation can lead to chronic stress and burnout, especially in periods with low sales numbers. Sales professionals are also likely to have a difficult work-life balance, as they’re often expected to respond to clients even when on vacation. Some may also have to constantly travel for work, which can further affect their personal lives.
How to beat burnout
Obviously, the best way to beat burnout is to avoid it altogether by noticing its early signs and taking action to prevent it. The good news is that there are also ways to handle it later on and get back to gaining satisfaction from your professional and personal lives. Some of them are:
- Analyze your work situation. Since burnout is usually a result of things not going as they should be at work, the first step in addressing the issue is usually to determine exactly what caused it. After identifying your concerns, you can discuss them with your supervisor and try to find solutions.
- Spend time with friends and family. Since a significant factor in experiencing burnout is a lack of boundaries between your job and personal life, time spent with friends and family can help you avoid that. Find activities you enjoy doing together and use them to get your mind off work.
- Talk about your issue. It’s usually important to reach out to those around you and let them know that you’re experiencing burnout. They may provide you with support and practical solutions to beat it.
- Work on your health. You can become more resilient, both physically and mentally, if you take better care of your body. Exercising a few times a week can help reduce stress and keep your mind off work, while regularly getting eight hours of sleep per night can keep you fresh and energetic.
- Find relaxing after-work activities. Having hobbies and passions can help you realize that there are other dimensions to your life other than your job. You can take it one step further and practice specific activities for relaxation, like yoga, mindfulness, and meditation.
Burnout can affect anyone in any profession and can have a serious effect on quality of life. Regardless of your profession or the reason for feeling pressure or dissatisfaction at work, it’s important to recognize its early signs and take action to address the situation. It’s also vital to remember that, even if you feel that there’s no way out, reaching out to those around you can help you overcome it.
More tips on improving work-life balance and achieving professional satisfaction:
Avoid burnout by asking yourself:Â Is your workplace toxic? What to do about it.
Prevent employee burnout by learning how to reward work-at-home employees.
Change your lifestyle by exploring 10 of the easiest jobs you can get in a foreign country.