Burnout is characterized by exhaustion, lack of enthusiasm and motivation, frustration, negative or cynical behavior. In other words, it means a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
When things go great, you love your job and are excited about your career. But when burnout strikes you, it wreaks havoc with your career and health.
Job burnout is not your problem only. It affects the company as well because a replacement has to be found and it costs time and money.
Usual victims are healthcare workers who handle life and death situations on a daily basis. They work with patients whose diseases and treatment frighten them. Some of them have to work for long hours. All this leads to dangerous consequences.
If you are hit by job burnout, answer these questions to gauge your level of burnout:
- Do you have difficulty in getting in the morning?
- Do you feel tired all the time?
- Does your memory fail you often?
- Do you have unexplained aches and pains?
- Do you lose your temper easily?
- Are you irritable at work and home?
- Do you feel angry at work and home?
- Did do lash out at coworkers, patients or your family?
- Do you feel that you have no control over things at work and home?
- Are you stressed all the time?
- Don’t you understand what you are doing career-wise?
- Do you look at your watch all the time to know how long you have been there and how much longer have you stay?
- Have you been experiencing more headaches, stomachaches, rashes, chest pains and illness?
- Have you lost interest in things that used to excite you?
- Are you bored?
- Do you feel like you are in a rut?
- Are you going through the motions just to get through your shift?
Don’t be frightened. You can get out of it. Just make a little effort. Learn how to overcome burnout and you will get back your job.
