Job burnout.. How can your job take your life?

“Ali” is a normal employee, he does not work long hours, but his working hours are not short either. He gets two days off a week, but it is not fixed by the nature of the work. However, the main problem is that the work puts pressure on him constantly, even that leave does not enjoy during it. With peace of mind, recently our friend began to forget numbers, get nervous in meetings, besides, he began to feel pressure just to enter the office every day, strange pressure as if this place was a cage in a court, waiting for the opportunity to leave him or say "run away from him", slowly withdrawing from a team Work, especially with the appearance of another recent employee who seems to be conveying everything that is said here to management.

So far, our friend has been able to deal with the matter at least by endurance, but there are new symptoms that appeared with the recent wave of work pressure due to disturbances in the parent company, withdrawal turned into isolation, and pressure turned into anger or sarcasm, and traveling in a quarterly meeting in one of the Coastal cities, which is a pleasant trip for some, has become a problem that requires preparation to be resolved by apology or feuding.

job burnout

In 1974, the physician and psychotherapist Herbert Freudenberger, who is considered the first to conduct research on this matter, defined burnout as the high cost of high achievement, which is the "extinction" or "reduction" of the motivation or motivation that moves us in life. Or it motivates us to continue working and achieve professional development, which occurs particularly when a person's efforts fail to achieve desired results (1).

The stresses of general life can accelerate burnout.

Job burnout can be thought of as a response to chronic or prolonged work stress and is characterized by three main features: reduced motivation with fatigue, less enjoyment at work, and lack of belief in your ability to get things done.

These three dimensions may be related to each other. When you start to feel unmotivated, you will lose the ability to find pleasure in your work and may hate your job, and then you will begin to feel that your abilities to work and complete tasks have become less.

Because of the prevalence of burnout and stress in the workplace (2), and the profound impact this condition can have on productivity and health, the World Health Organization has included its definition of burnout in the eleventh edition of the International Classification of Diseases, where job burnout is defined as an "occupational phenomenon". It occurs when chronic stress in the workplace is not successfully and effectively managed (3).

There are several possible causes of job burnout, chief among which is of course the stress that comes mainly from the job itself (4), but the pressures of general life can also accelerate job burnout.

Personality traits and thinking patterns, such as a constant desire for perfection, as well as pessimistic traits, can also contribute to job burnout (5).

In advanced cases, it can lead to chronic diseases, including physical and mental health disorders.

But in this context, we must make it clear that job burnout is not a diagnosable psychological disorder, yet there are some of the most common signs of this condition, including: Trying to avoid work-related activities. Individuals who suffer from job burnout view their jobs as stressful and frustrating. , which causes them to try to pass on work-related tasks and activities to others.

Also, exposure to chronic stress, which is a requirement for job burnout, can lead to physical symptoms, such as headaches and stomachaches (6).

In advanced cases, it can lead to chronic diseases, including physical and mental health disorders.

According to a 2016 BBC article, burnout death was more prevalent in Japan, but there were also burnout deaths in other countries around the world (7).

I'm going extinct!

You may think that jobs that require great physical or mental effort are the jobs that cause job burnout more than others, but this is not true, as it is related to other factors and reasons surrounding the profession.

In this context, the 2019 National Physicians’ Report on Burnout, Depression, and Suicide found that 44% of physicians suffer burnout, a profession that may not seem like a candidate (8), but according to a 2018 Gallup report, employees in general suffer Burnout is related to time pressure. Employees who say they have enough time to do their work are 70% less likely to experience extreme burnout.

Another reason for the occurrence of job burnout is the lack of communication and support from the manager. The manager's support provides a protective barrier to psychological stress, so employees who feel strong support from their manager are 70% less likely to burn out (9).

Researcher Dr. Christina Maslach identifies 6 organizational factors that may lead to job burnout, these factors are: the workload and the degree of safety in it, the ability to keep pace with work goals and give an opinion on it, obtaining rewards, the nature of the community surrounding you at work, and the degree of Equity, equality, and the nature of values ​​in place and their agreement with your values ​​(10).

In the same context, Dr. Jacinta Jimenez explains in her book "Burning Burnout Reform" (11) the importance of a "psychologically safe" environment, an environment that enables employees to share themselves and their ideas - without fear of negative consequences - with their colleagues in the work community, employees In this environment they become less susceptible to the occurrence of job burnout.

Burnout Reform by Jacinta Jimenez

Ultimately, workplaces in which leaders fail to set clear and realistic expectations of employees in all aspects, and in which managers cannot reward or punish employees consistent with the amount of achievement or wrong they have committed within the framework of the work system with some form of fairness, It is a fertile environment for job burnout.

If you work somewhere, and always have a fear of being fired, whether through direct insinuation from the workplace or any of your managers, or implicit insinuation, this is called “self-actualization compulsion” (1).

This compulsion creates a dangerous cycle that prevents us from actively engaging in the thinking that reduces the effects of fatigue in the first place.

But in addition to all of the above, there are also some personal circumstances that increase the risk of an individual’s exposure to job burnout, including some personality traits such as a tendency towards perfection, or that a person is very competitive and compares himself to others, or that a person finds it difficult to seek help by nature, Or the person or a member of his family has been exposed to a sudden illness, especially when the employee is the main provider for himself and family members.

red marks

There are many red flags of burnout that need to be taken care of before it gets worse and worse, such as feeling drained of energy or fatigue, a feeling that occurs no matter how much sleep you get, including the inability to relax and changes in Sleep patterns, body aches, skipping meals, and most of all lack of motivation in areas of life outside of work.

Lack of pleasure in your work is another red flag. You will find that you avoid work tasks and take the opportunity to leave it at the end of the day and at the end of the week. and their jobs seriously.

Besides, the unwillingness to communicate with colleagues increases, and the person loses interest in continuing education and improving skills (12).

It's common to have a hard time at work, or even to feel disillusioned with your job at times, however, job burnout is much deeper than this.

If you are wondering whether or not you suffer from burnout, ask yourself the following questions:

Do you have more bad days than good days at work?

Do you find yourself low on energy or find yourself unusually irritable on the weekends?

Do you suffer from stomach pain, digestive upset, or pain in your back or neck?

Do you suffer from headaches more frequently than usual?

Have your sleep habits changed, whether that change is sleeping much more or less than usual?

Are you having a hard time concentrating on work or understanding what is expected of you?

Do you find yourself able to work efficiently only at the last minute or ahead of schedule?

Do you avoid work assignments or conversations with colleagues?

Can you imagine quitting or losing your job semi-permanently?

Feeling too tired to do anything fun when you're not at work?

If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, you may be experiencing burnout.

A short scenario for a gradual extinction

In a research on job burnout, Winona State University summarized the stages of job burnout, starting with the honeymoon stage, during this stage you are happy with the work you do, and you feel job satisfaction, creativity, energetic and energetic, you don't mind skipping lunch or working late because you are very excited about your workplace New and want to prove yourself(13).

Then comes the second stage, during which the job loses its luster. This stage is known as "balancing", and in contrast to the wild optimism and excessive positivity that characterize the first stage, you now clearly realize that some days are better than others in terms of your ability to deal with Work pressures, and you have good days and bad days.

During this stage, you may notice that maintaining your performance at work requires you to put in more effort.

You may start to forget things or find yourself unable to sleep due to stress.

In the third stage, symptoms of chronic stress begin to appear, and you feel stressed and uneasy about working days.

When someone around you, whether at home or at work, asks you to do something, you feel resentful.

You may feel tired or lethargic, or rely on caffeine and stimulants to get your day going.

You may also feel depressed or doubt that things can change.

Finally, in stage four, you begin to feel the mental, emotional, and physical symptoms of job burnout, skipping work, procrastinating, or otherwise missing deadlines.

As for the fifth stage, job burnout becomes empowered and trapped in you, in other words, job burnout has become your new default setting, and you may not even be able to remember the time before you felt this situation.

How to deal with job burnout

Vacationing is one of the first options for tackling burnout. It's an opportunity to separate yourself from your work environment for a while.

Well, the good news here is that there is something that can be done about it.

The first tip is always to admit there is a problem with your symptoms, then you can talk to your boss or HR about what you're experiencing.

It is assumed that job burnout is a well-known phenomenon, although the Arab work culture often ignores it (14).

After recognizing the problem, you can try some of the following solutions:

• Holiday

Vacationing is one of the first options for tackling burnout. It's an opportunity to separate yourself from your work environment for a while.

The vacation you will get does not have to be long.

It has already been proven that people who take time off have lower stress, lower risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and are more motivated to achieve goals when they return to work (15).

• gratitude

Once you are on your vacation, take some time each day to think about the reasons why you should be grateful for your work.

The scientific benefits of gratitude are real, so try to make this practice a habit even during your breaks.

Attempting to deliberately shift your thinking from negative thoughts to more positive thoughts can help improve your view of your work and life (16).

• Avoid energy vampires

You will also have to reduce contact with negative people in the work environment, these can transfer their energy to you and make your mood worse.

• effective communication

You should also be careful to communicate with the people close to you and who you trust.

Talking to your spouse or family about how you feel at work can be helpful. Don't assume that you are a burden to others. Those close to you will accept this because they will feel that you trust them.

You should try to create value in your work. Your work may have a necessary and pivotal role in helping society, or perhaps it requires a rare skill that not everyone has.

You can also make sure to mingle positively with co-workers, because interacting with the people you spend the work day with helps reduce the burden.

Try starting a conversation in the break room instead of checking your phone.

Also feel free to make new friends, meeting new people can take your mind off work and expand your social circle.

• Finding the value

You will have to try to create value in your work. Perhaps your work has a necessary and pivotal role in helping society, or perhaps it requires a rare skill that not everyone has;

Which increases your confidence.

Focus on the positive parts of your business and you will find value.

• setting limits

Boundaries are important in every area of ​​life, and turning down certain tasks can help you regain a sense of control (17).

Don't be afraid to say "no." It's true that refusal can be difficult, especially if it's a request from your boss or co-worker, but on the other hand, it's also hard to say 'yes' Then you are unable to do the job to the best of your ability, or your health and well-being are at risk.

• forgotten practice

Finally, you may not find a clear link to it, but job burnout can be avoided by making sure you exercise.

Not only is exercise good for our physical health, it can also give us a positive emotional boost.

You don't need to spend hours in the gym to reap these benefits, short workouts and short walks are convenient ways to make exercise a daily habit.

• Healthy food

Eating a healthy diet full of omega-3 fatty acids can also be a natural antidepressant and stress. Adding fatty foods such as flaxseed oil, nuts and fish may help boost and improve your mood (18).

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