© Carole Kanchier, PhD
Are You Headed For #JobBurnout?
If you are you irritable, usually tired, feel powerless about your job, hate going to work, you may be headed for job burnout.
#According to the World Health Organization (WHO) occupational burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic work-related stress with symptoms characterized by “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.
While burnout may influence health and can be a reason for people contacting health professional, it is not itself classified by the WHO as a medical condition, The World Health Organization states that “Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life “
Occupational stress has been defined as a “global epidemic” by the United Nations’ International Labor Organization. The World Health Organization estimates that stress costs American businesses billion of dollars a year in absenteeism, low productivity, staff turnover, workers’ compensation, and other stress-related expenses.
Of course, stress is a factor in every one’s life, particularly during major events such our current pandemic as well as usual stressors like marriage, divorce, or buying a home. But according to the Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory, which rates the levels of stress caused by such events, many of the most stressful events are related to the workplace: mismatch between personal characteristics and job, business readjustments, firings, changes in financial status, altered responsibilities, switch to different line of work, trouble with superiors, variations in work hours, retirement, and vacations.
Employers need to play a big role in addressing burnout by paying attention to whether employees have a sense of community at work, strong social relationships, a collegial environment, a workload that’s not too burdensome, a sense of agency at work, and a healthy work-life balance.
The new WHO definition also requires that to diagnose burnout, mental health professionals have to rule out anxiety, mood disorders and other stress-related disorders.
What Does This Stress Quiz Say About You?
Answer “yes” or “no:”
1. I’m irritable.
2.I am always tired.
3. I have little to say to people
4. I have no time for leisure activities
5. I’m inefficient
6. I use of drugs to cope with job pressures
7. I feel powerless about my job; lack feelings of success or challenge
8. I forget appointments, deadlines or personal possessions
9. I have insomnia, headaches, colds
10. I hate going to work
11. I’m pessimistic
Interpretation: If you answered “yes” to 6 or more, you may be stressed. Fortunately, stress is preventable and can be a catalyst for growth.
Managing Stress
• Seek challenges at work or in leisure activities.
• Engage in positive self-talk. Tell yourself, “I’m OK just as I am…” Realize you don’t always have to prove something.
• List job energizes and stressors. Focus on positive responsibilities; intersperse negative activities with short breaks and rewards. Avoid unnecessary meetings and delegate.
• Keep problems in perspective. Failures can be learning experiences.
• Rejuvenate yourself using strategies like meditation and creative visualization. Sleep at least seven hours.
• Eat well, exercise regularly, develop support systems, and play. Try hosting a costume party or playing a game you enjoyed as a child.
• Listen to yourself. Attend to dreams, sorrows and beliefs. If you want time to watch your children grow, don’t play golf with colleagues.
• Consider a job shift or seek professional consultation.
• Refer to “Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life” which shows how to minimize burnout
Award winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, by Carole Kanchier, PhD, shows how clarify life career goals, and develop a master plan for moving forward. Get a copy of Questers Dare to Change: https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/15r-Life/dp/08408963
Author Bio: Carole Kanchier, PhD, is an internationally recognized newspaper/digital columnist, registered psychologist, keynote speaker, coach and author of award winning, Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life. Kanchier has taught at University of California, Berkeley and Santa Cruz, University of Alberta, and other institutions of higher learning, and worked with varied individual and organizational clients. Dr. Kanchier is known for her pioneering, interdisciplinary approach to human potential. Carole is available for consultations nd interviews
