You feel overwhelmed, unappreciated, and constantly tired. There is no doubt that everything in you would like to quit. It is up to you alone to decide what is best for you. You can research to help you figure out if you can save your current job, or if there is a mismatch between your skills and the position you currently hold. Multiple models can be used to predict and explain Burnout syndrome. Here are six areas that can lead to burnout. Learn how to fix each one.
- Workload
A workload that is in line with your abilities will enable you to work efficiently, get rest and recover, and allow for professional growth. These opportunities to restore balance won’t be available if your workload is too heavy.
To reduce stress caused by your workload, you should assess your performance in these key areas: managing your time, prioritizing work, and delegating work. If you’re not doing one or more of the above, make an effort to improve your time management skills. See how you feel. Many people feel burned out, especially those who tend to please others. A proactive effort at reducing workload can help reduce burnout and allow for rest.
- Perceived Lack Of Control
Feeling out of control, and lacking access and control in your professional life, can lead to a loss of well-being. It is possible to feel overwhelmed if you stop and think about what it is that makes you feel like this. Are priorities at work constantly changing so you don’t know what the future holds? Do you have too many unpredictable factors in your work environment?
Then, ask yourself what can you do to change the situation. It might be possible to have a discussion with your boss and establish clear boundaries. Can you reach an agreement about certain priorities that will be constant? Are you able to communicate your needs and get more resources? Once you’ve analyzed these areas, it’s possible to see how you can impact your environment and what won’t change regardless of what you do.
- Reward
If the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits of your job aren’t proportional to the work and effort that went into them, likely, you won’t feel the return on investment.
When this happens, it’s important to examine your own needs and identify what you need to feel truly appreciated. Maybe you are ready to ask for a promotion, raise, or other recognition. Maybe you need more positive feedback and face time with your boss. Maybe you want to make the most of the rewards you have earned. Explore the rewards that make your work worthwhile and look for opportunities to increase those rewards.
- Community
Whom do you work with? How supportive and trusting can those relationships be? You can’t always choose your clients or colleagues. But you can improve the dynamics by joining an inpatient mental health retreat. It can be as simple as asking other people how their day goes and listening. To let someone, know how much you appreciate their presence, send them an email. Or communicating difficult topics in a friendly, non-judgmental way. Stress can become contagious. To increase your engagement, it is important to improve the morale of the whole group. A job change may be an option if you feel that you have done everything you can to improve relationships with others.
- Fairness
Ask yourself if you believe you get fair and equal treatment. Is it possible to be acknowledged for your contribution, or is your work ignored by others? Is it possible for someone else to get extended deadlines or access more resources than you?
Speak up if you feel that unfairness is making your burnout worse. Sometimes people won’t listen to you or are unaware of your biases. For example, you could request to be mentioned in a contribution, to participate in a presentation, or for additional time or resources. If the response you receive seems unfair, you can politely mention it.
