As it turns out, my story isn’t uncommon;
many millennial women are experiencing job burnout before
they even turn 30.
The American Psychological Association’s David Ballard,
PsyD describes job burnout as
“an extended period of time where someone experiences exhaustion and a lack of interest in things,
resulting in a decline in
their job performance.”
“A lot of burnout really has to do with experiencing chronic stress,”
says Dr. Ballard,
who is the head of the APA’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program.
“In those situations,
the demands being placed on you exceed the resources you have available to deal with the stressors.”
Left unchecked,
burnout can wreak havoc on your health, happiness,
relationships and job performance.
In order to catch burnout
and combat it early,
it’s important to know
what to look out for.
Dr. Ballard let us in on 10 signs you may be experiencing burnout:
1.
Exhaustion
A clear sign of burnout is when
you feel tired all the time.
Exhaustion can be emotional,
mental or physical.
It’s the sense of not having any energy,
of being completely spent.
2.
Lack of Motivation
When you don’t feel enthusiastic about anything anymore or
you no longer have that internal motivation for your work,
there’s a good chance
you’re experiencing burnout.
Other ways this manifests?
It may be harder to get going in the morning and
more difficult to drag yourself
into work every day.
3.
Frustration, Cynicism
and Other Negative Emotions
You may feel like what you’re doing doesn’t matter that much anymore,
or you may be disillusioned with everything.
You might notice that you feel more generally pessimistic than you used to.
While everybody experiences some negative emotions from time to time,
it’s important to know when these are becoming unusual for you.
4. Cognitive Problems
Burnout and chronic stress may interfere with your ability to pay attention or concentrate.
When we’re stressed,
our attention narrows to focus on the negative element that we perceive as a threat.
In the short term,
this helps us deal with the problem at hand,
Dr. Ballard says,
“but our bodies and brains are designed to handle this in short bursts and then return to normal functioning.
When stress becomes chronic,
this narrow focus continues for a long time and we have difficulty paying attention to other things.”
This “fight or flight” tunnel vision can negatively affect your ability to solve problems or make decisions.
You might find that you’re more forgetful and
have a harder time
remembering things.
5.
Slipping Job Performance
Not sure whether you’re burnt out?
Compare your job performance now to your performance in previous years.
Because burnout tends to happen over an extended period of time,
taking this long-term view might reveal whether you’re in a temporary slump or
experiencing more chronic burnout.
6.
Interpersonal Problems at Home
and at Work
This tends to play out in one
of two ways:
(a)
You’re having more conflicts with other people,
such as getting into arguments, or
(b)
you withdraw,
talking to your coworkers
and family members less.
You might find that even when you’re physically there,
you’re tuned out.
7.
Not Taking Care of Yourself
When suffering from burnout,
some people engage in unhealthy coping strategies like
drinking too much,
smoking,
being too sedentary,
eating too much junk food,
not eating enough or
not getting enough sleep.
Self-medication is another issue and could include relying on sleeping pills to sleep,
drinking more alcohol at the end of the day to de-stress or
even drinking more coffee to summon up the energy to drag yourself into work in the morning.
8.
Being Preoccupied With Work … When You’re Not at Work
Even though you might not be working at a given moment,
if you’re expending mental energy mulling over your job,
then your work is interfering with your ability to recover from the stresses of your day.
In order to recover,
you need time to yourself after the actual task stops …
and time when you stop thinking about that task altogether.
9.
Generally Decreased Satisfaction
This is the tendency to feel less happy and satisfied with your career and with your home life.
You might feel dissatisfied or even stuck when it comes to whatever is going on at home,
in the community or with your social activities, Dr. Ballard says.
10.
Health Problems
Over a long period of time,
serious chronic stress can create real health problems like
digestive issues,
heart disease,
depression and obesity.
And If You Are Experiencing Burnout?
Dr. Ballard let us in
on what to do if you recognize
the above symptoms in yourself.
Take Relaxation Seriously
Whether you take up meditation, listening to music,
reading a book,
taking a walk or
visiting with friends and family,
truly think about what you’ll do to relax, and designate time for it.