5 signs that you experience the burnout of a job you love – and how to fix it

A few years ago, I finally realized my dream of being a full time writer. But after a while, I realized that I could not enjoy it. Something in me was off. After writing blog posts for my work, I went home and vegetated on the couch. I have lost the energy needed to exercise, prepare meals or have a drink with friends. I always did my work every day, but I forgot what made me write.

In hindsight, I know that I was exhausted by an overwhelming workload of uttering words on ideas that were not stimulating. But at the time, I did not have the language for which I could not concentrate. I just thought I was deprived of sleep and could repair my illness by resting more and working harder.

I was not alone. According to a survey conducted in 2018 among 1,000 US employees, one in five highly engaged professionals suffers from burnout. Recently, the medical community has called for burnout: it is a major health problem caused by work and a legitimate diagnosis.

The new World Health Organization manual for medical service providers, the International Classification of Diseases, or ICD-11, included the word burnout as a category in its previous edition in 2003. Its latest issue, published in May, provides more details on Burnout is a "professional phenomenon"And how it results from chronic stress at work.

According to ICD-11, one of the main criteria for burnout is the "feeling of exhaustion or exhaustion of energy". It's a burnout that no good night's rest can fix.

"It's taking a full weekend and getting back to work on Monday, feeling more rested and energetic," said Melody Wilding, social worker and corporate coach. "I feel empty, tired and exhausted, even when you are with your friends and family."

"The mental distance from work" is another official criterion of burnout. You now end the day without feeling of accomplishment and you end up "calling" the deadlines.

"It's really this lack of motivation and procrastination in the face of tasks that came very easily," said Wilding.

Burnout can also seem at a high level, but be engaged for all the wrong reasons. For them, "the intent and motivation for 100% integration is more compelling than anything else," said Wilding, "because it does not come from an exciting, invigorating and invested place. It comes from this place of guilt and obligation and "I just have to keep up."

Negativity and cynicism are another of the dimensions that characterize burnout, according to ICD-11.

When you're exhausted, your vision of life gets bored. You lose sight of the goal.

Joy Harden Bradford, an Atlanta-based licensed psychologist, said, "This cynicism can manifest in professionals who see their work as a calling." You can not really see how your work makes a difference; before, you could do it. "and host of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast.

A pioneering researcher in the field of the psychology of burnout, Christina Maslach, a graduate professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, discovered that the perception of workplace equity marked a turning point decisive for a professional to know whether or not burnout. "If people were faced with equity issues in the workplace, such as favoritism, unjustified inequities, or cheating, their early warning profile might escalate into exhaustion over time," says his study. 2008 in collaboration with the coauthor.

You can see enemies among potential allies, drawing the darkest conclusion about people and situations without knowing all the facts. You no longer feel that you have a voice at the table where decisions are made.

"I think [burnout] This can happen in situations where you are very energetic and have lots of good ideas, but for whatever reason, senior management may not be paying attention, or never implementing the elements that you suggest, then after a while, you can feel like, "OK, why even bother?" Bradford said.

If you feel neglected by your workplace, this can result in a sense of helplessness gained, which makes you lose motivation and become more passive. "It's really a feeling of helplessness where people feel like," Why should I try to change anything because it will not do anything at all, "said Wilding.

Being less effective at work is another category of burnout, according to ICD-11. Absenteeism, turnover and carelessness can increase without commitment.

"Often it takes longer to get things done because your focus and your energy, and that emotional investment is not there," Wilding said.

You can push through your emotional exhaustion, but the body keeps the points. If you continue to get sick or feel ugly, your body may tell you to pay attention to your unhealthy work environment.

These poor health symptoms can manifest themselves in many ways. According to Maslach's study on the leading predictors of burnout in 2008, "burnout is a stressful phenomenon that illustrates the expected correlations for health, such as headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, muscle tension, hypertension, cold / flu attacks and sleep disorders.

Work to resolve the problem of burnout should not be left to employees alone. Managers who impose unreasonable demands on the time and energy of their employees also assume this responsibility. But there are individual solutions that can help you put on your oxygen mask while waiting, so to speak.

Seek the help of a professional. Pay attention to how long you feel uncomfortable. Treat burnout as seriously as any other illness and talk to a mental health provider about changes in your mood and body. "When you realize you have more bad days than good days, it's time to take a closer look at your trends," said Wilding.

Recognize that you are not your job. If you feel that a good day depends on your work day, you may need to have a new perspective on the importance of your career for your life.

If your job makes you feel good about yourself, diversify your self esteem so you can develop a sense of identity in other places of your life, Wilding said.

Learn a new language during your lunch break, take a fitness class, learn how to cook. "Throw yourself into something else where you can feel progress, mastery and momentum because it does not show up at work," Wilding said.

Get support from your workplace Once you have identified problems in your workflow, talk to your manager and see if you can change responsibilities. Bradford suggests asking you if you cand that you are reassigned to a new project that can give you more energy, or if you need to talk to someone with whom to make changes.

If delegation is an option, determine your work priorities. "A lot of people do things that do not even need to be done anymore," Wilding said.

If you are malnourished and experiencing burnout, help your manager say yes by presenting a plan outlining the skills you want to acquire or an ambitious project you want to undertake, Wilding suggested.

Journal it out. When you begin to feel disengaged from your work, you may need to record daily diaries of the mood of your workday to find a burnout pattern. "If you can pay attention to models, you may even be able to come back to the day you started checking," Bradford said.

Slow down and take leave of work. "Give yourself permission to burn out to take a break and slow down," said Wilding. Be with yourself to see how your habits have contributed to the symptoms of burnout. "Many people do not trust and re-listen, they just have to go to another job to try to fix it," Melody said.

Be aware that you can also discuss the possibility of taking time with the Family and Medical Leave Act with your mental health professional. "TThat's why we have these provisions in the workplace, "Bradford said. "It's not like" Oh, the work is nil right now. "It's" I risk going down a slippery slope if I do not take care of that. ""