BURNOUT SYMPTOMS
We all know that some stress is good for you , right ? I mean , performers and athletes claim that stress keeps their skills sharp and motivates them to achieve their personal best . Stress is the subject of plenty of scientific research . The Yerkes – Dodson law is just one piece of data that illustrates how performance increases with a certain amount of arousal . But when stress levels climb too high , performance starts to decline . And if this pattern continues , negative signs of stress crop up . Anxiety , tunnel vision , hyperactivity , you may recognize them . When we don ’ t manage and reduce chronic stress , signs of burnout appear .
Imagine , a colleague just can ’ t let go of her need to finish a project . She explains that she really wants to finish this because it matters . When you tell her that you heard your director say , “ We may not get funding unless this project goes through ,” the colleague might lose it temporarily . “ Oh no , did he really say that ? I ’ m screwed .” And the next day , she calls to say , “ I ’ m taking the morning off . I ’ m exhausted .” Is she stressed ? It sounds that way . Burned out ? No . Being burned out is deeper , heavier even . If your stressed colleague doesn ’ t manage her stress , she ’ ll keep pushing towards burnout . That ’ s when she ’ d say things like , “ Does it really matter anyway ? I feel like I ’ m screwing up this project . I don ’ t even want to get up in the morning . What ’ s the point ?”
There they are , signs of burnout ; apathetic exhaustion , cynicism , and feeling ineffective .
If you start to see signs of burnout , here are some ways to help :
• Increase your control , decide what you will and won ’ t do at certain times of the day or which emails you ’ ll respond to first . Even the smallest act of taking control can relieve a sense of burnout .
• Get some support . When a goal project doesn ’ t resonate with you , or if you just can ’ t find any reason to keep at it , ask for help . The more you toil away at something you don ’ t want to do , the more discouraged you feel . That feeling exacerbates burnout .
• Create some boundaries . It may not be easy to say no or not today , but only communicating your needs to others can be empowering . It empowers you as well , as the folks watching you model how to say no .
• Most importantly , find some purpose in your work and why it resonates with who you are . This will do more than prevent burnout . It can be a source of deep satisfaction and joy in your life . +
Entrepreneur , author , idea developer . Shawn Hunter has collaborated with hundreds of business authors , executives , and researchers to create learning solutions . Shawn ’ s first company , Targeted Learning , was acquired by Skillsoft in February 2007 . He is the author of Out • Think and Small Acts of Leadership .
MindScaling . com and ShawnHunter . com
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