Before I begin with this article I would like to highlight a small story. Jay soon after he finished his Business School started working in his dream organization. He was more than happy with his position in the workplace. He used to wake up with a purpose and use to do complete justice to his work with utmost passion. Jay was also excited to make a mark in his new role. Three years down the line, it is just impossible to recognize Jay. Now, he dreads going back to his job. He is stressed round the clock and calls in sick frequently.
The above story is the textbook case of burnout. If you have also been in such a situation then it is essential that you know how to recover from it. It is imperative that you take the right actions before it damages your career as well as well being in the long run.
Meaning of Burnout
Burnout is classified in International Classification of Diseases (11th Revision) as follows:
“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
- 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.
Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”
Studies have shown that people who experience burnout in the early phase of their career tend to recover easily. As compared to people who experience it in the later stage of their career. Therefore, it is important that you acknowledge your condition and recover from it.
How to recover?
Burnout does not disappear from your life on its own. Rather it exacerbates if you do not intervene and address the underlying issue. If you ignore it would further worsen the situation. Know that it is a slow journey coming out of this spiral of burnout. The following are some strategies that you can adapt to.
Look for the ‘WHY’ of Burnout
If you do not know the ‘why’ of burnout it is almost impossible to recover from it. In some instances, you will have the cause right in front of you. Other times, it will take time to dig a bit deeper into yourself by introspection. One way of doing it is by looking out for things you resent from work.
For example, if you are managing a team that is halfway around the world, chances are your workday would start much before others in your office. That probably should not be a problem since you love the work and your team. But you often resent when your boss forgets about the fact that your work starts early and expects you to stay late. Because of staying late, you miss out on spending time with your family. In this case, burnout would not happen because you like your job but because you hate missing out on your family time.
It is important that you find the much-needed why(s). You can think of the possible causes and write at least one way you can tackle the cause against that cause. The ways you can fight out with the root cause of your stress and unhappiness could be by delegating your work to others, adding some kind of anonymity, trying to work from home once a week.
Take a vacation
One great way to tackle the problem of burn out is by taking a real vacation. Take the much-needed space and time away from work. Get enough time and distance to relax, unwind, and de-stress. You can use this time to think about how you can tackle the burnout and get some rest.
Learn to say “NO”
Most people make mistakes when they overestimate their potential. They take up voluntary projects and tasks without paying heed to the fact that they already have their hands full. From a distance, it may seem right that you are taking initiatives and taking up tasks, at the same time, pleasing people by not saying ‘no’. This can sometimes fall back on the person. When you overcommit, you become susceptible to burnout. Therefore, you must learn to say no to people and focus better on the work you already have.
