Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Part II: Signs & Symptoms of Burnout

Based on research by Maslach, burnout is based on 3 areas of work:
  • Emotional Exhaustion: Emotionally over-extended feelings create work exhaustion which is a depletion of energy causing distractions and mental fatigue.  Emotional exhaustion is a sign of distress in demanding work.
  • Depersonalization: The feeling of detachment at work which creates impersonal responses to your work and a lack of care and commitment.
  • Lack of Personal Accomplishment: The feelings of success and perceived competence at work are lacking which creates frustration.  
You may be wondering what Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Lack of Personal Accomplishment look like in actual people... So here are examples of signs of burnout:
  • Physical Signs: 
    • Low energy
    • Headaches
    • Fast heart-rate
    • High blood pressure
    • Upset stomach
    • Rashes
    • Muscle tension
    • Sleep issues: either too much or too little
    • Appetite issues: either too much or too little
  • Emotional Signs:
    • Boredom
    • Loss of control
    • Resistance
    • Lack of concentration
    • Frustration
    • Overwhelmed
    • Anxiety
    • Forgetful
    • Incompetence
  • Behavioral Signs:
    • Lack of production
    • Increased use of alcohol/drugs
    • Increased use of sick days
    • Withdrawn from activities
    • Change in relationships
    • Unresponsive
If you feel that you have some of the above symptoms, you can go one step further and take a self-assessment.  Here is a wonderful quiz to find out if you are burned out or not: http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=1303.

If you have found out that you are burned out, you may want to seek support from family, friends, and even a counselor to help you manage your feelings, and to potentially look more deeply into your career and other available options.  Burn-out can be cured, but the first step is awareness and recognizing within one's self these feelings.  In my next post, I'll share some prevention strategies and coping strategies to combat burnout.

Brought to you by Thrive Counseling Center LLC in Metairie, LA at www.thrivecounselingcenterllc.com.

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