“I’ve burnt out.”
That’s how they defined me – “This woman has burnt out from work”. According to statistics, the higher-risk group were men, due to society-imposed stereotypes, but no one was immune.
I’ve burnt out. Or perhaps I’ve burnt out. The cold aristocratic smile stays plastered on my face – I haven’t given it a day off in years. After all, I’m a professional – I can’t afford to show emotions. Now, as we talk openly, post factum of my turning point – yes, it’s true that I haven’t slept properly in months. Perhaps the shadows under my eyes give me away in that regard… Sport? I don’t have time, I have a lot of work. Do I eat well? Define well. I always have something sweet on hand, if I have time between the meetings in my schedule. “My personal life”? What do you mean?
Alright, I admit – it’s true that lately everything felt tense, but I don’t know any other way. A boring and monotonous daily routine isn’t for me. No matter how much everyone tells me “Take it easy. One thing at a time. Rest. The work won’t run away…” – How? It gnaws at me from inside and gives me no peace. And to me, those who very successfully rest during working hours are mediocre. They don’t burn for their work. But then again, perhaps they don’t burn out either…
It’s too late now.
I failed.
Again.
I went through frustration, anger, apathy…. and I arrived here. Burnout. Stress, in itself, in moderate doses, was said to be a good thing. Burnout, or professional burnout, was said to be the turning point of stress; going beyond acceptable limits, in combination with depression and anxiety. That’s how they explained it to me. The result was complete apathy, lack of energy and in some cases – lack of will to live. I was too ambitious. And I always thought ambition was a prerequisite for progress. “People who fall into the risk group, or already suffer from burnout, are the flower of society”– that’s what the specialists told me. I was the flower. But it seems I withered, instead of blossoming.
What do I do from here on?
M.A.,
Marketing and Sales Manager in an international company
This is the story of M.A., which she shared with me during a career counselling session.
Yesterday this could have been my story. Tomorrow this could be your story.
This is the story of each of us.
WHAT IS THE PROGNOSIS FOR SOMEONE GOING THROUGH BURNOUT?
I consulted specialists in the field (yes, it turns out there are such – psychologists whose expertise focuses on professional burnout).
THE ANSWER:
The prognosis is positive! The goal in dealing with burnout is changing behaviour, changing attitudes. This, however difficult it may seem to achieve, is by no means impossible! Because burnout, essentially, is “impaired quality of life”. And that is something fixable, treatable, possible.
THE METHOD:
- Seek help. From specialists, from loved ones. Humans are social animals. It is good to live in sharing, both during the good moments and during the difficult ones.
- Distancing (temporary or permanent) from the previous, stressful environment.
- Engaging in ACTIVE REST. This doesn’t mean “lying horizontally in front of the television”. It means achieving awareness of the problem, through therapy + sport (the ACTIVE kind, the dynamic ones, where the brain switches off) + travel (the world doesn’t end at the office, it’s good to remind ourselves of that from time to time) + time alone with yourself + time with our loved ones + art therapy/culinary course/ pottery course/course-in-whatever.
- Patience. The process is slow. This isn’t magic. Recovery takes on average about 2 years. The impact on the individual afterwards, however, is magical.
RISK GROUPS:
- Pupils/students
- Working people– from all hierarchical levels, not necessarily only managers; from professions such as: doctors, nurses, teachers, IT specialists, aviation.
HOW ORGANISATIONS CONTRIBUTE TO “THE PROFESSIONAL BURNOUT OF THEIR EMPLOYEES”:
- Poor management model.
- Lack of engagement regarding the physical and mental health of employees.
- The role of other employees in the organisation.
- In-house culture that encourages sabotage behaviour.
- Lack of sufficient resources.
- Too much focus on ROI (return on investment).
- Work overload.
- Poor (or entirely absent) communication model.
- Unethical or illegal assignments from managers/the organisation to employees.
- Lack of a clear vision for direction of development.
WHAT PREVENTIVE MEASURES CAN BE TAKEN BY THE ORGANISATION TO PREVENT BURNOUT:
- Engaged attitude from organisations, especially in the areas of the highest-risk groups.
- Providing help. Psychological support. Not nominal, but real.
- Maintaining open communication between employees and the organisation, represented by managers.
- Conducting an annual Satisfaction survey (employee satisfaction survey) could be a source of information about the state of employees, or a “red light” as to whether there are any among them who fall into the risk group.
- Wellness programmes, seminars, events, aimed at awareness “How to achieve a balance between work and personal life. And to have both.”
- If nevertheless an employee is in a state of Burnout – Introducing a Subatical programme (active rest from the work environment, aimed at recovery and recharging), for example for a period of 1 year.
Be healthy egoists. Think of yourselves. The organisation won’t burn out instead of you. Nor will it burn out without you. You don’t need to burn out for it either. You know – No one expects that of you! ?
