Should I Stay or Should I Go? - Job Burnout

Burnout : A state of mental, physcial, and emotional exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.

"Burnout" is not a medical diagnosis, though some experts believe depression is behind it. Surveys have shown that many with symptoms don't believe their jobs are the main cause. Job burnout can affect both your mental and physcial health, no matter the cause. A large amount of stress can even kill you, so it is not something to take lightly.

Exhaustion, bodily aches, alienation, and reduced preformance are all signs that you are going through a sort of burnout.

One of the main symptoms of burnout is exhaustion. Often times this leads to a lack of creativity and motivation to do much of anything. This immese exhaustion, from my own experience, is heavy. Heavy is one of the best ways I can describe the feeling. Thorughout this time my body felt weighty compared to normal, my eyelids especially. Along with this physical feeling, I was also emotionaly exhaused. Irritability and mood swings were two that I experienced quite often... And when you already have screwed emotions each month due to the blood run, it is NOT fun to experience it all month.

Chronic stress often leads to bodily aches; such as, headaches, stomachaches and/or intestinal issues. From someone who suffers from migraines, acetaminophen became my best friend. At a certain point I was also experiencing a spike in blood pressure causing me to grow dizzy when I stood too fast. This large amount of stress and exhaustion, if not taken care of, can lead to a heartattack.

Alienation and reduced preformation are also two signs. Your friends easily slip back to being co-workers when your lack of attachment to the job causes you to avoid them. Simple everyday tasks become tiresome and unworthy of your attention. You will most likey also find yourself having a hard time concentrating on certain tasks.

All these sympthoms share similar ones with depression. If burnout if left untreated it will likely turn to depression. Your negative thoughts then will expand further than your job and you may experience a lack of interest in much of anything. If you begin to feel hopeless and have thoughts of suicide, please I beg of you to reach out for help. There are many people around you who care, despite what you might think. You will not and are not going to be a burden to those around you, I promise. Even if it just happens to be some random person you meet at a park, who you end up ranting to, there are people there for you.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for support and assistance from a trained counselor.

A few causes of burnout could be unreasonable time pressure, a lack of support from both your manager and co-workers, unfair treatment (favortism), and an unmanageable workload.

There are many ways to help prevent and treat job burnout. Making changes to your work envirnment is the best way to go. Depending on your situation, you may not have to leave your job. It could be as simple of a fix as changing your schedule to have fewer hours or a more structured set. Talk to your human resource department and your manager, talk things through with them and share your side of the story. Maybe they didn't realize just how big of a work load/stress you were recieving.

In the more severe cases of burnout, a change in position or job may be necessary. While this may be the scariest option, espically if you have lots of bills and debt, sometimes it is for the better. A simple week away from the job will not make everything better -maybe not even a month long vacation.

My advice for everyone out there is to search for what makes you happy. Don't stick around in a job you are worried about the money. If you need to take up a small part-time job till you can get back on your feet so be it. Keeping yourself healthy will help keep you out of the hospital. Just remember, your mental health is far more important than any tiresome job!

Authors Note :

Thank you so much for reading! Due to certain circumstances I recently had to resign from my full time job, so any support helps!

Sources :

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642

https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-burnout-symptoms-and-causes-3144516