By Jenifer Brown
In today’s era of workplace burnout, achieving a simpatico work-life relationship seems practically out of reach. Being tired, ambivalent, stressed, cynical and overextended has become a normal part of a working professional’s life.
The General Social Survey of 2016, a nationwide survey that since 1972 has tracked the attitudes and behaviors of American society, found that 50 percent of respondents are consistently exhausted because of work, compared with 18 percent two decades ago. Occupational burnout goes beyond needing a vacation or family retreat. Many experts, psychologists and institutions, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, highlight long-term and unresolvable burnout as a major health concern.
Biologically we are not meant to be in a high-stress mode all the time. We think that the only way to be productive is to be in go-go-go mode. Also, it is difficult to identify burnout – which often feels like surrender or failure.
Common Work Stressors
- Overcoming challenges with new software, changing atmospheres or processes
- Unrealistic deadlines
- Frequent scheduling conflicts or interruptions
- Unpredictable schedules
- Added responsibility beyond the initial scope of one’s role while not being compensated
- Interpersonal demands such as interactions with colleagues or customers
These stressors can manifest in outbursts against co-workers, anger toward loved ones at home, loss of appetite and passion for things once loved, or being unable to find motivation for things that you once were able to accomplish with ease.
When people begin to have this problem at work there can be absenteeism, turnover and errors. We can sometimes see difficulty with people getting along with each other or even becoming angry or aggressive.
Ways to Combat Work Burnout
If you’re suffering from burnout at work, there are a some things you can do.
- Focused breathing, which can tap into your parasympathetic nervous system, can help reduce or manage stress.
- Frequent breaks, preferably five-minute breaks for every 20 minutes spent on a single task.
- A trusted mentor at work with whom you can discuss and strategize other ways to deal with work-related issues. A social network, where you have each other’s back, is a precious resource.
- A hobby outside of work through which you can decompress, de-stress and dissociate from work.
- Regular exercise or fitness activity works wonders and has benefits beyond stress relief.
Jason Lang is the team leader of workplace health programs within the CDC. He says that aside from good diet, exercise and sleep, there’s one surefire way to combat general malaise, job dissatisfaction, low morale and burnout.
“Laughter,” he said. “Find some humor in daily life.”
