Are you Experiencing ‘Burnout’?

As much as your employer would like you work later and harder at every given opportunity, the problem of employees overworking and ‘burning out’ can actually prove to be counterproductive, leading to employees taking more time off for stress related illness and is a common reason why businesses underperform.

So what are the typical symptoms of burning out?

1. Feeling physically exhausted/having low energy

When you do not get enough rest you will feel drained all of the time and the smallest of tasks suddenly feel much harder to do then you a heading towards burning out.

2. Feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted

As well as feeling physically tired being burnt out can affect your emotional state and cause you to experience moodiness, sadness, anxiety, impatience and even outbursts.

3. Low immunity and frequent illnesses

When you are feeling run down it is much easier to contract illnesses such as colds and flu. You are also more susceptible to heart problems.

4. Becoming withdrawn

When you are physically and mentally worn out it can be easy to neglect those around you such as friends and family. It is usually because you do not feel as though you have the energy to interact normally with them.

5. Becoming more negative

A result of being burnt out can mean that your outlook on life becomes somewhat bleak. It can be difficult to look at situations in a positive manner if you are physically and mentally worn out.

6. Poor work performance and absence

Because of all of the above symptoms, you can find your performance at work suffering because you do not have the energy or the motivation to continue at your normal standards or because you simply do not feel able to go into work that day.

So what can be done before it gets to this stage? Here are some suggestions to maintain a healthy balance of work and rest.

Get organised

One major element of stress and burnout is a lack of planning and healthy patterns. Get yourself organised at work with planners and other tools to eliminate the backlog of work which ultimately leads to stress. You will find the more organised you are the more you will feel in control of your work environment:

• Learn how to prioritise yourself and list your tasks from most important to least.
• Prepare a schedule and to stick to it as much as possible. Try and do this in both your work and your personal life and get yourself into a schedule. When you have a fixed work and rest time, you will gain control of your environment and it will stop you from feeling overwhelmed.
• Acknowledge the things that stress you out, by doing so it helps you think about solutions instead of feeling snowed under
• If possible, try and share your workload with your colleagues if you feel as if you are unable to cope.

Further reading

Dealing with stress in the workplace – ACAS

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If you feel like you’re suffering from stress or a stress related illness because of your job, please email enquiries@oakwoodsolicitors.co.uk, call 0113 200 9720 or complete our short contact form.