Yes, work burnout is a real thing – and you might just have it!
Here are some things to ask yourself if you think you might be experiencing burnout:
- Have you been having irregular sleep patterns?
- Do you find it constantly hard to concentrate and focus?
- Are you the “cynical one” at work?
- Does it take you forever to really get going at work?
- Do you find it difficult to be (and stay) productive?
- Do you lack a sense of satisfaction for your achievements?
If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, then try these three things to help!
1. Gratitude journal
It’s very easy to fall into a pit of negativity. When you seek out the worst in the world, you’ll find it. Your uncaring boss, your less than ideal salary, your long commute.
However, it’s impossible to be negative if you’re grateful. The idea of being grateful for the things in our life is undervalued and easily overlooked. People tend to wait until Thanksgiving where they spend 30 seconds being grateful for their family and the food their about to eat. Really, that’s it? It’s so incredibly easy to take things for granted. Your amazing childhood, your loving friends, the flexibility of your job, your home, your spouse.
If you spend a tiny portion of the beginning of your day writing down things you’re grateful for, you’re going to see an amazing transformation in the way you view the world.
First, you start off with one or two things. Then the next day it’s a couple more. After a month, you’ve filled multiple pages. At this point, life seems INCREDIBLE. And after an entire year of this, you begin to develop a habit of seeing the positive side of things – the beauty of life.
2. Be cognizant of your surroundings
It’s important that you constantly analyze your surroundings for things that may be contributing to your burnout, and then try to fix it.
If you sit in a noisy part of the office, purchase some noise cancelling headphones, ask to move, or listen to white noise.
If you suffer from light sensitivity (or headaches from being on the computer for a long time), get yourself some indoor sunglasses or a blue-light filter for your computer.
If people are constantly interrupting you during your workday, politely tell them that you’re trying to be more productive and want to block out your time and minimize your distractions.
If you get tired around mid-day, consider evaluating your health for deficiencies.
If you’re sluggish all-day, consider doing daily aerobic exercise.
And whatever you do, don’t settle. Don’t ever say “it’s just the way that it is. I’m going to have to just deal with it.” No, you can always make a change that’ll make your situation more positive. Always. Keep trying.
3. Talk to someone
For whatever reason, people have a very negative view on therapy. Often times, just talking to a professional can cause you to realize something that’s been holding you back from happiness.
Also, work burnout tends to be more complex. And may require a professional to fully dissect your situation and get to the root cause of why you may be feeling the way you are.
If you’re hesitant because of cost, consider this… Is your happiness and wellbeing over the next 40 years until retirement worth a couple of therapy sessions? Yes. Absolutely. 100%