Burnout: The Consequences And What To Do?

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

The phenomenon of "professional burnout" (also known as "emotional burnout") was known to people even before the concept was introduced into scientific circulation in 1974 by the American psychiatrist Herbert Freudenberger.

Usually it manifests itself in a decrease in a person's interest, both in the professional activity itself and in its results, turning into indifference and even a negative attitude towards what used to cause, if not enthusiasm, passion and pleasure, then at least a lively enthusiasm for affairs and tasks.

It is believed that burnout affects those who love their job, but, in fact, everyone is at risk. And most of all, those who are forced, by the nature of their activities, to constantly interact with people. After all, daily contact with a large number of people leads to inevitable and unnatural ("social") stress, and it is the main factor of burnout.

Burnout symptoms

Burnout, like any disruption of normal functioning (whether it be a biological system or a psyche) does not start "all of a sudden." Usually negative moments accumulate (for weeks, months, years), so that later, in full accordance with the dialectical law of the transition from quantity to quality, to create a new state.

A state when either you don't want to work anymore, or you want to change your profession, or you don't care about the results of your work.

According to experts, the following are typical and characteristic symptoms of burnout.

➜ chronic, that is, constant, fatigue, which cannot be relieved by regular rest

➜ problems with concentration: it is impossible to concentrate normally on business and work processes

➜ irritability and dissatisfaction (with yourself, others, the world around you due to constant stress

➜ increasing the share of consumption of alcohol, tobacco and sweets as a way to cope with stress

➜ deterioration in appetite, pleasure in eating, switching to fast food

➜ deterioration of health, activation of old or the appearance of new sores

➜ the disappearance of the feeling and understanding of the importance, usefulness and necessity of your work

➜ and, as a consequence, all of the above, a drop in productivity and efficiency

Moreover, this fall does not occur in an avalanche-like manner, but, often, completely imperceptible for the burnout himself. At first, important things are replaced by less important, but urgent ones. Then even they begin to stretch for several days (weeks). Then the whole thing is postponed until tomorrow. And if it is done tomorrow, it is done carelessly.

And, as a result, a person slides into a routine that makes him sick. Getting away from nausea allows the most complete alienation from work, turning it into dull, emotionless mechanical labor.

What are the long-term effects of burnout

In the end, professional burnout leads to apathy, apathy naturally (sooner or later) develops into depression. And that's it! The final. And from depression - a direct road to "self-sawing" from among the living. And this is not a metaphor, not a figurative expression, but a very real thing, when a "burnt out" person commits suicide:

Getting out of depression on your own, even with the necessary skills, is almost unrealistic. A person simply does not have enough vitality (energy, attention units) for this.

Antidepressants are simply a way to prolong agony. "Lifebuoy for a drowning man", allowing you to stay on the surface and not go like a stone to the bottom. But only as long as there is strength to keep to this circle..

There is also an option to escape from apathy to the fantastic worlds of virtual universes, start living a fictional life, become a "hobbit" or "elf". Such an "outlet" from the stuffy work and dull life can work. But it will work only as long as the person still has the strength and ability to play and fantasize. Then again, depression.

Or, in bad situations, "flight" into alcoholism and drug addiction. First, "a little bit", then more and more, until one, not the most wonderful day, a person discovers that he is one step away from the very bottom.

But! Even if a person manages to somehow, but hold on, situational and "tactical" measures (such as vacations, "switching" to a hobby, etc.) stopping the symptoms of "burnout", he nevertheless loses strength, energy, his performance decreases, and hence the financial income from the activities in which he is engaged (if a person has a salary, then it stupidly does not grow).

That is, if a person is lucky to "crawl" to retirement, then he will crawl to it squeezed out like a lemon. And in this state he will live the rest of his life

Burnout is the result of an unnoticed loss of potential

In order to prevent burnout or, if it has already begun, to get out of it with the least loss, it is important to understand what it is and what its causes are on the spiritual level (the level that is projected onto the level of personality and the level of mind) or, otherwise, the depths of the unconscious.

And the main reason is rude and simple to the point of banality - a person trades his potential (qualities, abilities, vitality, other internal resources) in a game that is obviously losing for him. He does things (products, processes, deeds, etc.) that, by and large, are not needed or important to anyone (for example, he produces various "bureaucratic papers") or that are not appreciated (money, attention, recognition, other resources).

That is, it finds itself in a situation NON-EQUIVAL EXCHANGE … That is, he gives more to others than he receives back. A wise and experienced teacher, forced to teach a lazy and gouging person, who "flew into one ear - flew out of the other." An artist whose paintings are ignored and not noticed by the public. A writer whose books are not published because they are not in demand. And so on and so forth.

A person, creating an unconditionally valuable product (material or intangible), turns out to be NOT IN DEMAND society (at least, those around him) and in order to advance (find his niche) he has to waste all of himself. Waste of potential also leads to inevitable burnout.

A particular case can be considered a situation when a person takes on a burden that is objectively unable to bear (too large amount of tasks, responsibilities, cases, projects, etc.) and after some time "falls down" under its burden. He can fall into a hospital bed or into apathy.

But here there is an opportunity to revise the amount of "loaded" to "enter the game" again and start doing business successfully, correctly prioritizing and planning.

Heal from burnout

As a rule, a person discovers that he finds himself in a situation of professional burnout when, roughly speaking, “all polymers have been passed through”, so recommendations such as “go out, rest, relax”, “switch”, “find something interesting to you got carried away”and others will either not work or will have a weak / temporary effect.

It is important to understand in what emotional tone a person is now (I spoke about this in detail at the webinar "The Way to Zen: Processing Emotional States"), that is, what emotions prevail and are dramatized in him. The lower the tone (level), the deeper and more serious the problem and the longer and more thoroughly it will take to work with it.

Burnout is always an identity crisis. Entering the acute phase or just hurrying to it. A way out of the crisis (cure) is possible ONLY THENwhen the person himself agrees to change those values, goals and ideas (worldview) that led him to the crisis (burnout).

If you feel or feel that you are in one or another stage of professional burnout (you observe one or more symptoms in yourself), then I recommend that you go through for a comprehensive assessment of your condition.

Mental (mental) health is no less (and, in fact, even more) important than physical health. Take care of yourself!