A lot of us feel this state of mind, especially the working class people who have a hectic schedule for five days a week or even six. Many of us even say the term 'burnt out' in casual sentences without actually knowing the real meaning of it. So, what does burnout really mean?
Burnout is a syndrome which rises from chronic workplace stress that hasn't been managed quite nicely.
- Lack of personal accomplishment: You start to feel like you haven't been accomplishing much, both personally and professionally. This makes you feel disconnected from things that you need to do and often results in low motivation to even finish your tasks.
- Emotional exhaustion: You start feeling extremely tired and fatigued, which emotionally drains you and you're now unable to look at anything that might need your attention. This could result in difficulties in accomplishing tasks and this translates into absenteeism from work.
- Depersonalization: You might feel disconnected from people around you and so nothing that happens around you concerns you as much as it should. It starts making you feel uncaring, uninvolved and disinterested in interactions and activities related to other people.
If these are the things that you've been feeling then you need remedial measures to fix this and restore your well-being. Here's what you can do:
- Distribute your tasks evenly rather than letting it all pile on the same day. This will make you have a mental break each day and you'll also be able to submit whatever is expected out of you.
- Learn to politely say no to additional work if you know you have a lot on your plate or someone who's piling on work on you.
- Make sure you take regular breaks even in your routine. There should be a good break between two tasks. Allow yourself to relax and refresh.
- Try and don't take work at home and rather learn how to relax and spend time with your family and friends when you're off of work.
- Your main focus should be your health and then everything else. Look how your lifestyle is and if you think it isn't suiting you too much, take measures to make changes and better your lifestyle. Go for walks, avoid alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes and any other harmful substances.
- If you feel low, talk it out to your family and close friends. Don't let it all stay in your mind as it will only pile on and make it worse for you.
If none of this works for you even after repeatedly trying to better your mind and lifestyle, you must consult a mental health expert.
