when weWork Burnout

There has been growing interest in the subject of burnout or job exhaustion, going from feeling disinterested in general, progressing to depression. There may be some clues like dreading getting to work, distractibility, physical complaints of exhaustion, irritability, feeling bored, avoiding tasks, getting sick more frequently.

Why would this happen?

It can have a multi-varied answer. Examples are being overworked or underworked, feeling under-appreciated, “office politics”, even being successful and the state of current relationships in and out of work.

Sometimes we have expectations of ourselves that supersede the job expectations, leading to feelings of shame or lack of accomplishment.

Sometimes other people have unrealistic expectations of us, leading to disappointment on both ends. I remember a man telling me that he felt like a failure because could not afford to buy the expensive video games his son wanted for his birthday. This initial presentation leads to improved communication between him and his son and a more realistic interaction between them.

While working in a group some people may remind us of our past figures, positive or negative. A consequence of the later is becoming isolated or upset with feelings that are hard to explain.

If we look carefully we will conclude that part of the solution may have little to do with work, and a lot to do with our relationships at work.

Life-work balance is at the crux of our existence. Post-pandemic adjustments are taking place, and some people will not return to the office

Making an inventory of the variables at play is an essential way to start. Questions like: What is it that I like about my job? How can I get to enjoy more of that? What is getting on my way?

We need short term plans, just today’s plan, as well as long term ones.

There are phases in our life cycle.

In adulthood, work has a preponderance of our time and resources. Later in time, in the peri-retirement years, parallel to becoming empty-nesters, considering relocation to a warmer or more affordable location and seeing friends and relatives dealing with the same issues, the next question is: for how long should I work? Some people experience the need to detach from their job or professional endeavors, starting the count-back. The expression “I am counting the days” floats around more and more. The time preceding the set retirement date is frequently accompanied by ennui and impatience. Making post-retirement plans and paying attention to our network can get us ready and soothe some of the anxiety of this life period.

Conditions like anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, sleep disorders, substance abuse and interpersonal issues which are not so easily identified, may be underlying a burnout crisis. There is hope in the outcome of those conditions when properly diagnosed and treated.

One word about addressing burnout is the fear of stigma. One example is a relative reporting that someone is “lazy” when they’re in the throes of a major depressive episode, or the too frequent assertion “I can’t finish the job, so I take it home, my family complains”.

Another point to consider is the impact of isolation. We are not meant to be alone, however, the demands of our job can, at times, leave little energy to stay in touch. Even close relatives living together can co-exist with a minimum of communication due to the same reasons. Enriching our lives is possible if we reconnect with our people.

Part of the approach entails education, destigmatization and opening new ways to understand the process of burnout as the outcome of many variables. We should look at prevention and not overlook treatment.