The term "emotional burnout" (or its synonym — professional burnout) appeared in psychologists' slang relatively recently. What is hidden under this phrase? How dangerous is this condition, why does it occur and how is it different from ordinary overwork? And, finally, how can we protect ourselves and our loved ones from such phenomena, maintain good health and a positive attitude towards life, learn to resist the frantic pace of modern life?
Together with estet-portal.com, we propose to thoroughly understand this issue and prevent the development of a personality-destroying state, which is hidden under the term "emotional burnout".
Burnout: how to recognize it
Perhaps among your friends and acquaintances there are also people who have not managed to avoid the notorious burnout syndrome. A state characterized by growing emotional exhaustion is becoming a problem for many modern people who are accustomed to giving maximum strength to their professional activities.
The endless avalanche of daily duties, the desire for career growth and the indispensable achievement of high results create fertile ground for the emergence of many stressful situations. Our psyche is not always ready to take a hit, more and more often a person plunges into a state of anxiety, fatigue, depression and apathy.
Quite often, people in such a state experience quite tangible ailments, because the burnout syndrome provokes the development of psychosomatic diseases. A person has a steady feeling of the futility of the efforts made, once the favorite work seems meaningless and unnecessary, communication with colleagues or clients (here we conditionally include students or students, buyers, patients - it all depends on the type of activity) begins to cause more and more irritation. Further deepening of the condition may lead to the development of cognitive impairment.
Why is this happening — let's figure out the reasons
Why does this problem arise, because the vast majority of people at all times have to work hard and hard, but psychologists have paid attention to the threat of professional (or emotional) burnout only recently. Perhaps our resistance to stress has decreased, or the reason lies in other factors?Specialists are inclined to the real causes of this syndrome, to add the following factors:
1. An unusually high level of stimulation, which is due, first of all, to an unprecedented flow of information that hits us literally from everywhere. At the same time, we do not just perceive information - life forces us to actively respond to it, constantly confronting the problem of choice.
2. Loss of a sense of security. Life has not just accelerated the pace, it is becoming unpredictable. We are not too sure about the stability of anything, at any moment the life of any person can change dramatically. And if it is easier for young people and adolescents to adapt to a constantly changing reality, then "experienced specialists" often find it difficult to adapt to "sharp turns".
3. Loss of the meaning of life. Decades of the triumph of militant materialism have delivered vast numbers of people from the prospect of eternal bliss. At a certain point, we realize that a significant part of our efforts, when we tried to live up to high moral principles, no one will ever appreciate. And coming to terms with this is not easy.
Now that we know the main factors that have created favorable conditions for the occurrence of burnout syndrome, let's figure out exactly how this happens. Perhaps understanding this process & nbsp; will help us insure ourselves in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones from such a problem.
First of all, it is necessary to figure out what we spend energy on. The lifestyle of many people (especially the fair sex) consists of professional duties and many household chores. Very often, the efforts made are only enough to “run in circles” day after day, without seeing any noticeable progress or worthy rewards.
Overcoming numerous stresses, sometimes becoming chronic, gradually damages health. Often this is already quite enough for the quality of work to decrease, and communication with people begins to cause more and more problems due to increased irritability. At the same time, attempts to follow the advice of psychologists and relax are doomed in advance, because we are too fixated on the problem.
For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that, despite similar conditions, not everyone is inclined to plunge into the abyss of depression if professional activity has ceased to bring satisfaction. As a rule, people with a special temperament are prone to burnout syndrome: enthusiastic, impressionable, however, prone to coping with problems alone.
The risk group includes representatives of certain professions, due to the specifics of their work, who are forced to spend a significant part of their working time interacting with a wide range of other people.
The most common burnout syndrome affects:· medical workers;
· teachers;
· employees of law enforcement agencies;
· service industry representatives;
· employees who spend a lot of time on business trips.
So, what can you do to avoid falling into the trap of chronic fatigue leading to burnout? Fortunately, there are many different techniques that can help you get out of the vicious circle.
1. Before going to a job interview, it makes sense to consult a psychologist who will objectively assess the characteristics of your psychotype and warn you about possible difficulties in a new job.
2. No matter how busy you are, leave yourself an outlet in the form of a hobby. And most importantly, make it a way for self-expression and communication with those who share your passion. Modern technical capabilities allow you to do this not only in person, but also in social networks or on special forums on the Internet.
3. Another way to prevent burnout is to communicate with specialists in your field, however, working in a different place. This option of communication is incredibly valuable, because often in his work team, a person, for ethical reasons, does not have the opportunity to discuss some problems.
4. Don't ignore the opportunity for further education. Psychologists insist on fairly long refresher courses (at least six months). This is not only an opportunity to switch a little, but the prospect for professional and career growth.
5. Do not forget about special rituals that allow you to distinguish between working hours and that part of the day when you are free from official duties. For example, when you finish your work day, pull your chair back and tell yourself, that today you are no longer a teacher (salesperson or surgeon). Learn to switch from professional problems, leaving them in the workplace.
6. Learn relaxation skills. Yoga exercises or breathing exercises will help minimize the harm of stress.
And finally, the last one. Even if your schedule is scheduled by the minute:
· do not forget about holidays and weekends;
· go for routine check-ups with a doctor;
· eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals;
· try to get rid of bad habits.
Read also:
Psychoanalyst Anna Kushneruk: "You can burn out only after we burned"
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