Job Burnout: Causes, Health Impact, and Practical Solutions

agotamiento laboral / burnout
Burnout is known as a wellness syndrome, the result of chronic work stress that has not been successfully managed. Read more about this condition.

Do you know what job burnout is? when at the end of your work you are physically exhausted. You feel apathy and cynicism towards colleagues and clients. Also, you think about the inability to improve and progress in your professional career, as a consequence of extreme dissatisfaction with your job.

There are more people affected by this job burnout than you think.

It is a condition caused by chronic work-related stress. Also, personal unhappiness and job dissatisfaction are caused by this exhaustion, it becomes emotional and physical.

The effects of burnout at work manifest slowly, almost unnoticed by workers. But when they manifest, anger, isolation, irritability, depression, and chronic fatigue are seen in the individual.

Causes of burnout

Job Burnout: Causes, Health Impact, and Practical Solutions

Job burnout can be caused by a variety of factors and is different for each individual. However, there are common factors:

  • Lack of control. Burnout is the result of not being able to make decisions about your schedule and workload.
  • Uncertainty about your expectations. Your job is likely to be frustrating if you don’t know what is expected of you.
  • Bad work culture. You feel affected by the attitude and morale of those around you at work. A micro-managing boss, eccentric co-workers, and a lack of friends at work can lead to burnout.
  • Lack of balance between work and life. Your personal life can suffer if you spend a lot of time and energy at work.
  • Feeling of high commitment. You feel the need to overwork and participate in too many projects. This is how stress and emotional exhaustion come. Compromise is good, but you must moderate yourself and know when it is too much.

Effects of job burnout

People need to learn to manage burnout in the workplace, it’s not a minor problem. There are many negative consequences in this shocking reality.

When left untreated, burnout can have a profound impact on your mental and physical health. Also, burnout can manifest itself in various forms.

Here are some symptoms of job burnout that often affect people:

  • physical health problems
  • Fatigue
  • Increased chance of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, respiratory problems, and death before age 45
  • mental health problems
  • Weak immune system
  • Depression
  • Insomnia
  • Anger
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Increased likelihood of needing medication or hospitalization for mental health
  • Personal problems
  • Alcohol or substance abuse
  • Isolation from friends and family
  • financial irresponsibility
  • Anger toward family members
  • Inability to meet responsibilities.
  • professional consequences
  • job dissatisfaction
  • Social and labor isolation
  • Inability to do the job well

So, clearly, work stress affects many aspects of your life and should not be taken lightly. You need to pay attention to the problems caused by the stress of your work before it is too late.

Solutions to job burnout

When it comes to job stress, there are things that can help. The best way to prevent burnout is to prevent it from happening in the first place. It is something that can be treated, although it is not always possible.

All workers and managers should receive training on how to recognize burnout. Human resources, above all, must identify those who may suffer from it.

By recognizing the signs of burnout, there must be organizational leadership methods to help your employees slow down and avoid burnout in the future.

Prevention

Believe in yourself and your abilities to increase your confidence. To prevent work stress, this is a crucial first step. Identifying what you need from your job is important, even before accepting a position. Your career decisions will be safer if you know what you want.

We advise that you have creative spaces to avoid concentrating too much on your work. You can escape the pressures of your job through hobbies, exercise, and extra activities. Preventing burnout in the workplace also requires a lot of self-care. The stress of your career will be easy to handle if you take care of yourself.

Understand how business and health intersect to identify and prevent burnout at work.

Treatment

Stress at work can be treated in different ways. The first step is to be honest with yourself.

Identify problems and their origins.

A therapist can help you. If you can, seek help and support from friends and family or your co-workers, but it is advisable to treat it professionally.

Even if it’s inconvenient, it’s important to take regular breaks during the workday. Reset and reassess your emotions during these breaks. Take a break if you feel like you are getting angry or stressed.

Effects of burnout and how to treat it

Unfortunately, burnout is an increasingly common and real situation. They are feelings of exhaustion, greater mental distance from work, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to work, and reduced professional effectiveness.

Also, many of us know that these chronically stressful working conditions can spill over into your personal life, causing burnout or demotivation to deal with things outside of work, or even enjoy your free time.

BURNOUT MANAGEMENT

After learning what exhaustion can do to you physically, you may be wondering how you can handle it. These are some starting points, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.

1. Identify where it comes from

You can make a list of all the situations (work and home) that make you feel stressed or anxious. This will help determine what factors you can control. You can look at the list and make at least one change to improve this situation a bit. The biggest problem with burnout is often a feeling of helplessness, so starting with small changes can help you regain control and manage your stressors.

2. Create limits

You must understand the relationship between your work and your exhaustion, it is key to understanding your discomfort. It’s not just about your work situation, it’s also about your reaction. Also, one key to managing this is to set clear boundaries between your professional life and your personal appearance.

3. Recharge your energy

Taking care of replenishing energy is a common term in therapy. Think about compensating for the stress you are experiencing. Make small but sustainable changes. While the holidays are great, if you don’t change the way you approach your routine days and weeks, you may experience the same symptoms as soon as you return to work.

Then, you can do something restorative in many ways: with exercise, painting, drawing, crafting, or doing whatever else you enjoy.

Practice and nurture your mindfulness outside of work, too. Instead of thinking about everything that lies ahead and the tasks that need to be done, try to be present at the moment. Also, have a cup of tea or coffee; or just give your brain some “free time” during the workday. This is a much-needed emotional and mental buffer.

4. Take care of your body

Stay hydrated and eat a healthy diet. Before you think about killing yourself at work without eating or eating anything you can find, think about your own well-being.

After all, you are working for yourself, for your well-being, not for the well-being of your boss or the work itself.

How to treat exhaustion?

Job Burnout: Causes, Health Impact, and Practical Solutions

Try the above suggestions. However, sometimes you may need extra help. It’s a good idea to seek professional support if you’re not feeling your best or if work stress is negatively affecting your relationships and time at home.

A health professional can help you with deep investigation, healing, and clarity in your life.

Many employees experience burnout in the workplace, but it doesn’t have to be. Burnout in the workplace can be prevented or treated. Therefore, you can have a fulfilling and enjoyable career without giving up your life trying.

Also, if you learned more about job burnout and its impact on your health, read about other articles related to health and good habits: