Signs of Work Burnout

She wakes up groggy every morning, snoozes the alarm five times before she can drag herself out of the bed. Switching on the coffee machine with half-open eyes she wonders, “how are people so excited to get up and go to work every day?” I had this experience twice in my jobs. And I had no idea what I needed to do to fix it. Most people think its the job or the work environment that needs to change. Here’s what I realized after falling sick both times, I wasn’t taking care of myself.

When we were kids, self-care wasn’t even a word, because most of our parents were in government jobs. A typical 9 to 5 job and no mobiles or laptops for work to follow them home. They also did things that they liked without feeling guilty for not utilizing time efficiently. For instance, when I was a kid, I saw my father sitting & listing to music on his cassette player. Yes only listening to music & not doing other stuff while listening to music.

Today, we are in a rut, to reach somewhere, finishing endless task lists and in that, we are forgetting to enjoy the journey. I got another wake-up call a few weeks ago when I was walking with my daughter to school in a great hurry so she reaches on time. My daughter, like all 4-year-olds, wanted to stop now and then and observe the beauty all around us. And that made me realize how important it is to slow down once in a while.

Here are few signs of figuring out if you’re on your way to a successful career and joyful life or Burn-Out:

1) Do you wake up in the morning not feeling refreshed at all?

2) Are you becoming forgetful or absent-minded?

3) Do you carry anti-histamines and painkillers in your bag where ever you go?

4) Do you see yourself losing temper or being impatient on small things

5) Do you get sick every time there is a change in season?

These are just a few signs and there could more. While I would encourage you to see your doctor for any physical issues, I would also recommend stopping and analyzing your state of mind.

The first time I faced burnout, the only two symptoms were, getting a sore throat every 2 weeks & not feeling refreshed after a whole night’s sleep. Because I wasn’t able to figure out what it was I quit my job & took 2 months off before I took another one. Now, this isn’t possible for everyone and every stage of life.

5 things that you can apply immediately to help you feel better:

1) Make time for yourself: Do more things that you love to do like going for a walk, listening to music, or even going to your favourite shop even if you don’t have to buy anything. I like to go to a home decoration & accessories shop. Make an appointment with yourself every week to do something for yourself. As Julia Cameron, the author of the artist’s way likes to call it “Go for a date with yourself”

2) Laugh More: Watch programs that make you laugh & not that cause more stress. I stopped watching sobbing stories a few years ago and guess what, I feel more energetic and full of love. One of my favourites is the Laurel & Hardy shows on youtube. And my daughter says mom I want to watch the video that makes you laugh 🙂

3) Meditation: There are a lot of free videos and guided meditations available online. When you sit to meditate for 20 mins and you can only focus for 2 mins that’s more than enough to charge your depleted batteries. I find it very helpful to stop every few hours in a day for 2-3 mins and meditate.

4) Gratitude: Yes we might say we are grateful for what we have, but the time to remember this is when everything seems to be going wrong. If you’re having a hard time with your boss & it feels like the worst thing in your life, that very moment try and focus on what are you thankful for today. In the worst of times when I had a hard time looking for what I am thankful for I looked at my feet and thought, I can stand & walk to wherever I want…Isn’t that a blessing?

5) Stop being hard on yourself: Yes, most of us are so used to being criticized or being corrected by our parents & teachers during our childhood that we start doing that to ourselves. Mistakes are part of learning, learn and move on. And as far as others are concerned, there’s nothing you can do about it. I love dark chocolate & my husband hates it and the same goes for ideas, movies, books & pretty much everything else. Not everyone has to like you. Love yourself unconditionally.

Some of these things may seem a bit absurd at first but look at it as a snowball effect. You keep rolling a snowball in the snow and keeps becoming bigger and bigger. The same rule applies to thoughts, you thing one negative thought and 50 will follow. Try any one of the above ideas, whichever seems the easiest for a few weeks and you’ll see the difference.

If you’re looking for some more help, get yourself a copy of “The artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. This program has helped not only artists but lawyers & people in other professions find their way out of burn-out.

Have you had a similar experience what did you do to change it? Leave a comment below, I would love to try new ideas.

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