Everyone feels stress at work. However, when you’re in a chronic state of stress and agitation, or on the flip side, exhaustion, it could actually be job burnout.

So what does job burnout look like?

Some symptoms of job burnout include:

• Being more critical of others at work and more cynical.
• Having trouble starting tasks and staying motivated to complete them.
• Feeling tired and unproductive due to a lack of energy.
• Feeling unfulfilled even when you are achieving goals at work.
• Becoming irritated quickly with co-workers, clients, and your boss.
• A general feeling of physical unwell, including headaches and digestive issues.
• Having a hard time concentrating and feeling disillusioned with your job.
• Using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better about work.
• Not being able to sleep at night or conversely, wanting to sleep all the time.

Having one or two of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily signal job burnout. However, if most of them sound familiar, then it’s a sign that burnout is a problem in your life. It can not only impact your mental well-being, but also your physical health too, which is why it’s so important to take it seriously.

What Causes Burnout?

If you’re not sure why you’re feeling so burned out, it could be due to various factors rather than just one specific issue. Perhaps you’re dealing with problems at home, plus an especially stressful project at work, combined with little time to take care of yourself, exercise and eat healthy.

Some other sources of burnout at work include:

• When you don’t understand the expectations your boss has for you. This can lead to feelings of discomfort, disengagement and eventually burnout.
• If your workplace has a toxic culture or some other kind of unhealthy dynamic, like your boss is a bully or helicopter manager, this too can lead to burnout.
• Another contributing factors could be a lack of control, with assignments, projects, and responsibilities coming at you from many directions, making you feel overwhelmed.

In addition, you might be more at-risk for burnout if you work in a stressful field or have an especially demanding job with long hours. This can lead to a struggle to maintain a healthy work life balance, which eventually leads to burnout.

Why Burnout Should Be Taken Seriously

While burnout isn’t a diagnosed medical issue, it can have a big impact on your overall physical health and mental well-being. It should therefore be taken seriously because it:

#1: Puts your health at risk.

When you feel chronic burnout on the job, it will take a toll on your health, physically, over time. This means more than just excessive fatigue. In fact, those with burnout can also suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and be more prone to getting sick.

#2: Puts your life out of balance.

Even if your burnout is career related, you bring it home. As a result, it can impact your personal and family life with more stress and agitation in those relationships. It can also affect your overall quality of life, leading to more sadness and irritability, and less enjoyment.

#3: It can lead to serious consequences.

Over time, this can lead to serious issues in your life, such as abuse of drugs or alcohol or over or undereating. You might also have problems with insomnia, which can put you at risk for getting sick more often because you’re chronically overtired.

What to Do About Burnout

Now that you know what burnout looks like and why it’s important to take it seriously, the next step is to do something about it. The good news is that there are many ways to handle burnout.

For instance, you can take small steps in your life to eat healthier, exercise more often, drink plenty of water, and try to get eight hours of sleep each night. Even small changes can make a big impact over time if you maintain them.

Another way to combat burnout? Get help. If you’re suffering from too much on your plate at work, talk to your boss or co-workers. Find out what’s priority and what can be delegated elsewhere. Work together to find solutions and compromises, so you don’t feel so pressured at work.

Contact Murray Resources Today

If you can’t get the support you need at work, it could be time to explore other options. If you’re interested in finding a new job opportunity in the Houston area, Murray Resources can help. We can learn about your background and skills, as well as what you’re looking for a new position, then match you with the best-fit ones.

We can even give you access to temporary jobs if you’re interested in changing fields, trying something new, or attaining a more flexible schedule. Whatever you’d like that next step to be in your career, our team is here to help you achieve it.

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