Are You Suffering from Burnout at Work?

Are you more irritable and less patient with others? Do you feel disillusioned and no longer derive satisfaction from your accomplishments? Have your sleep or eating habits changed? Are you experiencing headaches or neck or lower back pain? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be suffering from job burnout. And, if it's any consolation, you're not alone. According to a nationwide survey by Career.com, a whopping 77 percent of workers say they feel burnout on the job. The causes might be: ·Working harder and longer due to staffing cuts or fear of losing your job. ·Lack of appreciation, recognition or reward for your efforts. ·Unclear or impossible job expectations. ·You're in the wrong job or profession. ·Performing monotonous or unchallenging work. ·Working in a dysfunctional, chaotic or high pressure environment. Certain personality traits can also contribute to burnout. For example, you might be a perfectionist who wants control or refuses to delegate tasks to others. Also, certain professions suffer from a higher degree of burnout, such as healthcare or social workers. If you're suffering from burnout, here are eight ways to prevent or treat burnout on the job. 1.Set personal and professional goals and priorities. Use them as a template for how you make decisions about your time and work. 2.Live a balanced life. Examine your lifestyle. Are you spending enough time on the people and things most important in your life? Consider taking up a new hobby or take a non-work-related class at a nearby community college. 3.Determine what you can and cannot control. And the best place to start is with yourself. Exercise, eat healthy foods, avoid self-medicating and get plenty of sleep. 4.Learn to set boundaries. This can include limiting work hours or making sure you take time off for lunch. It can also mean taking all your vacation or not taking work-related calls or checking your email during nights or weekends. 5.It's okay to say no. If the requests on your time don't match your goals and priorities, politely turn them down. 6.Talk to your supervisor. Express your conce s, frustrations or suggestions in a constructive way to your supervisor. Share ideas and explore "win-win" opportunities. 7.Revitalize your job. Find ways to break the monotony and make your job more enjoyable. Change your routine or volunteer for challenging projects. Come to work at a different time or redecorate your cube/office 8.Find a mentor. Mentors can be a valuable sounding board and source of ideas and advice. Find someone you respect, who has been around the block and shares your values.

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