BURNOUT can be described as an erosion of the soul, a feeling that regardless of what a person does, they cannot make a difference in their workplace. Burnout is often accompanied by feelings of hopelessness, a loss of motivation, and a sense of mismatch between what is being required and what the person is capable of. This is why burnout is becoming recognized more as a situation of being off-purpose than of feeling overworked.
LIVING LIFE ON PURPOSE is increasingly becoming an important factor in peoples’ lives. This is especially true for those who have moved through a difficult life experience. Crisis has a way of driving people inward, there to discover the truer meaning for their lives. When this occurs, being involved in meaningful activities is an intensely important part of living. Since meaning and purpose are major spiritual needs, when the requirements of the job do not meet this end, the sense of soul erosion is heightened.
Burnout most commonly occurs for people who care deeply about their jobs and truly want to make a difference, yet are unable to do so because there is something about the job that interferes with this desire. The interference may come from inconsistency between personal goals and those of the organization. Regardless of the cause, a person on the verge of burnout feels a sense of inner conflict between what is required of them and their own creative ideas and abilities. The conflict blocks their creativity and keeps the person from doing the best they can. Burnout and all its manifesting behaviors can become a way to self-preserve and justify one’s actions.
STAGES OF BURN OUT
Stage 1: Interfering with Others
Persistent irritability, anxiety
Jaw clenching, night grinding
Insomnia
Unable to concentrate
Forgetful
Heart palpations
Headaches (weekends)
Stage 2: Not Helping Others
Need a three-day weekend
Exhausted in the morning
Late for work
Social withdrawal
Procrastination
Cynical attitude
Resentful
Decreased sexual desire
Increased use of alcohol, caffeine, smoking
Stage 3: Possibly Harming Others
Chronic stomach and/or bowel problems
Chronic physical fatigue
Chronic mental fatigue
Desire to drop out of family, society
Suicide thoughts and acts
To find Ten Ways To Live Life On Purpose and Reduce Burnout come back and check in with us next Monday.
Dr. Jane A. Simington PhD. is an award winning author, sought-after keynote speaker, and therapist. Educated in both Nursing and Psychology, and honored as a Woman of Vision and a Woman of Distinction, she uses combines personal experience of healing from the traumatic loss of her son along with her many years of professional experience to help each of us rekindle hope and find renewed happiness and joy after a challenging difficult life experience.
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