The bad, the ugly and of course... the motivational
THE BAD
Merriam-Webster defines burnout as exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration. Google defines it as physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress. The World Health Organization defines Burnout as a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Whichever definition you prefer the point is clear, if you are experiencing burnout you are probably just f-ing done.
THE UGLY
Maybe you are not exactly sure what is going on you just know something is off. You dread the mere thought of your next scheduled shift. A shower before work doesn’t wake you up. Doing your hair and makeup which would normally provide you with some motivation for the day, does absolutely nothing. It isn’t just a bad day or a bad week anymore, it’s become a bad few months at work and it only seems to be getting worse. Some signs and symptoms of burnout include chronic fatigue, depression, anger, lack of interest, insomnia or increased irritability and that just barely covers them. One sign that really stuck out to me was loss of enjoyment. You are supposed to enjoy your career so when that stops you should be concerned. Burnout is not a sign of weakness and it should be taken seriously. Another sign is physical symptoms including fainting, headaches, shortness of breath and even chest pain. To summarize, you are basically letting a job that will replace you tomorrow slowly kill you.
THE MOTIVATIONAL
Reality check. Soul searching. Prayers. Lots of prayers. Do whatever you have to do to light your fire again. Sometimes that means leaving a career that is bad for your health. Maybe it means going on vacation. From experience though being burnt out and going on vacation only makes going back to work even more dreadful. Do those hobbies you love to do that you have pushed to the side because you haven’t had any spare time. Find that spare time again. Breathe. Pray. Breathe. Take a nap. Take a walk. Cry, it’s okay to cry. Whatever you need to do to get back to normal do it. At all costs figure out how to be back on top of the world. Remind yourself that no career or job is worth your sanity or happiness. Even if you love it, it might not love you.
Most importantly,
Be Brave -B