What Is Burnout In Business And Life?
David Ralph
Founder Of Join Up Dots
Introduction To What Is Burnout ?
If you are asking what is burnout then seriously from someone who almost died from acute burnout start taking action straight away.
Burnout is not one of those things that you can think you have, and then take a few days off work and be right back on track again…that is just tiredness.
If you’ve ever felt drained, exhausted, unstable, feeling like you could cry all the time, irritable, aggressive, unable to focus, seeing health issues for no reason other than you are working really hard then it’s likely that you’re suffering from business burnout.
It can lead to an inability to focus on work and may impact on your mental health too.
In fact, business burnout can manifest itself in many different ways and affect people who are at all levels in their careers or businesses – from the CEO down!
So, if you find yourself unable to generate enthusiasm for what used to excite you about your job or career then it may be time for action…
What Is Burnout To Me And My story
As I am writing this it has taken me nearly six years to get back on track from where I was in my burnout journey.
If I was being totally honest with you, I dont think I ever will recover as certain health issues that I now deal with everyday are all linked to the time where stupidly I thought I could work harder than anyone else.
You see, when I started my business I had a dream that within six months I could be living the life that other people can only dream about.
I wanted to be walking around, doing what I wanted whenever I wanted, and knew that I had to build something spectacular to be able to do that….I was wrong.
What I built was a life where my hair was falling out, my skin was getting grey and flaky, and my friends were telling me that I looked terrible.
I resented them for telling me this, as couldn’t they see what I was trying to achieve so got angry with them.
However, when my Doctor told me I was six weeks from a stroke or heart attack I re-assessed my life and knew it was time to tackle burnout head on.
Burnout is usually a result of doing too much for too long
The best way to avoid burnout is to avoid overdoing it on a regular basis. Here are some examples of doing too much in each time frame:
Too much in a short period of time: working 60-hour weeks for three months straight without any break or vacation.
Too much in a long period of time: working 60 hours per week, every week, for at least two years with no vacation time and sick days.
Too much in medium-length periods: working 40 hours per week, every week but taking one or two longer vacations (two weeks) every year. You may also take personal days off when you’re sick or have other reasons for needing to not work that day (for example after an accident).
Burnout is when you start taking everything too seriously and no matter how hard you try seem to be spinning plates and not dealing with stuff very well.
Burnout Isn't Just About Feeling Really Tired....
Burnout is more than just being tired all the time.
While it can lead to fatigue, burnout also affects your mental health.
According to the American Psychological Association, “A person suffering from burnout may feel exhausted and find it difficult to be enthusiastic about their work in general.
In addition to feeling emotionally drained and exhausted, those experiencing burnout may also experience symptoms of depression including sadness or apathy.”
Burnout is linked with clinical depression (an illness recognized by its own set of symptoms), anxiety disorders (like generalized anxiety disorder), feelings of worthlessness or guilt and anger directed toward oneself or others.
Burnout Can Really Make You Despise Your Current Career
People in their late 20s, 30s and 40s are also seeing a rise in cynicism.
This is often the result of feeling unappreciated or undervalued at work.
The feeling of burnout can lead to a lack of motivation and sheer boredom with your job or career.
You might feel like you’re treading water at work and that there’s no way forward for you professionally, so why bother?
Burnout manifests itself differently depending on age group: it can look different in an 18-year-old than it does in a 55-year-old, but there are some commonalities across all age groups when it comes to burnout symptoms and signs.
So how are you feeling with your day to day activities?
Burnout is a serious issue. It can be difficult to spot in yourself, but if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, it’s time to take action against burnout:
You feel like you are going through the motions at work.
You have lost interest or motivation for what once made you passionate about your work.
Your relationships outside of work are suffering due to an imbalance caused by prolonged stressors at work.
Stress Isnt Directly Linked To Burnout But It Plays A part For Sure
Stress is not just a state of mind. It’s a physiological response to the demands of everyday life.
Stress can be good, as it helps us respond to threats and challenges. But if stress becomes chronic and overwhelms us, we can develop problems like burnout.
The link between stress and burnout is complex, but it’s clear that chronic stress plays a role in many cases.
Stress is not the same as burnout
As we said previously burnout is a condition where you become emotionally exhausted and physically run down because of excessive and prolonged stress at work. It can affect your health, well-being and personal relationships with family and friends.
Stress is often used synonymously with pressure or strain – but it’s actually more complicated than that. In fact, there are two types of stress: acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term).
Acute stress helps us manage demanding situations at work by increasing our heart rate, blood pressure and energy levels so we can cope with the challenge at hand.
This temporary increase in physical arousal helps us perform better under pressure – which makes sense if we need to react quickly or think on our feet in an emergency situation such as an earthquake or fire drill at work.
Conclusion To What Is Burnout?
I hope that by reading this post you have gained some insight into the causes of burnout and how to avoid it in your own life.
If you feel that you are suffering from burnout, then I would recommend getting some help from a professional who can talk through your symptoms with you and suggest a course of action to help combat them.
Return To The Top Of What Is Burnout
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