Heard of burnout but not sure what it involves? Here are the top symptoms of burnout and how you can work to feel better again.
If there’s one thing that we can all agree on, it’s that modern life is overwhelming. Between work, family and personal life, politics, the economy – there’s a lot going on. It’s no surprise that burnout is becoming more and more prevalent. Here we look at the signs of burnout in men, and what you can do if you recognise them.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a feeling of chronic stress that can lead to cynicism, depression, sickness and lethargy. At work, burnout can occur as a result of a disconnect between your job and what actually motivates you, unreasonably long hours, high stress and working too hard towards goals that don’t resonate with you.
- Emotional exhaustion
This can manifest in a variety of ways, from a feeling of dread about going to work, to the sense that you cannot take leave from work for fear of certain consequences, or that you are unable to concentrate or be adequately productive at work. Emotional exhaustion leaves you constantly on the brink of breaking down, like each new challenge could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. - Depersonalisation
This is more of a problem in professional fields like medicine, where you are interacting with people on an intimate and emotional level every day. However, it also manifests as a constant feeling of irritability with people (especially colleagues and juniors), a lack of patience, empathy and enthusiasm for work, which can spill over into family time. If you feel sort of hollow and drained, depersonalisation can have you thinking along very dark lines. You cease to see your colleagues as people but lump them all together as an amorphous ‘they’. - Lack of a sense of personal accomplishment
Stage three – a reduced or lack of a sense of personal accomplishment – is an interesting one in men. You may feel as though no-one recognises your contributions at work or feel like you’re in the wrong profession or bad at your job. Even if you do not reach this stage, you could still be very burned out but carry on with everything feeling worse and worse all the time.
What to do next
Once you recognise the signs of burnout in yourself, you can help to mitigate it. Dr Nathaniel Lambert, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, says that by focussing on rebalancing your life, you can help to heal yourself. Dr Lambert suggests concentrating on things like physical health, intellectual stimulation, self-introspection, and social interaction to heal the symptoms of burnout.
Remember that burning the candle at both ends is bound to catch up with you sometime. Take a walk outside, meet up with a friend, or sign up for a course you’ve been interested in. Ensure that your life outside of work is fulfilling, and use whatever resources are available to you to align your job with your beliefs and what motivates you. Be gentle with yourself and if you feel like you’re reaching the end of your rope, it’s important to remember that you have the ability to change your circumstances.
Sources:
- Psychology Today: Burnout: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout
- The Tell Tale Signs of Burnout … Do You Have Them?: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/high-octane-women/201311/the-tell-tale-signs-burnout-do-you-have-them
- How to Tell You’ve Reached the Point of Burnout: https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-burnout-symptoms-and-causes-3144516
- Burnout Symptoms in Physicians Are Different in Men and Women: https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/bid/290736/Burnout-Symptoms-in-Physicians-Are-Different-in-Men-and-Women
- 21 Symptoms of Job Burnout Everyone Should Know: https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/21-symptoms-job-burnout-everyone-know-knts/
- Five Ways to Prevent Burnout and Live a Balanced Life: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/publish-and-prosper/201312/five-ways-prevent-burnout-and-live-balanced-life
