Job burnout isnāt just an expression ā itās now a bona fide mš edical dź¦isorder.
In May, the World š²Health Organization classified job burnout as āa syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.ā
So how can you tell if the symptoms you are experiencing are normal, life-related worries, or if you are spiraš·ling into a pit of stress?
Here are five red flags to look for:
1. Lack of motivation
āYou may start feeling anxious about yourź¦° work, āeven for parts of your job you used to enjoy,ā says Dr. Chloe Carmichael, a clinical psychologist in Midtown.
Thź¦is typically reveals itselfą¼ as annoyance or feelings of frustration.
2. Being easily annoyed
An irascible mindset may emerge.
Look for āirritabilitą²y with co-workers, negativity š ·about bosses or your company that you canāt fully explain or that doesnāt really make sense when you think about it,ā says Carmichael. āLike, āIām so mad theyāre painting the break room green ā what a dumb color.āāā
3. A significant personality change
āOne early sign of burnout is a marked personality change, such as a usually talkative employee becź¦ŗoming quiet and reserved,ā says Carl Bloomfield, managing director at insurance broker the Graham Company in Midtown. āOr an amicable empź¦°loyee suddenly starts vocalizing his or her complaints.ā
4. A sense of disengagement
You may start feeling apathetic toward both your job and your coš-workers.
āWe may struggle to feel connected to workplace challenges because we simply donāt have enough energy or enthusiasm to move throušgh them,ā says Amina AlTai, a holistic leadership and mindset coach in Williamsburg. āOur brains and bodies become so exhausted that it impacts our ability to problem solve, be creative and sometimes even šÆget through the work week.ā
5. Physical symptoms
Your body may speak volumes.
āChronic fatigue, insomnia and unexplāØained health complaints like headaches are allš¼ symptoms,ā says Dr. Fred Pescatore, an M.D. in Midtown. āTheyāre important to address with your doctor.ā
Headaches and eye tiredness from long hours staring at a comšputer can be early signs, tooš¦.
āWhile these may seem like common health complaints, if youāre experiencing these symptoms consistently over time and they are interfering with your daily life, then your doctor can help distinguish between an underlying health issue or if itās something directly related to burnout,ā Pescatore saš¦ys.
How to deal with burnout
Once these signs appear, itās impošrtant to take action before chronic burnout leads to serious health complications and continued challenges.
āDonāt ignore the symptoms,ā said Pescatore, who recommends seeking support through friends and loved ones, or therapy to discuss your career goals. āIt may be time toš reassess how youāre managing your stress and your role at work. Diet also plays a huge role. Poor diet can make these syāmptoms worse and increase the risk of further health complications.ā
Identify factors at work contributing to extreme stress levels and approach your boss about eaź¦ŗsing your workload or addressing the underlying problem.
Bloomfield suggests managersšŖ proactively address the situation before it escalates, and to show that their door is always open.
āA good first step is to have a conversation [with the employee] in a way that is free of judgment. Instead of probing š¬the individual with questions, objectively identify the behaviors you have been seeing that are worrisome.ā
In addition to talking through the root of the problem, Carmichael suggests taking a class in something new to give your brain a break from the grind. Orź§ simply take a much-needed vacation. āI see many clients who get so burned out they arenāt thinking clearly and they miss obvious solutions like using a huge backlog of vacation time.ā
She also recommends setting limits.
āConsider putting firm boāundaries around your working schedule,ā she says. āThis may help you to focus more while youāre at the office.ā.ā. If youāre truly at a dead-end job [with people who] wonāt work for you to help resolve whatās blocking you, itās best to find a new job.ā