Burnout syndrome at work, the main causes of its occurrence and the clinical picture. Ways to eliminate symptoms and prevention. Emotional burnout is a state that shows qualitative changes in personality after long-term work with people, which requires dedication. The term "burnout" was coined in 1974, and it very well reflects the symptomatology that accompanies this syndrome.
The mechanism of development of emotional burnout in humans
Work that is connected with other people, communicating with them, after several years can cause burnout syndrome. This phenomenon was noticed back in the last century, when many able-bodied people sought psychological help after a solid experience. They argued that sometime a favorite business no longer brings that pleasure, causes unpleasant associations, irritability, a feeling of inability to perform their duties.
Most often, people with professions that involve helping or serving others are prone to these symptoms. These are doctors, teachers, personnel managers and even students. It is known that during the years of study at school and university, this syndrome can also form.
This pathological process is presented as fatigue stretched over time. Working with people on a daily basis requires proper behavior, emotional restraint, and empathy. It is with this set of characteristics that you can interact with clients, students, staff, students, visitors, patients every day.
After many years of work, the inner resource of personal qualities and tolerance often dries up. For people of some professions this happens faster, for others - later. However, there comes a point when empathy becomes insufficient, and the person, despite his professional qualifications, cannot fulfill the duties.
In the work, the opposite qualities begin to appear - intolerance, irritability, intemperance. First, the relationship with the people with whom the person works is changed. For example, a doctor will be much more cynical about his patients, behave pragmatically, and not show empathy. The emotional component of the profession will be absent, and sometimes it will manifest itself as anger, hostility.
Prolonged attempts to work in this mode can negatively affect both human health and his work. That is why timely diagnosis is so crucial.
Causes of burnout
Emotional burnout is a defensive reaction of the body to the excessive expenditure of its energy reserves and capabilities. The human psyche turns off the emotional response when it can harm. You can get tired at work not only physically, but also mentally. Burnout is a sign of overwork of the emotional component.
The reason for emotional burnout is considered to be a limit that limits an individual's ability to empathy, sympathy, and emotional interaction. This line makes it possible to separate that part of actions and manifestations that excessively consumes energy resources from the norm.
Simply put, an individual cannot listen to a hundred people during one day, sincerely feel and help, even if it is physically possible. That is why a protective stereotypical reaction turns on - blocking of emotional response, and the person feels exhaustion, moral fatigue.
If such a reaction is repeated very often over many years, there is a possibility of the formation of a burnout syndrome, when attempts to evoke an emotional response in a person worsen the symptoms and may even manifest somatic signs.
If every day to face someone else's mood, character, temperament, the individual begins to experience a chronic stressful situation. It has an extremely negative effect on his well-being, mental state and health.
One of the reasons for emotional burnout can be considered the lack of a result or response to one's own empathy and goodwill. Giving is essential in any job, but the human factor reinforces this need. In most cases, in response, an individual with such a job receives either cold indifference, or a negative response, resentment, and arguments.
Another reason for professional burnout should be considered the discrepancy between the personal parameters of the profession. Sometimes a person gets to work that does not suit him at all in temperament.
For example, there are performers - workers who solve the tasks set in advance well and on time. They shouldn't be expected to be creative or too fast in the deadline, but they can be relied on to deliver consistent work assignments. There is also another type of people who are able to actively generate new creative ideas, quickly mobilize their strength, but they too often get tired and cannot perform this type of activity for a long time.
The same can be said for those who consider themselves creative. For them, any obstacles, restrictions impair professional abilities, therefore, burnout syndrome occurs in such people much more often than in analysts in terms of the composition of the mind.
The main signs of burnout in humans
Burnout symptoms develop gradually. Fatigue and irritability are perceived as side effects of hard work. Over time, enthusiasm decreases, the desire to do something disappears.
The manifestations of this syndrome can affect the somatic sphere of the human body, its behavior, as well as the psyche and emotions. Thus, the abundance of symptoms obscures the true cause of the disease.
Somatic manifestations:
- Fatigue … A person constantly complains of feeling tired, even if the duration of the work was not long.
- General weakness … The feeling that there is not enough strength, the feeling of "cotton feet".
- Headaches and dizziness … Frequent complaints of migraines, meteosensitivity, dark circles before the eyes, flies.
- Frequent colds … There is a decrease in the activity of the body's defenses - immunity.
- Sweating … Increased sweating is common, even at normal ambient temperatures.
- Change in diet and regimen … Some people experience insomnia, while others, on the contrary, have drowsiness. It's the same with food intake. Some have an increased appetite, they gain weight, others lose weight.
The behavior of a person with burnout syndrome also changes. This manifests itself not only at work, but also in communication with friends. Most often, the symptoms are still exacerbated when performing official duties. Let's list them:
- Insulation … A person tries to retire, avoids unnecessary contacts with other people.
- Failure to comply … Work no longer brings satisfaction, moreover, it causes unpleasant sensations, so the individual shies away from the responsibility that is laid on him.
- Irritability … In this state, he can easily break down on someone from the environment, accuse everyone in a row.
- Envy … Finding deceptive ways to get what you want, feeling uncomfortable that someone is doing well.
- General pessimistic attitude … A person sees only negative traits in everything, constantly complains about poor working conditions.
The psychoemotional signs of burnout are often the first to appear. The feeling of loneliness and own helplessness aggravates the clinical picture. The main symptoms are:
- Indifference … There is very little interest in what is happening around, work becomes something distant and completely unimportant.
- Loss of your own ideals … A person is disappointed in what he has always believed in. The sanctity of the profession, its exclusiveness is understated.
- Loss of professional interest … There is no point in doing any more work that no one needs. The motivational factors that should be triggered do not return the desire to return to professional activity.
- General discontent … A person constantly expresses complaints about his own life, its insignificance and insignificance.
Important! In this state, people can often get involved in drinking, smoking, drugs to muffle their inner emptiness.
Ways to deal with burnout
There are many tests that offer to determine the presence of symptoms of burnout, so if signs or suspicions of this disorder arise, you should be tested. Only then can you take any action in relation to yourself. For the treatment of emotional burnout, a variety of psychotherapeutic techniques are most often used. The effect is also given by group therapy in the form of trainings, where people learn to properly interact with each other.
Education
In many professions, advanced training courses are planned, the role of which is not only to familiarize with new knowledge and skills, but also to increase the motivational level. When retraining, there is a reminder of the importance and relevance of the chosen profession, the person again finds why he chose this path in choosing a career.
For these purposes, seminars, trainings are often organized and upon completion they are usually handed out certificates, diplomas, and certificates. This is a kind of proof of the importance of the whole process and the role of one person in the overall system. It should be understood that a well-coordinated mechanism is the work of every detail. Communication with other people from the same profession who are not part of the usual team can show a different point of view.
This is how you can realize the most important principles of your qualifications, understand how much is being done so that everyone's work is not a waste of time. There are even special trainings that teach how to deal with emotional burnout.
Grade
In educational institutions, knowledge assessment has been introduced as an additional incentive to achieve the final result - obtaining a diploma, certificate, and certificate. It is very difficult for adolescents and young people to find those motivational reasons for continuing their studies, so a point system was introduced. In this way, you will be able to improve your professional qualities.
If work is directly judged fairly, each small victory will be rewarded, a person will acquire new goals and meaning for his activities. Today, this incentive is salary. If the amount directly depends on the quality of the work, the pace of its completion, as well as reputation, the person will try to maintain them in the norm.
In addition, in such situations, healthy competition arises - a method of screening out that will determine those who are worthy of the given profession. Thus, everyone will try to achieve better results and take their responsibilities much more responsibly.
Novelty
If a person constantly feels discomfort from the conditions of his professional activity, it is best to change them. This does not mean that you need to change your job or specialization. Sometimes companies practice the rotation method, when employees change positions or places.
Acquisition of knowledge, new technology, method of carrying out one's activities will be of great importance. If a person learns something new, he quickly reaches his competence, and the freshness of the methods gives professional strength.
If you can't change your place of work, you should go to a conference or presentation, which is, in fact, related to work. A few days in the company of the luminaries of their profession contribute to the restoration of vitality.
Features of prevention of emotional burnout
If the profession is associated with an increased risk of emotional burnout, you should take care of preventive actions in relation to it. Since this syndrome causes both physical and psychological manifestations, therefore, all the measures taken can also be divided into two parts.
Physical methods for preventing burnout:
- Diet. Food must contain all the necessary vitamins, organic matter and energy material.
- Exercises. Sports activities help to strengthen the immune system, mobilize the body's defenses.
- Mode. It is important to observe the correct scheme of work and rest, good sleep restores the functions of the nervous system.
Psychological methods of prevention of emotional burnout:
- Recreation. Occupational hygiene should be adhered to, which ensures the right to a day off. On this day, you should not engage in professional activities.
- Introspection. A psychologist will help you figure out your own disturbing thoughts, or you can do it yourself with a sheet of paper and a pen.
- A priority. So that personal relationships do not suffer because of professional problems, it is necessary to set clear boundaries between these areas of activity.
- Meditation. Any practice that involves delving into self-awareness will help determine important professional levers of influence on your own feelings.
How to deal with emotional burnout - watch the video:
Emotional burnout is already called the epidemic of the 21st century, as its prevalence is actively increasing. To prevent a decline in the quality of work, managers should engage in prevention of this syndrome, rotate employees on time, ensure timely professional development and travel to conferences.
