Burnout is not a disease, although this set of symptoms effectively prevents proper functioning – not only at work. All the more reason to know how to protect yourself from it and how to deal with it when it happens.

The most vulnerable are people with a certain type of personality and temperament – perfectionist, ambitious. Research shows that burnout is easier to suffer in work that requires close interpersonal contacts, e.g. medicine, education, social care, police, offices or services, where contacts with clients are necessary. More often with professional burnout are also struggling lonely people, without family, who devote all their attention and free time to work.

Katarzyna Łyś from the PZU Zdrowie Medical Office points out that burnout is also facilitated by certain situations in the workplace:

• too much workload by the employer, understood not only as a multitude of duties, but also failure to provide the employee with the resources necessary to perform tasks or setting deadlines too close;
• work in too rigid conditions under constant control or in total chaos;
• insufficient remuneration, which includes both the salary and social conditions offered, as well as verbal gratification, i.e. praise given by the employer;
• unresolved conflicts in the workplace;
• lack of justice resulting, for example, from favoritism of certain employees or the lack of established rules of cooperation.

Experts advise that if the symptoms are minor, it is worth considering a change in lifestyle. If you don’t get enough sleep, eat in random places, and don’t do any physical activity, you’ll definitely benefit from improving these habits. It is worth noting that WHO experts indicate that burnout occurs as a result of stress at work, which has not been remedied at an earlier stage.

In the case of more troublesome symptoms, it is better to go to a psychotherapist to learn how to cope with stress, assertiveness, time management and emotional control. A psychotherapist will help you learn a more realistic view of the work you are doing and help you know your strengths and weaknesses. The more aware you are of your weaknesses and predispositions, the easier it will be to face everyday difficulties.

If the symptoms are very severe, suicidal thoughts or a complete lack of motivation to meet basic needs, it is necessary to visit a psychiatrist, because a mental disorder (e.g. depression) may have developed. In this case, in addition to psychotherapy, drug treatment may be necessary.

During a survey conducted by the Team of the National Center for Health Promotion at Work in 2018 on 1,000 employees of medium and large companies in Poland, nearly half of them stated that in the event of a change of job, they would look for a company that would take care of their health much better than required by health and safety regulations. What’s more, 20% declared that they would leave their job if the employer was not able to take better care of their health.

However, more than 40 percent of employees admitted that they will be more involved in their work if the company takes better care of their health.

Source: Health Service

Source: https://www.seka.pl/wypalenie-zawodowe-jak-mu-zapobiegac/

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.