Do you think you have the powers of Superman that you prefer going on and on for fear of not being able to accomplish your tasks on time? The workaholic entrepreneur has his limits. Sadly, no matter how much you want to do everything all at once, it’s likely that something will suffer. What, you might ask. But, it is not the question of what, but rather, who. And that is YOU!
Each of us may have felt this way every once in a while, particularly if we are flooded with lots of work. And at the same time encounter some bumps from work and in our personal life. But, we can’t just give up. When we feel burnout, it affects ourselves and the people around us. We have responsibilities to take, and life must go on no matter what.
Recognizing the Warning Signs of Burnout
Nobody can take care better of yourself than you. Your loved ones can only remind you to take it slow, but if you fail to listen or program your thoughts to give yourself a break, then you will continue to feel the burden.
Job burnout is a type of stress that you should not disregard. You may think that it is not something to be worried about but think again. These are the significant predictors of burnout that you need to be aware of:
1. You feel overly tired. It may be natural to feel tired after a day’s work. But if you still feel exhausted after a weekend’s rest, it is probably the feeling of dread because of having to face work again. I do believe that even if we are working, we still need to find some time to relax, to be able to regain strength and feel energized. That way, we can become more productive rather than pushing ourselves to the limit.
2. Feeling disconnected from work. As I have mentioned earlier, even if we are working, we need to feel ALIVE and happy with what we are doing. When we feel like working just for the sake of doing it and just want to get over it and done with, our sense of accomplishment is not in sight. When you lack the usual enthusiasm you have before when accomplishing a task is one symptom of burnout.
3. Losing sight of the purpose. When you have become too cynical or only see negative things around you, that is burnout. Giving up on something you used to fight for can affect your job and your relationship with other people. You may feel that your position in the company I threatened or that you see potential allies as your enemies, which could worsen how you feel every day. Free your thoughts from such negativities and teach yourself to see the good in everything. Never doubt what you can do. Maintain your focus and remember why you are there in the first place.
4. Declining performance at work. What could be the cause of your absenteeism or carelessness at work? The lack of motivation or simply not being happy around other people may affect how you do at work. Regardless of whether you are the CEO or just an employee, if you feel that you have lost your enthusiasm, you may always perform poorly, which can also affect the company as a whole.
5. Increasing health concerns. This is a tell-tale sign that you are working in an unhealthy environment. You may suffer from headache, gastrointestinal problems, hypertension, flu, sleeping problems…..in short, it feels like your immune system have just gotten too low. Your emotional exhaustion manifests physically, which has led you to miss a lot of workdays.
6. Using drugs, alcohol, and gambling to cope. It can be an automatic response of a person in certain situations to find ways to avoid thinking about their problems at work. Unfortunately, instead of planning out something positive, these individuals resort to drugs and alcohol, leading to addiction.
How To Avoid Burnout
Part of my mentoring to entrepreneurs is preparing them physically, emotionally, and psychologically. After all, building a business takes up almost your whole life. And while we know that it is a huge responsibility, entrepreneurs should also be aware of how to prepare themselves in certain situations. Being an entrepreneur would mean facing different kinds of people and situations. An entrepreneur will likely feel emotionally distressed sometimes because of some circumstance. Still, he must also learn to free himself from burnout.
1. Learn to reach out to people you trust. Never think that opening up yourself to others would burden them. In fact, some people would feel flattered because you trust them to confide to. Know that when you talk to others, your thoughts get to be validated if they have great plans, or they can help you see a better picture of a specific situation.
2. Socialize among people that you work with. Bosses may tend to be just keeping themselves behind closed doors all the time and refuse to mingle with their employees. But when he steps out of the office and talks to his employees, he does not only allow himself to have an outlet. He also gains the trust and respect of the people that work for him. Also, in this way, he can hear what his employees have to say, which can help him improve strategies that may be helpful for the company.
3. Stay away from pessimists. Never be around people who continually make you feel less about yourself. Find the good in every situation and learn to do something that will benefit others.
4. Involve in a worthy cause such as participating in a community fund drive, feeding the homeless, or being part of a professional association wherein you can interact with people just like you and learn how to cope with the same demands in the office.
5. Get as much sleep as possible. You need the energy to do things right. And to drown yourself with work and bring them home will not help you in any way.
Stress and burnout may seem to be similar. However, there is a thin line that distinguishes one from the other. While stress’ primary damage is physical, burnout’s primary damage is emotional. Burnout is the feeling that one has lost self-worth or may seem that it does not come with any value no matter how much he does. When you feel that the indicators mentioned above are what you are feeling right now, STOP whatever you are doing. Re-evaluate yourself and find balance in your life. You can’t live a life like a robot. You need to feel motivated all the time to see your life’s purpose and be a blessing to others.
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You may contact Armando “Butz” Bartolome for questions and more information.
By email: aob@gmb.ph
FB Page: Armando Bartolome
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franguru/
Website: https://www.gmb.ph
