| Are You Feeling Burned Out? Perhaps you’ve had a stressful day, and you find yourself thinking, “I just can’t keep doing this.” If thoughts like this happen occasionally you are probably in the safe zone. If it happens frequently, it could be a sign of burnout. Burnout is a special type of chronic stress that often manifests itself as one of the following symptoms: • Feeling a lack of accomplishment (ineffectiveness) • Physical or emotional exhaustion • Cynicism • Detachment If affected by burnout you may have difficulty functioning with friends, family or fellow workers. Usually burnout happens gradually - almost undetected until one day it feels unbearable. It’s like a slow tire leak that gradually wears until the inevitable blowout. Learning to recognize the signs of burnout before the blowout is a skill that can benefit you and those around you. If you feel the signs of burnout in your life then read on and take advantage of the resources listed below. If you suspect burnout in others, pass this advice along. The signs of burnout? Although everyone experiences stress, not everyone is approaching a state of burnout. The symptoms of burnout vary in degree from moderately annoying to debilitating. As a self assessment, review the following checklist of symptoms. • I feel a lack energy and tired most days. • I feel physically and emotionally exhausted, drained, and depleted. • I feel a sense of dread for what lies ahead. • I have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep one or two nights a week. • I have lack of focus and mild forgetfulness. • I can't get my work done and everything is piling up. • I more frequently experience colds, flu, and other immune related problems. • I have begun to feel a loss of appetite. • I eat compulsively and can’t stop • I feel tension, worry, and edginess. • I feel anxiety that interferes with my personal life and ability to work productively. • I feel sad and hopeless. • I have feelings of guilt and worthlessness. • I feel angry toward friends, family or people I work with. • I feel a loss of enjoyment for what I do. • I try to avoid projects and figure out ways to escape work. • I feel pessimistic about life. • I frequently engage in negative self-talk. • I don’t trust my coworkers and family members • I don’t feel like I can count on anyone. • I often come in early or leave late to avoid interactions with certain people. • I easily become angry when someone speaks to me. • I have a sense of being disconnected from others. • I often call in sick. • I often don’t return calls and emails. • I have a feeling of apathy and hopelessness. • I feel nothing is going right or nothing matters. • I often think "what's the point?" • I often feel irritated by feelings of ineffectiveness, unimportance, or uselessness. Should you experience any of the following symptoms that may also accompany burnout, seek immediate medical help. • I feel chest pain, heart palpitations, or shortness of breath. • I feel dizziness, fainting, and headaches. • I sometimes feel the world would be better off without me. Life comes with ups and downs. Few make it through the day without some stress or negative feelings. Almost everyone could occasionally identify with some of the above symptoms. When several of these symptoms occur frequently, it’s time to admit the possibility of an approaching burnout that needs attention. If you're not experiencing these problems to a degree that concern you then you’re probably on the right track. Just remain aware that burnout has an insidious way of creeping up that’s easily missed. Life has a way of taking us down unknown paths and you or someone you know may benefit from a checkup to help appreciate the onset of burnout. While diet and exercise are not going to fix all aspects of burnout, they do rate high on the list of important things to address. Burnout can happen to anyone. If you feel it’s happening to you then we need to talk. Often guidance in developing relaxation skills is a good first step in getting life back on track. Without periods of relaxation the stresses in life can become unmanageable. A walk outdoors is one effective relaxation activity. What better time than a Saturday morning for a relaxing walk. It’s an opportunity to have a little outdoor fun, relax, breathe deeply, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Plan to join me. It’s what I prescribe for myself and best of all it’s free. Nancy Neighbors, MD Huntsville, Alabama How Companies Assess Burnout If you work with an organization wanting to assess their teams’ level of burnout there are tools to help. The ‘gold standard’ for assessment is the Burnout Inventory (MBI) created by Christina Maslach, et al. MindGarden.com distributes the Burnout Inventory as part of their Areas of Worklife Surveys (AWS) for assessing perceptions of work setting qualities that play a role in whether employees experience work engagement or burnout. The AWS is a questionnaire with demonstrated reliability and validity across a variety of occupational settings. It produces a profile that identifies key areas of strength and weakness in an organization. As part of reversing the high rate of burnout among physicians (59%), Family Practice Physicians have chosen a profession wide self assessment as part of helping develop individualized plans for recovery. While physicians may have the highest rate of burnout among the professions, many other professions are not far behind. Burnout is also high among nurses, social workers, teachers, school principals, attorneys, police officers and public accountants. In the trades and service industries, high employee turnover rate is often a symptom of burnout. More about Burnout There is more in the articles listed below about understanding how to recognize the symptoms of burnout and reduce your stress before it leads to burnout. • Refueling Your Engine: Strategies to Reduce Stress and Avoid Burnout • Overcoming Burnout • Has Sleep and Stress Become a Vicious Cycle in Your Life? • Too Stressed to Manage Your Stress? • Three Uncommon Strategies to Manage Stress |