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Wellness and Mind, Gainesville, FL Your Job? Is It Time to Leave
MOST OF US have to work for a living and spend many hours a week at our jobs. In the beginning your job may feel like a good fit, but what does it mean if you become less enthusiastic, no longer look forward to going to work and begin to daydream frequently about moving on to something else. It may mean that you are suffering from a type of job-related stress called “burnout.”
“Burning out” – a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion – is more likely to occur in people who are highly educated, idealistic and who have unrealistic aspirations and impossible goals to achieve. Actually, there's nothing wrong with having high aspirations and expectations, as these are admirable traits in our culture. But when these aspirations are unrealistic, then we are setting ourselves up for frustration, failure and chronic stress.
Chronic stress is the grinding stress that wears people away day after day, year after year . Chronic stress destroys bodies , minds and lives. Chronic stress can kill through suicide, violence, heart attack, stroke and, perhaps, even cancer. People wear down to a final, fatal breakdown. Because physical and mental resources are depleted through longterm attrition, the symptoms of chronic stress are difficult to treat and may require extended medical as well as behavioral treatment and stress management.
Symptoms may include changes in your eating and sleeping patterns, as well as changes in behavior. Some indulge in escapist behaviors such as sex, drinking, drugs, partying or shopping binges. You become indecisive, and your productivity drops. Your work deteriorates, resulting in co-workers and superiors commenting on it. Camouflaging symptoms with medications doesn’t work, and is counter-productive, since the symptoms themselves serve as a signal that you need to reduce the strain on your physiological and psychological systems.
Is the situation hopeless? Of course not. First and foremost, R-E-L-A-X. Don't take your work home. If you're like most, the work won't get done anyway and you'll only feel guilty for being "lazy."
In recovering from burnout, be realistic in your job aspirations, and goals. Talk to someone about your feelings, but be careful. Your readjusted aspirations and goals must be yours and not somebody else's. Trying to be and do what someone else wants you to be or do is a surefire recipe for continued frustration and burnout.
A final tip – create balance in your life. Invest more of yourself in family and other personal relationships, social activities and hobbies. Get some physical exercise, and do something for someone else, or just for fun. Spread yourself out so that your job doesn't have such an overpowering influence on your selfesteem and self-confidence. G
Where can you go for help? The University of Florida has experts in the evaluation and treatment of stressrelated disorders. You can contact the University of Florida's Psychology Clinic at 352-265-0294 for additional information or to make an appointment. You can also visit their web site at www.hp.ufl.edu.edu/chp/clinic. Most insurance is accepted.
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