Feeling unmotivated in your career from time-to-time is completely normal, but when unmotivated behaviour sticks around for long periods of time, it could be an indication that you are experiencing job-related burnout. Job burnout may leave you with little energy when you get home, causing you to detract from activities that you once enjoyed. While job burnout may seem like a permanent problem, it is possible to overcome this, if you can recognise specific changes in yourself.
One major sign of job burnout is being tired all the time. It’s normal to be tired occasionally, but it’s a completely different story to be exhausted all the time. If you are experiencing complete mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion, and losing sleep, it’s time to make some positive changes in your life.
If you’ve started to experience these signs, the first and most important thing to do is to take care of yourself. Make every effort to live a healthy lifestyle and leave plenty of time for exercise. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and relieve your tension from work. In addition, set aside at least an hour every day to disconnect from technology. You will be surprised by how good you will feel.
While it’s normal to take short mental breaks throughout the day, it’s not normal to go hours without completing anything. If you find yourself falling behind at work with no real motivation to catch up, it’s a good possibility that you are burnt out. Also, you may lose self motivation to take initiatives. If you are the type of person who used to love to taking charge of projects, but now find it difficult to even finish the tasks assigned to you, it could be a red flag in your career.
Additionally, if you find yourself faking illness or finding any excuse to get out of work, it is time to evaluate your professional career. While it’s normal to want to do other activates instead of work, it isn’t normal to consistently excuse yourself from your professional responsibilities for no reason.
One of the best ways to turn your work performance around, is to sit down with your boss and discuss your current job duties and expectations. If you feel like expectations are too high, work with your boss to set more realistic expectations. If you feel like the tasks assigned are becoming tedious, speak about taking on new responsibilities.
Another great way to make positive changes in your professional career is to stop working too much. Not leaving enough time for yourself and the things you love to do the most, is not good for your mental and physical wellbeing.
See: The Employee Burnout Crisis: One of the Biggest Workplace Challenge in 2017
While it’s understandable to occasionally get annoyed with those you work with, it isn’t normal to lose your temper over minor issues. If you have had a short fuse with your co-workers as of late, then you may have a bigger problem on hand than simple annoyance.
Another indication that your job is taking its toll on you, is losing your temper and lashing out at your family members. Normal amounts of stress may cause you to be confrontational on occasions, but if you are consistently losing your cool with your family members, then this could be a sign that you need to make drastic changes in your professional life.
In addition, being less social with your co-workers is a major indication of job burnout. Disengaging with your co-workers could cause awkwardness in the workplace, and even end up affecting your job performance. We all have different social norms, so it’s important to identify when your social behaviour is out of the ordinary.
If you are already going through this, what you can do to get out of this rut, is to make conscious efforts to keep your cool with your family members. Remember that, they are not the cause of your bad day at work.
In addition, make lunch plans with your co-workers, or make plans to grab dinner after work, even if you don’t feel like being social. You may be surprised by the positivity, your co-workers could bring to feel happy, after a long day at work.
Do you find yourself searching for, and applying for jobs while on the clock? If your answer is “yes” to this question, then it’s a good indication that you are already experiencing job-related burnout. Another red flag is constantly complaining about your job to your friends and family. This is especially true, if those close to you are starting to make comments regarding your pessimistic attitude.
Constant complaining can cause increased negativity, and put a strain on your relationships. If this is already happening and you’re totally clueless on how these notable changes are affecting everyone around you, then maybe it’s best to move on.
Your happiness level will affect not only the quality of your work, but also your relationships with those most important to you. If your current career is the cause of prolonged unhappiness, consider making a career switch. Life’s too short to feel miserable and disliked.
Author credit:
John is a marketing executive for iMoney Philippines, the country’s leading financial comparison site that provides relevant and up-to-date information on financial products and services available in the market, with the goal of promoting financial literacy regards savings, investments, and general money management.
Also read: Overworked Employees: How Can HR Managers Avoid Employee Burnout?
