What are the key signs of burnout. How can you identify the stages of burnout progression. What strategies can effectively prevent and combat burnout. How does burnout impact physical and mental health. Why is early recognition crucial in addressing burnout.
Understanding Burnout: Definition and Key Components
Burnout is a complex psychological state characterized by three primary components: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decreased sense of personal accomplishment in one’s occupation. This definition, established by Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter in 1996, provides a framework for understanding this pervasive issue affecting many professionals across various fields.
Let’s break down these components:
- Emotional exhaustion: This involves feeling emotionally depleted and experiencing work-related fatigue.
- Depersonalization: This refers to the degree to which an individual becomes detached or treats others with an impersonal response.
- Decreased personal accomplishment: This encompasses diminished feelings of achievement or competence related to one’s work.
According to Smith’s cognitive affective model (1986), burnout develops as a result of chronic exposure to stress, stemming from a long-term perceived inability to meet situational demands. This perspective highlights the importance of addressing burnout as a gradual process rather than a sudden occurrence.
Recognizing the Signs: Physical, Emotional, and Behavioral Indicators of Burnout
Identifying burnout early is crucial for effective intervention. The signs of burnout manifest across various aspects of an individual’s life, including physical, emotional, and behavioral domains.
Physical Signs of Burnout
- Persistent fatigue
- Weakened immune system
- Frequent headaches, back pain, or muscle aches
- Changes in appetite or sleep patterns
Emotional Signs of Burnout
- Increased self-doubt
- Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
- Emotional detachment
- Decreased motivation
- Increasingly negative outlook
- Diminished satisfaction and sense of accomplishment
Behavioral Signs of Burnout
- Withdrawing from responsibilities
- Social isolation
- Procrastination
- Using food, drugs, or alcohol as coping mechanisms
- Displacing frustration onto others
- Skipping class or work commitments
Are you experiencing any of these signs? Recognizing these indicators early can help you take proactive steps to address burnout before it escalates.
The Progression of Burnout: Understanding the Three Stages
Burnout typically develops in three distinct stages, each with increasing severity and impact on an individual’s well-being. Understanding these stages can help in early identification and intervention.
Stage One: Milder Symptoms
This initial stage is characterized by:
- Mental fatigue at the end of the day
- Feelings of being unappreciated, frustrated, or tense
- Physical aches or pains
- A sense of falling behind in work
- Dreading the next workday
Stage Two: Longer-lasting Symptoms
As burnout progresses, symptoms become more challenging to reverse:
- Disillusionment about the job
- Feelings of boredom, apathy, or frustration
- Feeling ruled by a schedule
- Intermittent periods of psychological and physical symptoms that persist even when the provoking situation subsides
- Psychological symptoms such as irritability, aggression, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts
Stage Three: Severe Burnout
If left untreated, burnout can escalate to severe levels:
- Chronic symptoms
- Potential evolution into psychiatric and physical health disorders
- Severe personal consequences, including substance dependence
- Shorter life expectancy
- Increased risk of divorce
- High job turnover
Can burnout be reversed at any stage? While early intervention is most effective, it’s important to note that even severe burnout can be addressed with appropriate professional help and lifestyle changes.
Strategies for Preventing Burnout: Proactive Measures for Well-being
Preventing burnout requires a multifaceted approach that addresses various aspects of your life. Here are some effective strategies to consider:
1. Early Recognition and Self-Reflection
Cultivate the ability to self-reflect and recognize early signs of burnout. This includes:
- Attending to your own needs
- Realigning goals and expectations for yourself
- Evaluating and adjusting your weekly schedule to reduce unnecessary commitments
2. Regular Self-Assessment
Complete periodic assessments to realign your goals, skills, and work passions. This can help ensure that your activities align with your values and aspirations.
3. Prioritize Physical Health
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a well-balanced, healthy diet
- Ensure adequate sleep
4. Incorporate Daily Enjoyable Activities
Include daily “timeouts” for activities such as:
- Yoga
- Pursuing a hobby
- Meditation
5. Build a Strong Support System
- Develop both professional and personal support networks
- Dedicate time for family
- Meet with mentors to discuss challenges, time management strategies, and perceived barriers
6. Develop Resilience
Cultivate resilience through practices such as mindfulness, cognitive reframing, and stress management techniques.
How can you implement these strategies in your daily life? Consider starting with one or two approaches that resonate most with you and gradually incorporate others over time.
The Impact of Burnout on Academic Performance and Well-being
Burnout can have significant consequences for students, affecting both their academic performance and overall well-being. Understanding these impacts can help motivate proactive measures to prevent and address burnout.
Academic Consequences of Burnout
- Difficulty concentrating
- Poor memory and attention
- Lack of productivity
- Decreased performance in coursework and exams
- Avoidance of academic responsibilities
- Loss of enjoyment in learning
Health and Well-being Consequences
- Sleep deprivation
- Changes in eating habits
- Increased susceptibility to illness due to a weakened immune system
- Heightened stress levels
- Potential development of anxiety or depression
How does burnout affect long-term academic and career prospects? Persistent burnout can lead to decreased academic achievement, potentially impacting future educational and career opportunities. Additionally, the habits and coping mechanisms developed during periods of burnout may carry over into professional life, affecting job performance and satisfaction.
The Role of Institutional Support in Combating Student Burnout
While individual strategies are crucial in preventing burnout, institutional support plays a vital role in creating an environment that promotes well-being and academic success. Educational institutions can implement various measures to help students manage stress and prevent burnout.
Effective Institutional Support Strategies
- Providing accessible mental health resources and counseling services
- Offering workshops on stress management, time management, and study skills
- Implementing policies that promote work-life balance, such as reasonable deadlines and flexible attendance policies
- Creating spaces for relaxation and social connection on campus
- Training faculty and staff to recognize signs of burnout and provide appropriate support
- Fostering a culture that values self-care and mental health
How can students advocate for better institutional support? Consider engaging with student government, participating in surveys or focus groups, and communicating concerns to academic advisors or department heads. Your voice can contribute to positive changes in the academic environment.
Beyond Academia: Addressing Burnout in Professional Settings
While our discussion has focused primarily on academic burnout, it’s important to recognize that burnout is a pervasive issue in professional settings as well. The strategies for preventing and addressing burnout in the workplace share many similarities with those in academic contexts, but there are some unique considerations for professionals.
Workplace-Specific Burnout Prevention Strategies
- Setting clear boundaries between work and personal life
- Negotiating realistic workloads and deadlines with supervisors
- Utilizing vacation time and paid time off effectively
- Seeking opportunities for professional development and growth
- Engaging in regular performance reviews to align job responsibilities with personal goals and strengths
- Building a supportive network of colleagues and mentors
The Role of Employers in Preventing Burnout
Employers play a crucial role in creating a work environment that mitigates the risk of burnout. Some effective measures include:
- Implementing flexible work arrangements
- Providing employee assistance programs and mental health resources
- Fostering a culture that encourages work-life balance
- Offering professional development opportunities
- Regularly assessing and addressing workplace stressors
Can changing jobs alleviate burnout? While a new job may provide temporary relief, it’s important to address the underlying factors contributing to burnout. This may involve reassessing career goals, developing better coping strategies, or seeking professional help to address persistent stress and dissatisfaction.
The Future of Burnout Research and Prevention
As our understanding of burnout continues to evolve, researchers and professionals are exploring new approaches to prevention and treatment. Emerging areas of focus include:
Technological Interventions
- Development of apps and wearable devices to monitor stress levels and provide real-time interventions
- Virtual reality applications for stress reduction and mindfulness training
- AI-powered personal assistants to help with time management and work-life balance
Neuroscience and Burnout
Ongoing research is investigating the neurobiological underpinnings of burnout, which may lead to more targeted interventions and treatments.
Organizational Psychology
Researchers are exploring how organizational structures and cultures contribute to or mitigate burnout, leading to more effective workplace interventions.
Personalized Prevention Strategies
As we gain a better understanding of individual differences in stress responses and burnout susceptibility, more personalized prevention and treatment approaches may emerge.
How can individuals stay informed about the latest burnout research and prevention strategies? Consider following reputable psychology and occupational health journals, attending webinars or conferences on workplace well-being, and engaging with professional organizations focused on mental health and work-life balance.
In conclusion, burnout is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach to prevention and treatment. By understanding the signs, stages, and strategies for combating burnout, individuals can take proactive steps to maintain their well-being and performance in both academic and professional settings. Remember that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness, and that with the right support and strategies, it’s possible to overcome burnout and thrive in your personal and professional life.
Preventing Burnout – CALE Learning Enhancement
What is Burnout?
Burnout is characterized by the triad of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decreased sense of accomplishment in one’s occupation (Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter, 1996).
- Emotional exhaustion includes emotional depletion and work-related exhaustion.
- Depersonalization is the degree to which an individual is detached or the degree that an individual treats other with an impersonal response.
- Personal accomplishment is the feelings of achievement or competence related to one’s work.
According to Smith’s (1986) cognitive affective model, burnout develops as a result of chronic exposure to stress as a result of a long-term perceived inability to meet situational demands.
Consequences Associated with School Burnout (Gardner, 2014)
- sleep deprivation
- change in eating habits
- increased illness due to weakened immune system
- difficulty concentrating and poor memory/attention
- lack of productivity
- poor performance
- avoidance of responsibilities
- loss of enjoyment
Signs of Burnout
- Physical
- Feeling tired most of the time
- Lowered immunity
- Frequent headaches, back pain, or muscle aches
- Change in appetite or sleep habits
- Emotional
- Self-doubt
- Feeling helpless and hopeless
- Detachment
- Decreased motivation
- Increasingly negative outlook
- Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment
- Behavior
- Withdrawing from responsibilities
- Isolation
- Procrastination
- Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope
- Taking out frustration on otheres
- Skipping class – or coming in late or leaving early
Information adapted from helpguide. org/articles/stress/preventing-burnout.htm
Stages of Burnout (Szigethy, 2014)
- Stage One- Milder Symptoms
- Mental fatigue at the end of the day
- Feeling unappreciated, frustrated, or tense
- Physical aches or pains
- Feel like you are falling behind in work
- Dread the next day
- Stage Two – Longer lasting symptoms
- More challenging to reverse symptoms
- Disillusionment about the job
- Feeling bored, apathetic, or frustrated
- Feel ruled by a schedule
- Intermittent periods of psychological/physical symptoms that last even when the provoking situation subsides
- Psychological symptoms
- Irritability, aggression, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts
- Stage Three – Severe
- Chronic symptoms
- If left untreated, can evolve into psychiatric and physical health disorders
- Severe personal consequences
- Substance dependence
- Shorter life expectancy
- Divorce
- High job turnover
Preventing Burnout
- Early recognition of burnout and related risks
- self-denial can occur
- Cultivate ability to self-reflect
- attend to your own needs
- realign goals and expectations for yourself
- Evaluate a typical weekly schedule and reduce or eliminate unnecessary items
- Complete a periodic assessment and realignment of goals, skills, and work passions
- Exercise regularly
- Eat a well-balanced, healthy diet
- Get enough sleep
- Include daily enjoyable “timeouts”, such as yoga, a hobby, or meditation
- Build up your professional and personal support system
- Dedicated family time
- Meeting with mentors to discuss setbacks, time management strategies, and other perceived barriers
- Develop resilience!
Articles on Burnout
- Burnout Is Real: How To Identify and Address Your Burnout Problem
- Dealing with Study Burnout
- How to Avoid Burnout in College
Burnout Videos
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How to Avoid Burnout at Work and Beyond
A vacation will not prevent—or cure—burnout. Many people believe taking time off will help them quickly bounce back from impending, brewing, or full-on burnout. But a few days off isn’t enough to keep the tide from coming in or to turn it back around.
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That’s because burnout isn’t only about the hours you’re putting in. It’s also a function of the stories you tell yourself and how you approach what you do—at work and at home.
At its core, burnout is a symptom of capitalism. We imagine we’d feel much less overwhelmed if our health insurance, retirement plans, and ability to pay for our rent, mortgage, and any future children’s education didn’t rely solely on our ability to work as many hours as we possibly can for the highest hourly wage because these are our income-generating years (deep breath!).
And just as the benefits of capitalism tend to accrue unevenly along lines of income level, gender, and race, so too does the burden of burnout. The stresses of working a minimum-wage job and living paycheck-to-paycheck are extreme causes of burnout. Unsurprisingly, women and people of color are much more likely to experience burnout than their white, male counterparts.
We’ve been there. After writing and launching our first book, The Wall Street Journal bestseller No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work, and while writing our new book, Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay, we each experienced burnout firsthand.
We share four tips below about how to prevent burnout.
One of the most dangerous aspects of burnout is that it impacts self-awareness. When you’re in it, you’re running on adrenaline, and the momentum feels so exhilarating that you end up adding more and more to your plate. But once burnout hits, it can take months to overcome. So what early signs should you look out for? Here are some of the subtle cues that you might need to reassess how much you’re taking on:
- Basic activities like going to the grocery store feel overstimulating.
- You feel so overwhelmed you’ve started to cut activities you know are good for you (e.g., exercise or alone time).
- You’re saying “yes” even though you’re already at capacity.
- You find everyone and everything irritating.
- Getting sick and being forced to shut down for a bit sounds kind of nice.
- You’re all too familiar with “revenge bedtime procrastination,” when you stubbornly stay up late because you didn’t get any time to yourself during the day.
We’re quick to ignore these signs, but they’re important alarm bells. As Naveed Ahmad, the founder of Flourish, a company that helps people combat burnout, told us: “Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder with a feather, sometimes it hits you with a brick, and sometimes it runs you over with a bus. Learn to listen when it’s just a feather.”
The word “burnout” has become an umbrella term. It’s useful to understand exactly what you’re feeling so you can get the specific support that will be most helpful. If you feel fried because you’re pulling long hours, that has different implications than if you work from 9 to 5 but are depressed because you find your role meaningless.
The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the first clinically based measure of burnout created by psychologist Christina Maslach, looks at three dimensions of burnout:
- Exhaustion: You feel constantly depleted.
- Cynicism: You feel detached from your job and the people around you.
- Ineffectiveness: You feel that you’re never able to do a good enough job.
The MBI is often misinterpreted (and we understand why—it’s complicated!). People tend to focus solely on the exhaustion dimension. To help you better understand what you’re feeling, you can take our burnout profile assessment, which is a modified version of the MBI. The assessment will share suggestions for you based on your profile.
When we ricochet from one thing to the next, we accumulate stress in our bodies. In their book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski write that when our ancestors were faced with a predator, they would work with others to slay the beast or flee: the fight or flight response. Doing so required them to draw on what’s called surge capacity: the set of adaptive systems (think a rush of adrenaline or a pounding heartbeat) humans rely on to react to an emergency.
But surge capacity only lasts so long, and our ancestors only used it in short bursts to escape death. When they successfully survived, they felt exhilarated and could then relax again. And so the stress cycle would be completed.
In the modern world, we operate on surge capacity all the time because we never complete the stress cycle. If you’re stuck in traffic for hours, you won’t immediately feel better as you walk through your front door. Your body will still be in the middle of a stress response. And if you haven’t made it a habit to wind down, you’ll continue to produce the stress hormone cortisol for the rest of the evening. Eventually, all that accumulated stress will catch up to you and you’ll crash.
Here are the seven ways to complete the stress cycle:
- Cry
- Take slow, deep breaths
- Do a physical activity
- Laugh
- Hang out with friends
- Do something creative, like writing or drawing
- Engage in physical affection, like asking for a hug
Here’s a secret of adulthood: No one else is going to draw your lines for you.
You may sometimes wonder: Why don’t the people who love me help me not overdo it? Often, it’s because they want you to be successful! And a marker of success in our society is being busy. They may be just as busy as you. Or they may not even know what your boundaries are. “People don’t know what you want. It’s your job to make it clear. Clarity saves relationships,” Nedra Glover Tawwab, a therapist and relationship expert, writes in Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself.
It takes courage to say no and stick to it without feeling guilty. The next time you’re on the brink of saying yes to something you’re not excited about, pause and ask yourself:
- If I say yes, what do I gain?
- If I do this, what will I not be able to do instead?
- If I say no, what’s the worst thing that would happen?
For example, Liz struggled with saying no until she created a set of rules she can reference. Now she’ll say, “I have a rule that I don’t book social events on Thursday nights.
” She’s found that people tend to take a “no” less personally when it’s tied to a rule. “[People] accept that it’s not you rejecting the offer, request, demand, or opportunity, but the rule allows you no choice,” writes author Ryan Holiday.
Your capacity is also going to be different from everyone else’s. Your friends, coworkers, and even partner may not share your burnout triggers. For example, if you’re an introvert and your partner is an extrovert, they may see you in a slump and encourage you to schedule dinner with friends or go to a show. That’s what they would do to feel better. But that might be the exact opposite of what restores you. Remember that behind every no is a deeper yes, even if that yes is just to yourself.
Burnout is your body and soul forcing you to pay attention to them. Avoiding burnout—and healing from it—involves learning what your own innate pace of life is, and then inhabiting that pace.
Adapted from Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy, in agreement with Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Copyright © Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy, 2022.
Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy are the authors of No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work and Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay. For more of their hilariously accurate cartoons, follow them on Instagram and subscribe to their monthly newsletter.
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Syndrome of emotional burnout (English burnout) became known to science in 1974, and in 2019 was included in the official list of diseases by the World Health Organization. This is a condition in which there is emotional and physical exhaustion and a decrease in mental abilities. Occurs due to constant exposure to stress of low and medium intensity. That is why it is so easy not to notice and miss it: we react instantly to strong stress, but we get used to a little.
However, its impact is devastating.
The effect of emotional burnout can be compared to medieval torture, when water was dripped on the top of a person’s head, and after a while he went crazy. A drop of water began to feel like a sledgehammer.
As a rule, burnout is associated with the performance of professional duties: deadlines, the need to quickly respond to changes, pressure from management often cause emotional exhaustion. It is especially susceptible to people whose work is associated with regular communication with other people, empathy, great responsibility (medical staff, teachers, sales managers, etc.), as well as mothers who constantly take care of children without outside help.
However, burnout can be caused not only by work problems, but also by difficult personal life circumstances: long-term care for a sick or elderly relative, damaging relationships, and even divorce.
PHASES and symptoms of burnout
1. Tension
A person feels inexplicable irritation and fatigue already in the morning, doing the usual things.
As if driven into a cage, enslaved by duties. And as a result, directs resources to combat these feelings. The result is emotional stupor, anxiety, depression and frustration.
2. Resistance
The person tries to resist the accumulated stress, actually ignoring his condition. Psychological defense works to the limit, and a person no longer catches the difference between an economical manifestation of emotions and an inadequate response. Loses the ability to empathize, because in conditions of scarcity of resources it becomes more important to protect psychological integrity.
Burnout spreads to the family as well – when a person comes home from work, he closes himself or vents his fatigue on his loved ones, thus trying to lighten his load.
3. Exhaustion
The most severe reaction of the body: there is no energy, the nervous system is exhausted to the limit. Nothing pleases a person – no purchases, no gifts, no travel. Becomes like a zombie.
Such a burnout is very dangerous, it leads to severe psychological trauma, neuroses, depression, suicidal thoughts, as well as psychosomatic diseases (exacerbation of chronic diseases, pain in the heart, problems with blood vessels, etc.).
But there is good news: emotional burnout is reversible. You can solve the problem, familiar to most residents of megacities around the world, without resorting to medicines, if you change your lifestyle.
HOW to avoid burnout?
1. Normalize sleep
Due to lack of sleep, the body cannot function normally, cognitive skills and the ability to make rational decisions are reduced. Regular lack of sleep, even an hour, provokes the release of stress hormones and blocks the appearance of happiness hormones.
2. Eliminate or Minimize Sources of Stress
It is important to understand what causes stress and burnout. If the reason is work, you should seek support within the company or go on vacation to rest, restore strength, emotional and physical stability.
If burnout is caused by personal problems, contact a psychologist, a hotline for help. Do not be afraid to ask for support from relatives and friends, do not be silent.
3. Take breaks from work
Taking breaks from work makes us more productive and resilient to stress. If you distance yourself from work tasks from time to time, this helps to recover faster and leads to increased productivity. Use as a “switch” exercise, walking and hobbies that are not related to the main activity.
4. Look for positive moments
At the end of the working day, try not to focus on the bad (criticism of the authorities, irritation with colleagues), but to look for positive moments. For example, how does your work help others? If it does not bring obvious benefits to society, you are working for the good of the family anyway. Understanding the contribution and significance is an excellent protection against burnout and one of the conditions for happiness.
5.
Give up coffee and sweets
Caffeine helps you wake up in the morning, but increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol. When you drink coffee during the day, you constantly whip up the nervous system, become twitchy and anxious.
Sugar, chocolate, fast food and alcohol also “accelerate” the nervous system, disrupting the natural cycle and preventing proper rest. All this contributes to emotional burnout.
Try to cut down on coffee, sugar and other stimulants. Instead, include sports and outdoor activities in your routine.
6. Practice meditation or breathing exercises
Mindful breathing can significantly reduce stress and reduce anxiety in just a few minutes. Deep belly breaths and long exhalations allow you to relax, slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.
7. Do regular “self-audit”
Analyze relationships and situations that cause stress. This will reveal the causes of internal stress.
8.
Stand up for boundaries
Don’t be afraid to say no when you feel tired. Prioritize your schedule, avoid multitasking and perfectionism.
9. Replenish your positive emotions
Favorite movie and shopping, time with family or friends, massage or spa – choose a pastime that brings pleasure and do not forget to regularly replenish the positive emotions.
10. Communicate with colleagues
Connecting with others can be just as energizing as running. Communication on work issues will not help the case: you will not change the situation and only aggravate the condition. But if you go to a restaurant with colleagues and spend the evening having a pleasant conversation, it will help you get distracted and have a good time.
Avoiding Burnout: A Step-by-Step Guide
We are obsessed with personal success and performance. We are constantly trying to get promoted and make more money. This belief in a bright future makes us give up our personal lives and spend whole days at computers, gritting our teeth and convincing ourselves that it’s worth it.
However, an ever-growing list of tasks and responsibilities works against us. And no matter how useful and successful we feel, over-focusing on work leads to the opposite – we begin to feel stressed, tired and dissatisfied with ourselves.
According to sociological surveys for 2016, in the United States, 50% of workers in various fields, from the commercial sector to medicine, constantly feel tired. Over the past 20 years, this figure has increased by 32%. Emotional burnout affects many professions and all levels of the corporate hierarchy – from assistants to managers.
Workaholism doubles the risk of depression and anxiety, leads to sleep problems and impaired concentration
Workaholism not only doubles the risk of depression and anxiety, but also leads to sleep problems and impaired concentration. Thus, workaholic employees are not beneficial, first of all, to the employers themselves, because burnout eventually leads to an unhealthy atmosphere in the team, accidents, absenteeism, high staff turnover, reduced productivity and increased medical costs.
Therefore, many corporations spend money on special courses to train employees in mindfulness practices, competent time management and stress management. What is taught in such courses can be summarized in five simple steps that will help you avoid professional burnout.
1. Take breaks at work
Pauses in the work process make us more productive. Research by Sabine Sonnentag, a professor of psychology at the University of Mannheim in Germany, has shown that people who are unable to distract themselves from work are less resilient in the face of stressful situations. The ability to distance yourself, even for a short time, allows you to recover faster and leads to increased productivity.
The best way to switch from work problems is exercise, nature walks and hobbies that are not related to your main activity. This could be, for example, archery, wood carving, or attending a cooking class.
2. Think positively
At the end of the day, try not to scold your boss or colleagues, but think about the positive aspects of work, in particular, about how it helps other people or makes the world a better place.
If you really save lives (for example, you are a fireman or a nurse), it is easy to do so. If your work does not bring obvious benefits to society, consider that you are working for the benefit of your family. Research proves that awareness of the social importance of one’s actions helps a person become happier.
3. Avoid stimulants
Addiction to coffee and sweets is a serious problem. For example, caffeine raises levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) above normal levels. Cortisol is necessary for the body: it is he who helps to wake up in the morning and energizes. But, constantly raising it to an unnaturally high level with the help of coffee, we overload the nervous system, become twitchy and anxious.
Some who do not have a craving for coffee become addicted to sugar, chocolate, fast food, or alcohol, and then take sleeping pills or sedatives to help them sleep. Either accelerating or slowing down the work of the nervous system, we deplete it. And as a result, we still burn out.
Try to cut down on coffee, sugar and other stimulants. Avoid pills and chemical additives. Better learn how to manage energy through sports, yoga, meditation and walking. So, intensive boxing training will help to throw out resentment or anger, and a calm practice of tai chi or yoga will teach you to concentrate.
4. Learn to Breathe
Research involving military veterans has proven that mindful breathing can significantly reduce stress and reduce anxiety in just a few minutes. Take deep breaths into your belly and gradually lengthen your exhalations. The longer they are, the more you relax, the pulse slows down and blood pressure decreases. Practice this exercise several times a day, and it will come to your rescue in a difficult moment.
5. Communicate with colleagues
Team relationships built on mutual assistance, support, respect and honesty increase work efficiency. Try to maintain contact with colleagues, appreciate the warm and trusting relationship with them.
Research shows that empathy alone can counter burnout and fatigue. Be sure to celebrate personal holidays (such as birthdays) and collective successes. The pleasure of informal communication is short-lived, but it creates a sense of unity and involvement in a common cause.
About the author
Emma M. Seppälä is a psychologist and director of the Compassion and Altruism Research Center at Stanford University and author of The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness. to Accelerate Your Success”, HarperOne, 2016).
Text: Nina Nabokova Photo Source: Getty Images
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