Burnout Syndrome is a condition where a person feels exhausted morally, mentally, and physically. It is getting harder and harder to wake up in the morning and start working. It's getting harder and harder to focus on your responsibilities and complete them on time. The working day stretches until late at night, the usual way of life collapses, relations with others deteriorate.

Those who have encountered such a phenomenon do not immediately understand what is happening. Emotional burnout, in its "incubation" period, is similar to the blues. People become irritable, touchy. They give up at the slightest setbacks and do not know what to do with all this, what treatment to take. That is why it is so important to see the first "bells" in the emotional background, take preventive measures and not bring yourself to a nervous breakdown.

Pathogenesis

The phenomenon of emotional burnout, as a mental disorder, was given attention back in 1974. American psychologist Herbert Freudenberg was the first to note the seriousness of the problem of emotional exhaustion and its impact on a person's personality. At the same time, the main causes, signs and stages of the development of the disease were described.

Most often, burnout syndrome is associated with problems at work, although such a mental disorder can also appear in ordinary housewives or young mothers, as well as in creative people. All these cases share the same signs: fatigue and loss of interest in duties.

As statistics show, the syndrome most often affects those who deal with the human factor every day:

• working in emergency services and hospitals;
• teaching in schools and universities;
• serving large flows of customers in servicing services.

Faced daily with negativity, someone else's mood or inappropriate behavior, a person constantly experiences emotional stress, which only intensifies over time.

A follower of the American scientist George Greenberg singled out five stages of the increase in mental stress associated with professional activities, and designated them as "stages of emotional burnout":

1. The man is satisfied with his work. But constant stress gradually undermines energy.
2. The first signs of the syndrome are observed: insomnia, decreased performance and partial loss of interest in one's work.
3. At this stage, it is so difficult for a person to concentrate on work that everything is done very slowly. Attempts to "catch up" turn into a constant habit of working late at night or on weekends.
4. Chronic fatigue is projected onto physical health: immunity decreases, and colds turn into chronic ones, “old” sores appear. People at this stage experience constant dissatisfaction with themselves and others, often quarrel with colleagues.
5. Emotional instability, loss of strength, exacerbation of chronic diseases are signs of the fifth stage of the burnout syndrome.

If nothing is done and treatment is not started, the person's condition will only worsen, developing into a deep depression.

The reasons

As already mentioned, burnout syndrome can happen due to constant stress at work. But the reasons for the professional crisis lie not only in frequent contacts with a complex contingent of people. Chronic fatigue and accumulated discontent can have other roots:

• monotony of repetitive actions;
• tense rhythm;
• insufficient encouragement of labor (material and psychological);
• frequent undeserved criticism;
• unclear setting of tasks;
• feeling unappreciated or worthless.

Burnout syndrome is often found in people with certain character traits:

• maximalism, the desire to do everything perfectly right;
• increased responsibility and a tendency to sacrifice one's own interests;
• daydreaming, which sometimes leads to an inadequate assessment of one's capabilities and abilities;
• tendency towards idealism.

People who abuse alcohol, cigarettes and energy drinks easily fall into the risk zone. With artificial "stimulants" they try to increase their efficiency when temporary troubles or stagnations in work occur. But bad habits only exacerbate the situation. For example, there is an addiction to energy drinks. A person begins to take them even more, but the effect is the opposite. The body is exhausted and begins to resist.

Burnout syndrome can happen to a housewife. The causes of frustration are similar to those experienced by people in a monotonous job. This is especially acute if it seems to a woman that no one appreciates her work.

The same is sometimes experienced by people who are forced to care for seriously ill relatives. They understand that it is their duty. But inside, resentment against an unfair world and a feeling of hopelessness accumulate.

Similar feelings appear in a person who cannot quit a hateful job, feeling a responsibility to the family and the need to provide for it.

Another group of people prone to emotional burnout are writers, artists, stylists and other representatives of creative professions. The reasons for their crisis must be sought in disbelief in their own strength. Especially when their talent does not find recognition in society or receives negative reviews from critics.

In fact, any person who does not receive approval and support, but continues to overload himself with work, can suffer from burnout syndrome.

Symptoms

Emotional burnout does not collapse immediately, it has a fairly long latent period. At first, a person feels that his enthusiasm for duties is reduced. I want to complete them quickly, but it turns out the opposite - very slowly. This is due to the loss of the ability to concentrate on what is no longer interesting. There is irritability and a feeling of fatigue.

Symptoms of emotional burnout can be conditionally divided into three groups:

1. Physical manifestations:

• chronic fatigue;
• weakness and lethargy in the muscles;
• frequent migraines;
• decreased immunity;
• increased sweating;
• insomnia;
• dizziness and darkening in the eyes;
• "aching" joints and lower back.

The syndrome is often accompanied by impaired appetite or excessive gluttony, which, accordingly, leads to a noticeable change in weight.

1. Socio-behavioral signs:

• the desire for isolation, reducing communication with other people to a minimum;
• evasion of duties and responsibilities;
• the desire to blame others for their own troubles;
• manifestation of anger and envy;
• complaints about life and the fact that you have to work "around the clock";
• the habit of making gloomy forecasts: from bad weather for the next month to a global collapse.

In an attempt to escape from the "aggressive" reality or "cheer up", a person may start using drugs and alcohol. Or eat high-calorie foods in unlimited quantities.

1. Psycho-emotional signs:

• indifference to the events taking place around;
• disbelief in one's own strength;
• the collapse of personal ideals;
• loss of professional motivation;
• irascibility and dissatisfaction with loved ones;
• constant bad mood.

The syndrome of mental burnout, in its clinical picture, is similar to depression. A person experiences deep suffering from a seeming sense of loneliness and doom. In such a state it is difficult to do something, to concentrate on something. However, overcoming emotional burnout is much easier than depressive syndrome.

Treatment

Burnout syndrome is a disease that, unfortunately, is not always paid attention to. People often do not consider it necessary to start treatment. They think that they just need to “tighten up” a little and finally finish the work that has stalled, despite overwork and mental decline. And this is their main mistake.

In the case when a burnout syndrome is diagnosed, the first thing to do is to slow down. Not to spend even more time doing the work, but to take long breaks between individual tasks. And during the rest, do what the soul lies to.

This advice from psychologists is very helpful for housewives during the period of struggle with the syndrome. If homework has grown cold to the teeth gnashing, its completion is stimulated by pleasant breaks that a woman rewards herself: cooked soup means she deserved to watch one episode of her favorite series, stroked things - you can lie down with a romance novel in your hands. Such encouragement is an incentive to do your work much faster. And the fixation of each fact of performing a useful deed gives inner satisfaction and increases interest in life.

However, not everyone has the opportunity to take frequent breaks. Especially at office work. Employees suffering from the phenomenon of emotional burnout, it is better to ask for an extraordinary vacation. Or take sick leave for a couple of weeks. During this period, a person will have time to restore his strength a little and analyze the situation.

Analysis of the reasons that led to mental discord is another effective strategy for dealing with burnout syndrome. It is advisable to state the facts to another person (friend, relative or therapist) who will help to look at the situation from the outside.

Or you can write out the reasons for the burnout on a piece of paper, leaving space next to each item to write the solution to the problem. For example, if it is difficult to complete work tasks because of their ambiguity, ask the manager to clarify and specify the results that he wants to see. Not satisfied with a low-paid job - ask for a bonus from the boss or look for alternatives (study the job market, send out resumes, ask friends about vacancies, etc.).

Such a detailed description and drawing up a plan for solving problems helps to prioritize, enlist the support of a loved one, and at the same time serve as a warning of new breakdowns.

Prevention

Burnout syndrome occurs against the background of physical and mental exhaustion of a person. Therefore, preventive measures aimed at improving health will help prevent such a disease.

1. Physical prevention of emotional burnout:

• diet food, with a minimum amount of fat, but including vitamins, vegetable fiber and minerals;
• physical education or at least walking in the fresh air;
• full sleep for at least eight hours;
• observance of the daily routine.

1. Psychological prevention of burnout syndrome:

• a mandatory day off once a week, during which you can do only what you want;
• "cleansing" the head of disturbing thoughts or problems through analysis (on paper or in conversation with an attentive listener);
• prioritization (first of all, do really important things, and the rest - as far as progress);
• meditations and auto-trainings;
• aromatherapy.

In order to prevent the occurrence of a syndrome or an increase in the already existing phenomenon of emotional burnout, psychologists recommend learning to put up with losses. It is easier to start the fight against the syndrome when you look your fears in the eye. For example, the meaning of life or vital energy is lost. You need to recognize this and tell yourself that you are starting all over again: you will find a new stimulus and new sources of strength.

Another important skill, according to experts, is the ability to refuse unnecessary things, the pursuit of which leads to burnout syndrome. When a person knows what he wants personally, and not the generally accepted opinion, he becomes immune to emotional burnout.

On November 27, 2014, a lecture was held by the famous Austrian psychotherapist, the founder of modern existential analysis Alfried Langle on the topic “Emotional burnout - ashes after fireworks. Existential Analytical Understanding and Prevention. We publish the text of the lecture in a small reduction.

Emotional burnout (burn-out) is a symptom of our times. This is a state of exhaustion, which leads to paralysis of our strength, feelings and is accompanied by a loss of joy in relation to life.

In our busy time, cases of burnout syndrome are becoming more frequent. This applies not only to social professions, for which the burnout syndrome was typical earlier, but also to other professions, as well as to a person’s personal life.

Our era contributes to the spread of burnout syndrome- a time of achievement, consumption, new materialism, entertainment and enjoyment of life. This is the time when we exploit ourselves and allow ourselves to be exploited. This is what I would like to talk about today.

I will first describe the burnout syndrome and say a few words about how it can be recognized. Then I will try to talk about the background in which this syndrome occurs, and then give a short overview of working with burnout syndrome and show how it can be prevented.

Alfried Lengle is an Austrian psychologist and psychotherapist. Based on logotherapy and logoanalysis, he developed a new direction in psychotherapy, called existential analysis.

Mild emotional burnout

Who doesn't know the symptoms of burnout? I think that every person has ever felt them. We find signs of exhaustion in ourselves if we have experienced a lot of stress, have accomplished something massive. For example, if we were studying for exams, working on a project, writing a dissertation, or raising two small children. It happens that at work it took a lot of effort, there were some crisis situations, or, for example, during the flu epidemic, doctors had to work very hard.

And then there are symptoms like irritability, lack of desire, sleep disturbance(when a person cannot fall asleep, or, conversely, sleeps for a very long time), decreased motivation, the person feels mostly uncomfortable, depressive symptoms may appear.

This is a simple version of burnout - burnout at the level of reaction, a physiological and psychological reaction to excessive stress. When the situation ends, the symptoms disappear on their own. In this case, free days off, time for yourself, sleep, vacation, sports can help. If we do not replenish energy through rest, the body goes into energy-saving mode.

When the situation that contributed to the burnout ends, the symptoms disappear on their own.

In fact, both the body and the psyche are arranged in such a way that great tension is possible - after all, people sometimes have to work hard, achieve some big goals. For example, to get your family out of some kind of trouble.

The problem is different: if the challenge does not end, that is, if people really cannot rest, they are constantly in a state of tension, if they constantly feel that some demands are made on them, they are always preoccupied with something, they experience fear. , constantly vigilant about something, expecting something, this leads to an overstrain of the nervous system, a person tenses muscles, and pain occurs. Some people start grinding their teeth in their sleep - this can be one of the symptoms of overexertion.

Chronic emotional burnout

If tension becomes chronic, then burnout reaches the level of disorder.

In 1974, New York psychiatrist Freudenberger first published an article about volunteers who worked in the social field on behalf of the local church. In this article, he described their situation. These people had symptoms similar to depression. In their anamnesis, he always found the same thing: at first, these people were absolutely delighted with their activities.

Then this enthusiasm gradually began to decrease. And eventually they burned to the state of a handful of ashes. All of them had similar symptoms: emotional exhaustion, constant fatigue. The mere thought of having to go to work tomorrow made them feel tired. They had various bodily complaints, they were often sick. It was one of the symptom groups.

As for their feelings, they no longer had power. What he called dehumanization happened. Their attitude towards the people they helped changed: at first it was a loving, attentive attitude, then it turned into a cynical, rejecting, negative one. Relations with colleagues also deteriorated, there was a feeling of guilt, a desire to get away from all this. They worked less and did everything according to a pattern, like robots. That is, these people were no longer able, as before, to enter into relationships and did not strive for this.

This behavior has a certain logic. If I no longer have the strength in my feelings, then I have no strength to love, to listen, and other people become a burden for me. It feels like I can no longer meet them, their demands are too much for me. Then automatic defensive reactions begin to operate. Psychologically, this is very reasonable.

As the third group of symptoms, the author of the article found a decrease in productivity. People were dissatisfied with their work and their achievements. They experienced themselves as powerless, did not feel that they were achieving any success. It was just too much for them. And they felt they weren't getting the recognition they deserved.

Through this study, Freudenberger found that burnout symptoms do not correlate with the number of working hours. Yes, the more someone works, the more his emotional strength suffers from this. Emotional exhaustion increases in proportion to the number of working hours, but the other two groups of symptoms - productivity and dehumanization, dehumanization of relationships - are hardly affected. The person continues to be productive for a while. This indicates that burnout has its own dynamics. It's more than just exhaustion. On this we will stop.

Stages of emotional burnout

Freudenberger created a scale consisting of 12 burnout levels.

First stage still looks very harmless: at first, burnout patients have an obsessive desire to assert themselves (“I can do something”), maybe even in competition with others.

Then it starts neglect of one's own needs. A person no longer devotes free time to himself, goes in for sports less, he has less time left for people, for himself, he talks less with someone.

On the next step a person does not have time to resolve conflicts - and therefore he represses them, and later even ceases to perceive them. He does not see that there are any problems at work, at home, with friends. He backs off. We see something like a flower, which fades more and more.

In the future, feelings about themselves are lost. People don't feel like themselves anymore. They are just machines, machine tools and can no longer stop. After a while, they feel an inner emptiness and, if this continues, they often become depressive.

At the last, twelfth stage, a person is completely broken.. He falls ill - physically and mentally, experiences despair, suicidal thoughts are often present.

Once a patient came to me with emotional burnout. He came, sat down in a chair, exhaled and said: "I'm glad I'm here." He looked exhausted. It turned out that he could not even call me to arrange a meeting - his wife dialed the phone number.

I asked him then on the phone how urgent it was. He replied that it was urgent. And then I agreed with him on the first meeting on Monday. On the day of the meeting, he admitted: “All two days off, I could not guarantee that I would not jump out of the window. My condition was so unbearable.”

He was a very successful businessman. His employees knew nothing about this - he managed to hide his condition from them. And for a very long time he hid it from his wife. In the eleventh stage, his wife noticed this. He still continued to deny his problem. And only when he could no longer live, already under pressure from outside, was he ready to do something. This is how far the burnout syndrome can go. Of course, this is an extreme example.

Emotional burnout: from enthusiasm to disgust

In order to describe in simpler terms how emotional burnout manifests itself, one can resort to the description of the German psychologist Matthias Burisch. He described four stages.

First stage looks completely harmless: it's really not quite burnout yet. This is the stage where you need to be careful. It is then that a person is driven by idealism, some ideas, some kind of enthusiasm. But the demands that he constantly makes on himself are excessive. He demands too much of himself for weeks and months.

Second phase- this is exhaustion: physical, emotional, bodily weakness.

On third stage, the first protective reactions usually begin to act. What does a person do if the demands are constantly excessive? He leaves the relationship, dehumanization occurs. This is a counter reaction as a defense so that the exhaustion does not get worse. Intuitively, a person feels that he needs peace, and to a lesser extent maintains social relationships. Those relationships that must be lived, because they cannot be dispensed with, are aggravated by rejection, repulsion.

That is, in principle, this is the correct reaction. But only the area where this reaction begins to act is not suitable for this. Rather, a person needs to be calmer about the demands that are made to him. But this is exactly what they fail to do - to get away from requests and claims.

Fourth stage is an amplification of what happens in the third stage, the terminal stage of burnout. Burish calls this "disgust syndrome". This is a concept that means that a person no longer carries any joy in himself. Everything is disgusted. For example, if I ate rotten fish, I vomited, and the next day I smell fish, I get disgusted. That is, this protective feeling after poisoning.

Causes of emotional burnout

Speaking about the causes, in general, three areas are distinguished.

This is an individual psychological area when a person has a strong desire to surrender to this stress.

The second sphere - socio-psychological, or public - is pressure from outside: various fashion trends, some social norms, requirements at work, the spirit of the times. For example, it is believed that every year you need to go on a trip - and if I cannot do this, then I do not correspond to the people living at this time, their way of life. This pressure may be exerted in a latent form and may result in burnout.

More dramatic demands are, for example, extended working hours. Today, a person overworks and does not get paid for it, and if he does not, he is fired. Constant overwork is a cost inherent in the capitalist era, within which Austria, Germany and, probably, Russia also live.

So, we have identified two groups of reasons. With the first one, we can work in the psychological aspect, within the framework of counseling, and in the second case, something needs to be changed at the political level, at the level of trade unions.

But there is also a third reason. related to the organization of systems. If the system gives the individual too little freedom, too little responsibility, if mobing occurs, then people are exposed to a lot of stress. And then, of course, the system needs to be restructured. It is necessary to develop the organization in a different way, to introduce coaching.

Emotional burnout: meaning cannot be bought

We confine ourselves to considering a group of psychological causes. In existential analysis, we empirically established that the cause of emotional burnout is an existential vacuum. Emotional burnout can be understood as a special form of existential vacuum. Viktor Frankl described the existential vacuum as suffering from a sense of emptiness and meaninglessness.

A study conducted in Austria, during which 271 doctors were tested, showed the following results. They found that those doctors who led meaningful lives and did not suffer from an existential vacuum experienced almost no burnout, even if they worked for many hours. The same doctors who were found to have a relatively high level of existential vacuum in their work showed high rates of burnout even if they worked fewer hours.

From this we can conclude that meaning cannot be bought. Making money does nothing if I suffer from emptiness and lack of meaning in my work. We cannot compensate for this.

The burnout syndrome poses the question: Do I really experience meaning in what I do? Meaning depends on whether we feel personal value in what we do or not. If we follow the apparent meaning: career, social recognition, the love of others, then this is a false or apparent meaning. It costs us a lot of energy and causes stress. And as a result, we have a performance deficit. Then we experience devastation - even when we relax.

At the other extreme is a way of life where we experience fulfillment - even when we get tired. Fulfillment, despite fatigue, does not lead to burnout.

Summarizing, we can say the following: burnout is the final state that occurs as a result of the continued creation of something without experiencing in the aspect of fulfillment. That is, if what I am doing makes sense, if I feel that what I am doing is good, interesting and important, if I am happy about it and want to do it, then there is no burnout. But these feelings should not be confused with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is not necessarily related to performance - it is more hidden from others, more modest thing.

What am I giving myself to?

Another aspect that the topic of burnout brings us to is motivation. Why am I doing something? And to what extent am I drawn to it? If I can't give my heart to what I'm doing, if I'm not interested in it, I'm doing it for some other reason, then we're lying in a way.

It's like I'm listening to someone but thinking about something else. That is, then I am not present. But if I am not present at work, in my life, then I cannot receive remuneration for this there. It's not about money. Yes, of course, I can earn money, but I personally do not receive remuneration. If I am not present with my heart in some business, but use what I am doing as a means to achieve goals, then I am abusing the situation.

For example, I can start a project because it promises me a lot of money. And I almost can not refuse and somehow resist it. Thus, we may be tempted to make some choice that will lead us to burnout. If it only happens once, then maybe it's not so bad. But if it goes on for years, then I'm just passing my life by. What am I giving myself to?

And here, by the way, it can be extremely important that I have a burnout syndrome. Because, probably, I cannot stop the direction of my movement myself. I need that wall that I'm going to hit, some kind of push from the inside so that I just can't keep moving and rethink my actions.

The money example is probably the most superficial. Motives can be much deeper. For example, I may want recognition. I need praise from someone else. If these narcissistic needs are not met, then I become restless. From the outside, it is not visible at all - only people who are close to this person can feel it. But I probably won't even talk to them about it. Or I myself do not realize that I have such needs.

Or, for example, I definitely need confidence. I experienced poverty as a child, I had to wear old clothes. For this I was ridiculed, and I was ashamed. Maybe even my family was starving. I would never want to experience this again.

I have known people who have become very rich. Many of them have reached the burnout syndrome. Because for them it was the primary motive - in any case, to prevent a state of poverty, so as not to become poor again. From a human point of view, this is understandable. But this can lead to excessive demands that never end.

In order for people to be ready to follow such a seemingly false motivation for a long time, there must be a lack of something, a mentally felt deficit, some kind of trouble behind their behavior. This deficiency leads man to self-exploitation.

The value of life

This deficit can be not only a subjectively felt need, but also an attitude towards life, which, ultimately, can lead to burnout.

How do I understand my life? Based on this, I can develop my goals, according to which I live. These attitudes can be from parents, or a person develops them in himself. For example: I want to achieve something. Or: I want to have three children. Become a psychologist, doctor or politician. Thus, a person outlines for himself the goals that he wants to follow.

This is completely normal. Who among us doesn't have goals in life? But if goals become the content of life, if they become too great values, then they lead to rigid, rigid behavior. Then we put all our efforts to achieve our goal. And everything we do becomes a means to an end. And this does not carry its own value, but is only a useful value.

"It's good that I'll play the violin!" It is the living of one's own value. But if I want to be the first violin in a concert, then when I play a piece, I will constantly compare myself with others. I know that I still need to practice, play and play in order to achieve the goal. That is, I have a goal orientation at the expense of a value orientation. Thus, there is a lack of internal relation. I do something, but there is no inner life in what I do. And then my life loses its vital value. I myself destroy the inner contents in order to achieve goals.

And when a person thus neglects the intrinsic value of things, pays insufficient attention to it, there is an underestimation of the value of one's own life. That is, it turns out that I use the time of my life for the goal that I have set for myself. This leads to loss of relationships and to inconsistency with oneself. And with such an inattentive attitude to internal values ​​​​and the value of one's own life, stress arises.

Everything we have just talked about can be summarized as follows. The stress that leads to burnout is due to the fact that we do something for too long, without a sense of inner consent, without a sense of the value of things and ourselves. Thus, we come to a state of pre-depression.

It also happens when we do too much of everything, and just for the sake of doing it. For example, I cook dinner only so that it will be ready as soon as possible. And then I'm glad when it's already behind, done. But if we rejoice in the fact that something has already passed, this is an indicator that we have not seen value in what we are doing. And if it has no value, then I cannot say that I like doing it, that it is important to me.

If we have too many of these elements in our lives, then we are essentially glad that life is passing us by. Thus we like death, annihilation. If I'm just doing something, it's not life, it's functioning. And we should not, we do not have the right to function too much - we must ensure that in everything we do, we live, feel life. So that she doesn't pass us by.

Burnout is such a mental expense which we are presented with for a long alienated relationship with life. This is the life that is not truly mine.

Anyone who is more than half the time engaged in things that he does reluctantly, does not give his heart to this, does not experience joy at the same time, he should sooner or later expect to survive the burnout syndrome. Then I am in danger. Wherever I feel inner agreement in my heart about what I do and feel myself, there I am protected from burnout.

Prevention of emotional burnout

How can you work with burnout syndrome and how can you prevent it? Much is solved by itself if a person understands what the burnout syndrome is connected with. If you understand this about yourself or about your friends, then you can begin to solve this problem, talk to yourself or your friends about it. Should I continue to live this way?

I felt the same way two years ago. I intended to write a book during the summer. With all the papers, I went to my dacha. He came, looked around, went for a walk, talked with the neighbors. The next day I did the same: I called my friends, we met. On the third day again. I thought that, generally speaking, I should already start. But I didn't feel any particular desire. I tried to remind what was needed, what the publishing house was waiting for - this was already pressure.

Then I remembered the burnout syndrome. And I said to myself: I probably need more time, and my desire will surely return. And I allowed myself to watch. After all, the desire came every year. But that year it did not come, and until the end of the summer I did not even open this folder. I didn't write a single line. Instead, I rested and did wonderful things. Then I began to hesitate, how should I relate to this - as bad or as good? It turns out that I could not, it was a failure. Then I said to myself that it was reasonable and good that I did this. The fact is that I was a little exhausted, because before the summer there were a lot of things to do, the whole academic year was very busy.

Here, of course, I had an internal struggle. I really thought and comprehended what is important in my life. As a result, I doubted that the written book was such an important thing in my life. It is much more important to live something, to be here, to live a valuable relationship - if possible, to experience joy and not constantly put it off for later. We don't know how much time we have left.

In general, work with burnout syndrome begins with unloading. You can reduce time pressure, delegate something, share responsibility, set realistic goals, critically consider the expectations that you have. This is a big topic for discussion. Here we really run into very deep structures of existence. Here we are talking about our position in relation to life, about our attitudes being authentic, corresponding to us.

If the burnout syndrome is already much more pronounced, you need to get a sick leave, physically relax, see a doctor, for milder disorders, treatment in a sanatorium is useful. Or just arrange a good time for yourself, live in a state of unloading.

But the problem is that many people who have burnout syndrome cannot resolve this for themselves. Or a person goes on sick leave, but continues to make excessive demands on himself - in this way he cannot get out of stress. People suffer about remorse. And in a state of illness, burnout increases.

Medications may help in the short term, but they are not the solution to the problem. Physical health is the foundation. But you also need to work on your own needs, on an internal deficit of something, on attitudes and expectations in relation to life. You need to think about how to reduce the pressure of society, how you can protect yourself. Sometimes even think about changing jobs.

In the most severe case that I have seen in my practice, a person needed 4-5 months off work. And after going to work - a new style of work - otherwise, after a couple of months, people burn out again. Of course, if a person works for wear and tear for 30 years, then it is difficult for him to readjust, but it is necessary.

You can prevent burnout syndrome by asking yourself two simple questions:

1. Why am I doing this? Why am I studying at the institute, why am I writing a book? What's the point of this? Is it of value to me?

2. Do I enjoy doing what I do? Do I love doing it? Do I feel it's good? So good that I do it willingly? Does what I do bring me joy? This may not always be the case, but the feeling of joy and satisfaction should prevail.

Ultimately, I can ask another, larger question: Do I want to live for this? If I lie on my deathbed and look back, do I want it to be that I lived for it?

When a person takes on too many obligations, strives for ideals in work and relationships, and at the same time experiences constant stress, his strength can be depleted. Then he begins to feel inferior, loses interest in everything that happens around, becomes lethargic and apathetic. Symptoms such as irritability, anger, depression, feeling of lack of time may also appear. The result is a deterioration in the quality of life, illness, nervous breakdowns. Career is under threat, the family is almost destroyed, there is no desire to do anything ... What is it?

Psychologists call this state emotional (or professional) burnout. In scientific terms, burnout syndrome (from the English burnout - literally “exhaustion of physical and spiritual strength”) is a condition characterized by a gradual increase in fatigue and overwork, indifference to one's duties at home and at work, a sense of one's own insolvency and incompetence in the profession.

The Pursuit of Happyness

On a CT scan of people exposed to prolonged exposure to stressful factors, you can see large white gaps where brain tissue usually occurs. Nightmare? Probably evolution.

The problem is that humans were not designed to live in the fast pace of the 21st century. The body simply does not have a huge reserve of capacity to withstand chronic stress. And why were they needed before? Even in the Middle Ages, few lived to be 35 years old. This is probably why we are so good at resisting stress while we are young. But our "protective system" is not designed for a longer period.

In recent years, even the American dream, so adored by everyone, is collapsing, and those who aspired to it have been thrown to the sidelines of life. People are disappointed, their anger and resentment turn into self-destructive behavior. "Burn on fire! Life has failed, and I leave the effort! - people who experience all the delights of emotional burnout argue in this vein.

But our grandparents perceived life differently. However, then it was more predictable. They knew how to be happy and enjoy life, although they understood that it was impossible to be in high spirits all the time.

The cure for stress

According to statistics, the less we strive for career growth, the happier we feel. Moreover, people who emphasize financial well-being are more frustrated with their work and family life than others. What to do if there are only problems around? How to beat stress?

1. Admit you're having a hard time

Don't punish yourself. To recognize the problem is to half win the battle. Sometimes we think that we ourselves are to blame for everything. But let me tell you: the modern world sometimes makes too high demands on everyone, so it's normal to burn out.

2. Ask for help from loved ones

3. Get your hope back

Relax - you won't be rich by 40, and Prince Charming has a boyfriend. Everyone, the fight is over. You set the bar too high and worked too hard. Only life was not over there: it was just that the goal was unrealistic.

4. Find an outlet

Whatever way you choose to deal with the vicious cycle of stress, there is always a chance to break it. Meditation, exercise, change of mind, new goals, openness to the world - any positive change can set in motion a spiral of adaptation, where each subsequent change strengthens what has been achieved. Our reaction to a positive event makes it more likely that the good attracts the good.

5. Develop mindfulness

Try to watch your thoughts and feelings. Anger often masks fear, and jealousy can be an expression of insecurity. Do not give in to impulses, but focus on deeper and, most importantly, true feelings and motives for your behavior.

6. Don't give in to emotional impulses

Want to take a sedative or get drunk at a nearby bar? Do not give in to momentary desire! Wait 10-15 minutes, and then think again - do you need it?

Before you quarrel with your boss or be rude to your relatives, step aside and calm down. You will certainly regret your thoughtless action. So it's better to warn him!

7. Go in for sports

Movement changes thoughts. Make it a rule to go to the gym twice a week, go swimming or jogging. Ride horses, go for walks, play tennis - anything to take your mind off bad thoughts.

Instead of a conclusion

And the last. When absolutely unbearable, develop an escape plan. Take a long vacation or look for another job altogether. Take a trip or talk to your family about moving to another city. Just remember: "This too shall pass."

Based on Richard O'Connor's The Psychology of Bad Habits

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“Usually, the syndrome of professional burnout occurs with a sufficiently long exposure to overload - from a month to a year,” says psychologist Ekaterina Trofimova. “Although to a lesser extent it affects people who are able to quickly adapt depending on the situation. In most cases, without special purposeful work, it is difficult to overcome the consequences of professional burnout syndrome.

In fact, this is a danger that threatens, first of all, workaholics (do not confuse: if you simply do not like your job and are not doing your job, then this is a completely different case).

Burnout doesn't come on suddenly. It is impossible to wake up one morning and understand what has “covered” you, burnout syndrome creeps up gradually, which is why it can be difficult to recognize for a long time. And yet, our body and mind give signals that cannot be ignored.

All signs of burnout syndrome can be divided into three groups and correlate them with the above conditions: physical and moral exhaustion, out of nowhere emerging cynicism and detachment inferiority complex and failure. Symptoms worsen as stress builds up.

If some of these signs are characteristic of you, it is worth analyzing the situation and getting off this crooked path before it's too late. Burnout syndrome is not a cold, it will not go away on its own.

The sooner you recognize the danger, the easier it will be for you to cope with this condition.
So, the main signs of physical and moral exhaustion:

Constant fatigue

In the initial stages of the syndrome, a person may feel a lack of energy and constantly feel tired. The last phase is characterized by complete physical and moral exhaustion, accompanied by a sense of fear for the future - whether the contract will be extended or not, whether the salary will be enough to cover the loan or not, and so on.

Sleep problems

It all starts with the fact that from time to time you find it difficult to sleep, or you wake up in the middle of the night a couple of times a week. Over time, insomnia gets worse.

At the initial stage of the burnout syndrome, a person stops feeling hungry, starts eating less, skips lunch or dinner. In the future, the appetite may disappear completely.

However, there is also a reverse side of the problem - having ceased to get pleasure and joy from work, a person tries to get them from something else, for example, from food. That's where cola chips come from in front of the TV while watching multi-episode series and long lunches with a change of dishes.

Sense of anxiety

At the beginning, there may be a slight tension, fears for any reason. With the development of burnout syndrome, anxiety can increase so much that you will be unable to work productively. This can also affect your personal life.

Forgetfulness, decreased concentration

Decreased attention and forgetfulness are only the first signs, however, even they cause accumulating problems at work: a person cannot cope with work, there is a feeling that everything is falling apart.

Health problems

These signs may include chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, pain in the epigastric areas, dizziness, fainting, headaches.
Physical exhaustion leads to a weakened immune system, which causes frequent colds, flu and other infections.

Depression

In the initial stages, you may feel sad, hopeless, guilty. All this can lead to the development of a serious depression, accompanied by thoughts that the world would be a better place without you. In this case, you can not do without the help of a specialist.

Increased irritability

The source of irritability can be failures in work or personal life, the feeling of being worthless and the realization that you are no longer as good as before. Such an attitude can destroy not only a career, but also a personal life.

Anger

It all starts with tension in dealing with some people. and irritability developing into outbursts of anger and serious quarrels, conflicts in the family and at work.

Loss of joy

At first, this does not appear very pronounced. For example, you do not want to go to work. But gradually the loss of a sense of joy spreads to all spheres of life, including family life. It ceases to please not only work, but also communication with friends.

Pessimism

It all starts with a loss of motivation. Then there is distrust of colleagues and relatives. There is a feeling that in this world you can not rely on anyone.

isolation

At first, you just don’t want to leave the house, participate in some kind of event. Sometimes you want to lock yourself in a room and not let anyone in. In the future, even the fact that someone just spoke to you begins to annoy you. You try to avoid any society.

Detachment

Detachment can take the form of the isolated behavior described above. Attempts to isolate yourself from society may manifest itself in the fact that you stop answering calls and letters, often taking sick leave, or intentionally being late.

Feelings of apathy and hopelessness

These signs are similar with the above depression and pessimism. It seems to you that everything is wrong, or nothing matters. The result is a loss of meaning in life.

Insufficient productivity and performance

Chronic stress keeps you from being as productive as you used to be. This leads to the accumulation of unfinished work, missed deadlines. Sometimes you feel like you're trying your best, but nothing works.

If some of these signs are characteristic of you, it is worth analyzing the situation and getting off this crooked path before it's too late. Burnout syndrome is not a cold, it will not go away on its own. Perhaps this is the best time to go on vacation. Take care of yourself!

Bad mood in the morning, disgust at the mere thought of work, indifference to new proposals and ideas, procrastination, feeling tired and headaches have become your constant companions? But not so long ago you were pleased with the profession, and the office, and colleagues, and even difficult tasks. What happened? Most likely, you, like many others, fell victim to an ailment known in psychology as burnout at work. This problem has become very widespread in recent years.

Signs of burnout syndrome

The main sign of the presence of burnout syndrome is constant fatigue, which does not go away even after a good sleep, weekend or vacation. It is she who leads to a loss of interest in work, the inability to perform even the simplest tasks. The feeling of fatigue is followed by other problems: attacks of melancholy, dissatisfaction with oneself, insomnia, health problems.

You have to be prepared for what the symptoms will only get worse. At first, the level of energy gradually decreases, it becomes more and more difficult to go to work. Not only the desire to do something significant disappears, but also to perform routine tasks. The state of health deteriorates, headaches become more frequent. It becomes more difficult to fall asleep in the evenings and get up in the morning.

A person feels tired all the time, even if he did not do any hard work. All this is combined with bouts of bad mood, dissatisfaction with oneself and deterioration of relations with other people. Immunity gradually decreases, chronic diseases become aggravated. In psychology, this is called the extreme degree. working exhaustion. A person develops depression and even thoughts of suicide.

Causes and situations that contribute to the occurrence of emotional exhaustion

Emotional burnout at work can be caused by one or several reasons, and the list of these reasons is quite extensive. This is partly why burnout is so common. What can stimulate the development of unpleasant symptoms?

Monotony, routine nature of work

This is the most common and most obvious source of distress. Repeating the same actions day after day, a person feels like the hero of the film "Groundhog Day", ceasing to see the meaning of what is happening.

Tense rhythm, many difficult or non-standard tasks

It does not smell of monotony and boredom here, but from the constant use of the intellectual and mental resources of the body at full power a person is able to “burn out” faster than from monotonous labor. Months and years of work 12-14 hours a day without days off with capricious clients and complex requests will sooner or later lead a specialist to a sick leave due to physical exhaustion or an appointment with a psychiatrist.

Lack of tangible results

Architects who build houses or fashion designers who create fashion collections do not face this difficulty, but those in the service industry are familiar with the problem. No big achievements - no and feelings of satisfaction from the work done, especially if management and clients are stingy with praise.

lack of praise

Lack of feedback can cause great disappointment. If not praised - the work is done poorly? But they don’t scold - so it’s good? But then would you praise? Or does everyone care? People who find themselves in this situation are not sure that they should continue to do anything at all.

Unclear distribution of roles and functions

Not all tasks can be written in the job description, so often many people are forced to do what not part of their responsibilities. It happens even worse - when today it is not included in your duties, and tomorrow it is already included. And then vice versa. Trying to guess what to do and what not to do keeps employees on their toes.

Instability and uncertainty

Knowing that tomorrow your plant may be closed, and wage arrears may not be paid, few people want to work at full capacity. But even if it’s only a question of whether they will give a new position, whether they will raise salaries, whether they will replace the boss, and whether the company will move to a new office, it becomes more difficult to plan for the future, which undermines work enthusiasm.

Life in the metropolis

The intense rhythm of life in large cities makes great demands on the number of tasks completed per day and makes you spend a lot of time and effort. Crowded transport, queues in stores, high prices, noise, lack of space, small apartments, high prices - all this does not contribute to peace of mind.

Open space office

This is a kind of metropolis, limited by the office. People face the same difficulties: noise, crowding, phone calls, many people, lack of personal space and the ability to concentrate. If at the same time the employee does not have a permanent workplace, an Open Space office can become a real one. nightmare.

Risk group: who is more prone to burnout than others?

The main causes of burnout syndrome do not depend on occupation. But people in certain professions face this problem more often than others.

Some personality traits are conducive to the development of emotional burnout

This may be due to unsuitable working rhythm. Someone is more inclined to perform monotonous work, but does not tolerate the rush mode. Others work well under pressure but lose enthusiasm when the pace slows down.

People who tend to take on excessive workloads, perfectionists, workaholics, and those who find it difficult to say “no” suffer the most.

This category also includes people who abuse alcohol or substance abuse in situations where they need support. Over time, they begin to rely on these funds more often. When they stop taking medication, they may experience the same symptoms of loss of interest, fatigue, and indifference.

It is believed that due to their sensitivity, women are more at risk of burnout. Indeed, emotional exhaustion is more often diagnosed in women, but the reason is not a lack of stamina.

Firstly, women are ready to ask for help, while for men this is socially unacceptable. Even if a man suffers from burnout syndrome, it is difficult to take this into account in statistics.

Secondly, women's daily workload often exceeds men's, especially if a woman works, raises children, runs a household, and takes care of elderly relatives.

Problem Solving Approaches

Typically, people suffering from burnout symptoms are advised to introduce radical changes: take a long vacation, change jobs, learn a new profession, sign up for a consultation with a psychotherapist or psychologist.

All these methods are obvious, but it is rarely possible to use them. Indeed, if you had the opportunity to take a long extraordinary vacation, would you come to such a life?

The same goes for changing professions and education. If you don't have the strength to leave the house, will you be able to attend courses and pass exams? Those with two small children, elderly parents and a mortgage are unlikely to be able to give up boring but well-paid jobs to start a new career from scratch.

But this does not mean that you should not take a vacation if you can take it. However, do not despair if you do not have such an opportunity. Psychologists advise starting with simple changes that can also make life much easier.

Emotional burnout in mothers

All of the above factors in the development of burnout syndrome are typical not only for work situations. Often, young parents experience the same signs, especially mothers who spend maternity leave at home with baby. Why is this happening?

While spending most of their time at home with a baby, women face lack of communication in the outside world, as well as with a lack of variety in leisure activities. If the child also constantly requires attention, there is simply no time left for something else. Household worries absorb a person entirely. But if an employee of the enterprise can take a vacation or quit, then the parent cannot do this. Therefore, he or she begins to treat the child indifferently, ceasing to experience the joy of taking care of him, walking, feeding and bathing. But indifference is not so bad, it can come to psychological or physical violence.

The very fact of emotional burnout in a woman on maternity leave is often hushed up, because talking about her dissatisfaction with life because of the appearance of a child, it is not accepted - no matter what happens, you need to be calm, collected, not complain and not become limp. Many mothers do not find support from either their spouse or their friends. A woman can be upset herself, considering herself bad mother not loving her child.

To prevent emotional burnout, it is recommended to evenly distribute the responsibilities of caring for a child between both parents. If the mother usually spends the first year of life with the child, the father can take leave to care for the baby in the second year, and the mother will go to work. But the one of the parents who is currently working must take on some of the responsibilities for education, freeing up personal time for the second spouse.

Emotional burnout