How do you know when it's time to quit? Emotional burnout at work. Prevention of emotional stress and professional burnout

Crazy people are those who spend their whole lives doing nothing but have no strength and no purpose.
Marcus Aurelius

New Job- it is always a source of new hopes, a look full of confidence into a wonderful future full of career achievements. But some time passes, and something inside suddenly changes. Instead of the pleasure that we received in the first months of work, some strange apathy comes. Every morning it becomes more and more difficult to get up from such a soft and cozy bed, and the alarm clock turns from an assistant into an executioner.

What happened? It seems that career growth is still promised, and the salary is good and the team is the same. But intrusive thought the fact that you need to run away from this company, wherever your eyes look, does not leave your head. What it is? Is it really time to quit, or is this obsession Should you rein in and not interfere with your professional development?

Well, before answer To answer this question, you need to sit down at the table, take a minute in complete silence and answer in detail in in writing questions to yourself:

1. Is this the kind of job I expected when I joined the company?
2. What exactly is wrong?
3. How significant are the differences? Is it worth leaving because of them?

First question- the simplest one, most people with the described problem will answer negatively. No! This is not what we expected. Somewhere we were deceived, and big time. But the second question is much more tricky and complex. If you suddenly find that there are no actual changes between what you expected and what you received, then this is a reason to assume that you are “burned out.” The third question is of a clarifying nature. You understand, if you were promised twenty-two days of rest a year, but were given only twenty, but they promised to add two next year, this is a dubious reason for leaving.

But what does it mean - " burn out"? This is a scientific term introduced by Herbert Freudenberg back in the eighties. Initially, it described a syndrome that occurs in people whose profession is to professionally help other people. For example, nurses, psychiatrists (and any doctors in general), social workers. Over time, their work begins to drain them emotionally, causing them to have trouble sleeping. And the psyche is protected by cynicism, which results in hatred of everyone around, primarily the clients themselves.

But with time syndrome Burnout has become characteristic of many other professions. This is due to the ever-increasing workload on any average office worker. A psychological breakdown occurs when, without any serious objective reasons a person begins to receive only irritation, disappointment and depression from his once beloved work.

What to do? First, you need to minimize and eliminate all the reasons that lead to this very burnout. For example, deal with excessive load. Explain to your bosses and colleagues that if you continue to be loaded like this, you will simply break down and have to quit. Stop constantly taking work home, stop thinking about it in your free time. Occupational hygiene is very important, so do not neglect it. Strictly forbid yourself to sit in front of the TV in the evening, while simultaneously checking the latest report, corresponding with a similarly workaholic colleague about tomorrow’s plans, and the like. You need to throw out everything from your bedroom that is somehow related to work. Simply turn off your phone when you get home, make it your principle.

As mentioned above, burnout leads to an avalanche-like leap of cynicism in a person and he begins to behave like an entrance guard embittered with his life. If you have never seen such a watchman, then try going to the nearest city clinic. There you will easily find some doctor, in whose eyes you can clearly read how much he hates you and everyone else sitting in line, stupid donkeys and idiots. Therefore, cynicism should be taken in moderation. Feel free to tell yourself “it’s none of my business” from time to time and stop helping the client “beyond the norm.” You are not a titan and you need to protect your kind calf heart so that it does not burn to the ground, turning into a nasty cinder that hates all living things.

Have you heard of neurobics? For now, get acquainted with this section of mental hygiene. And with mental hygiene in general. Monotony and routine are very harmful to our brain; they literally kill our very desire for life. It is because of the routine that many factory workers become drunkards, and it is because of the routine that those who have to work on the assembly line are so unhappy. Introduce something new into your day, stop walking the same routes to work, drinking the same coffee at the same time. Start doing something stupid like why not start writing with your left hand? The development of ambidexterity (equal use of both hands) is an excellent, professionally recommended remedy for daily routine and the harmonious development of both hemispheres of the brain.

Spend more time rest. It also needs to be diversified. Spending every evening watching TV shows is not a vacation, but just another extra work. In your free time, think about what you would like to do. Read materials about various types active recreation, educational articles on this topic. Even if nothing comes to mind right away, over time you will become eager to do something “like that.”

It would be nice to increase total recreation, if possible. Is this Saturday worth what you get for your overtime? Maybe try to do without it, at least for a couple of months? If you don’t like it, come back for a six-day week, but for now try to rest two days a week, because your psyche really needs it.

And only if a couple of months of all this therapy didn’t help at all, you can start looking for reasons in some objective factors. Perhaps leaving this job for a new one will indeed be a good decision for you. You certainly shouldn’t push yourself to the detriment of own health. Neither money nor career are worth it.

Syndrome emotional burnout(CMEA) – negative reaction body on prolonged stress related to the performance of professional duties. It often occurs among managers or employees holding responsible positions, but they are not the only ones at risk. SEV can also develop in a person who, due to professional duties, deals with the troubles of other people (doctors, employees social services etc.). The point here is not so much in specialization, but in a pathologically conscientious attitude towards one’s work. People who constantly strive to do everything “better than everyone else,” who exaggerate their own responsibility for the work of the whole team, and who cannot distract themselves from production problems, sooner or later become victims of burnout.

Constantly feeling tired

One of the main characteristics of a recognized workaholic is the inability to be distracted from work. After working day he continues to replay work moments in his mind, think about them, and look for ways to solve problems that have arisen. As a result good rest It doesn’t work even when a person seems to follow a sleep-wake schedule. Every day he feels more and more tired, his work efficiency decreases, which, despite his responsible attitude to his duties, only increases stress.

In this case, there is only one way to solve the problem: you need to learn to switch your brain and forget about the service for a while. In the most severe cases, patients require the help of a psychologist, but each person can do something on his own:

Outside of work, it is necessary to completely eliminate the influence of any factors that could return thoughts to professional field(do not communicate with colleagues, turn off your phone, do not go to the service page Email etc.).
Get busy active recreation related to sports or tourism (dacha work is also suitable).
Try to find a hobby that is attractive enough to take your mind off your work responsibilities. In this sense the best option is handicraft. Let's explain what was said. Professional activities of the majority modern people is collective. In ordinary life we are practically deprived of unusually strong positive emotions, which cause the creative process itself and the personal creation of an object. The choice of the type of needlework is a purely individual matter. There are many training courses, master classes, and literature that can make it easier to find a hobby and prevent a novice master from getting confused in the abundance of techniques and materials.

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Headache

A person suffering from SEV is afraid of doing something wrong, of losing control of the situation. He is constantly in tension, which provokes headaches. Unpleasant sensations usually occur at the end of the working day and cannot be eliminated with painkillers. Headache reduces the quality of night sleep and increases the feeling of fatigue.

Breathing exercises can help solve the problem. It is better to entrust the choice of a specific technique and the development of an individual exercise regimen to a doctor: the patient’s lack of awareness in such matters can lead to breathing practice will not bring the desired relief.

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Back and chest pain

Constant stress negatively affects the condition of the muscles. Burnout syndrome often manifests itself as muscle spasms in the back and chest. Obsessive pain occurs, reducing the quality of life.

In this case, to get rid of discomfort recommend special complexes breathing exercises and long-term hiking on fresh air, allowing you to relax and reduce the oppressive feeling of responsibility. Psychotherapy sessions also bring significant relief.

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The appearance of excess weight

The desire to be an eternal excellent student creates constant pressure and negative emotional background. Many people find a way out in “seizing” unpleasant sensations, which leads to an increase in excess weight. Body weight with SEV can increase without overeating. The cause is a metabolic disorder provoked by prolonged stress.

Trying to limit food intake and choose a diet for yourself in this case is useless. It is important to understand that the problem is psychological in nature and to work on solving it.

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Looking for distracting activities

With emotional burnout, a person tries to find an activity that distracts from painful thoughts. Some in such cases prefer shopping, others begin to abuse alcohol, smoke or get involved in gambling.

Facilities this kind, as a rule, do not bring relief. People suffering from SEV have a high sense of responsibility, and bad habits make them feel guilty. If a person stops enjoying even such a relatively harmless activity as shopping, this is an alarming symptom. You need to see a psychologist.

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Problems getting things done

Emotional burnout leads to decreased ability to work and problems with performing usual duties. A person stops striving to receive new information, produce creative ideas, becomes insufficiently flexible. For people holding leadership positions, such changes are fraught with a decrease in professional and social status. The realization that he has become worse at work brings considerable suffering to the perfectionist.

In such a situation, the help of a psychologist is necessary to change the patient’s value system. It is important to learn not to compare yourself with others, try to relax and stop putting responsibility on your own shoulders for what you cannot do.

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Loss of interest in life

With emotional burnout, a person experiences a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness. The triggering of the psychological defense mechanism makes him more indifferent to his work. As a result, he loses interest not only in professional activity, but also to other aspects of life. In this state, the patient may refuse the most attractive ways of relaxation: interesting tourist trips, going to the theater or exhibitions, and even communicating with loved ones.

If a person stops being interested in news (including in the professional field), entertainment, and becomes harsh with his family, he needs immediate help.

Emotional decline may occur due to problems at work. How to deal with this and what needs to be done to feel strength and taste life again?

Burnout on work is controllable

Burnout at work causes a state of discomfort and stress. Feelings of fatigue, anxiety, and dissatisfaction gradually develop into depression. It is important to find the strength to overcome this condition, to accept it as a sign to change your attitude towards problems and difficulties.

The most dangerous thing about professional burnout is stress, which reduces performance and leads to illness. Many people suffering from burnout seek solace in alcohol, drugs and gambling.

Burnout syndrome at work is typical for certain categories of people:

idealists with high demands on their duties;
individuals with low self-esteem, with a victim position, who easily take the blame;
vulnerable and touchy people;
people who don’t want to look at things realistically want to see everything in a “rosy color”.

Working with other people in the service sector, medicine, education, and creativity carries risks for the manifestation of the syndrome.

Emotional burnout occurs among workers:

medicine and emergency services;
teachers and educators;
workers in the service sector;
businessmen;
creative people - these can be actors, artists, designers.

Burnout can bring distant work- insulation and complete absence communication is an extreme and critical condition for the psyche.

Psychological stress creates a difficult moral environment in the team of employees. Every day brings new tasks and goals, the spiral of events twists, and the load on the psyche becomes unbearable.

The burnout process occurs in stages:

There is a feeling of fatigue.
Insomnia is alarming and apathy appears at work.
It's hard to concentrate on work.
Deterioration of health, decreased immunity, constant colds, exacerbation of chronic diseases. The person becomes irritated, dissatisfied, picky.
Against the backdrop of a deterioration in general well-being, the level of self-control sharply decreases. Outbursts of anger and resentment become frequent, the person is consumed by feelings of guilt and self-pity, and he withdraws into the circle of his problems.

Notice alarming symptoms possible by physical condition bodies, psycho-emotional state And social behavior in society. Deterioration in performance indicates the degree of burnout.

The burnout effect can occur in hidden form. Some people carry a feeling of dissatisfaction, fatigue, and pain for years - this undermines the health of the physical body and shortens life.

Having noticed and felt the first symptoms of burnout, you should prevent it.

To change the situation in better side, you need to evaluate the events taking place and take responsibility for your life. Instead of looking for those to blame for the current situation, we need to work to eliminate the problem. You should clearly understand that only you are responsible for what is happening to you now.

Burnout at work has obvious signs- fatigue and loss of interest in work. It is not immediately possible to understand the reason for this behavior and identify the symptoms of burnout.

hair loss, early appearance gray hair;
wrinkles, bags under the eyes, premature aging;
decreased immunity;
heart problems;
constant feeling of fatigue, drowsiness, fear, dissatisfaction, irritation;
insomnia;
lack of sexual desire;
overeating, craving for alcohol, malnutrition.

You can determine your condition by taking a test from the Internet or attending a training. Next step- this is a change in your attitude to problems at work, a change in your lifestyle, and the development of your personality.

Burnout at work: what to do

Burnout at work can happen to anyone; once you have identified it, you need to set priorities, decide what to do first, and how to change your attitude towards situations occurring at work.

If it is impossible to avoid stress, you need to learn to let it go. After all, if you accumulate it long years, it will develop into a feeling of hopelessness and disappointment, which shortens life several times.

In medicine, there is the concept of “armor of tension” - this is a state of muscle stiffness, it occurs as a response to stress. The muscles most often affected are the shoulder girdle, face, knees and hips.

The muscles are constantly tense, which means the body is working hard. Movements become constrained, tense, and vitality are depleted.

The moment a person realizes that something is going wrong in life and he is entering the stage of burnout, he needs to change his lifestyle. This will help you set priorities and get out of the crisis. There is no need to fight “bad” people, factors, problems, you need to change your attitude towards them - block them and change the situation “for yourself.”

The best recipe for dealing with stress and burnout is to rest. When planning a vacation, you should give the opportunity to relax as physical body, and consciousness.

These actions can prevent the development of burnout, become more sociable, strong and healthy:

Three hours before bedtime you need to exclude influence on your life external factors. You should spend time away from the computer and smartphone; an alternative is a walk in the fresh air for two hours. Returning to the house, you should take a shower and go to bed.
Adequate sleep restores health and fills you with strength. Drinking regime important for digestive function, immune system and brain. You should drink water consciously, immediately after waking up, try to drink every hour during the day and before going to bed.
A sedentary lifestyle is a scourge modern society. If a person spent eight hours at his workplace in a sitting position, he needs an hour physical activity. No wonder they say that movement is life.
The sooner you realize this, the longer and happier you will live. You can choose one of the ways to walk in the fresh air: fast walk, jogging, rollerblading, skiing, cycling. You need to run at a low heart rate, because the purpose of this run is to saturate the body with oxygen and relieve tension.
In nutrition, it is important to choose foods that are rich in fiber, proteins and vitamins.

To feel prepared for life, you need to constantly improve your communication skills and internal development.

To get rid of burnout you should develop the following skills:

the ability to change - your habits, routine, diet, lifestyle can always be changed if YOU need it;
To develop, you need to constantly learn, master new knowledge in order to be a popular and interesting person;
healthy lifestyle. It is important to understand that you should not expect a blow from life in the form of a severe illness, you can independently choose your diet, movement and sleep and be healthy and happy!
ability to communicate and build relationships.

Everyone can treat their body and spirit. If you wish, you can find a psychotherapist and become a participant in the training.

On November 27, 2014, a lecture was given by the famous Austrian psychotherapist, founder of modern existential analysis Alfried Längle on the topic “Emotional burnout - ashes after fireworks. Existential-analytical understanding and prevention.” We publish the text of the lecture in a slight abbreviation.

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

In these stressful times, cases of burnout syndrome are becoming more frequent. This applies not only to social professions, for which burnout syndrome was previously characteristic, but also to other professions, as well personal life person.

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 exactly what I would like to talk about today.

First, I will describe burnout syndrome and say a few words about how it can be recognized. I will then try to describe the background against which this syndrome occurs and then give short review work with burnout syndrome and show how it can be prevented.

Alfried Lenglet 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 every person has felt them at some point. We find ourselves showing signs of exhaustion if we have experienced great stress or accomplished something large-scale. For example, if we were studying for exams, working on a project, writing a dissertation, or raising two small children. It happens that work required a lot of effort, there were some crisis situations, or, for example, during a flu epidemic, doctors had to work very hard.

And then symptoms such as irritability, lack of desires, sleep disturbance(when a person cannot fall asleep, or, conversely, sleeps for a very long time), decreased motivation, the person feels mostly uncomfortable and may experience depressive symptoms.

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

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

In fact, both the body and the psyche are designed in such a way that great stress is possible - after all, people sometimes have to work a lot and achieve some big goals. For example, to rescue your family from some kind of trouble.

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

Chronic burnout

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

In 1974, Freudenberger, a New York psychiatrist, first published an article about volunteers who worked in social sphere 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 delight gradually began to decrease. And eventually they burned down to a handful of ash. All of them showed similar symptoms: emotional exhaustion, constant fatigue. Just the thought of going to work tomorrow made them feel tired. They had various bodily complaints and were often sick. This was one of a group of symptoms.

As for their feelings, they were no longer valid. What he called dehumanization had occurred. 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. Relationships with colleagues also deteriorated, a feeling of guilt arose, and a desire to get away from it all. They worked less and did everything according to a template, like robots. That is, these people were no longer able, as before, to enter into relationships and did not strive for it.

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

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

After conducting this research, Freudenberger discovered that Burnout symptoms do not correlate with the number of hours worked. Yes, the more someone works, the more their emotional strength suffers as a result. Emotional exhaustion increases in proportion to the number of hours worked, but two other groups of symptoms - productivity and dehumanization, the dehumanization of relationships - are hardly affected. A person continues to be productive for some time. This indicates that burnout has its own dynamics. It's more than just exhaustion. We will dwell on this later.

Stages of emotional burnout

Freudenberger created a scale consisting of 12 levels of burnout.

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

Then it starts careless attitude towards one's own needs. A person no longer devotes free time to himself, plays less sports, he has less time 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 retreats. We see something like a flower that is increasingly withering.

Subsequently, feelings about oneself are lost. People no longer feel themselves. They are just machines, machines, and they cannot stop. After some time, they feel an inner emptiness and, if this continues, they often become depressed.

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

One day 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 couldn’t 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: “For two days of the weekend 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 very for a long time he hid this from his wife. At 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 the outside, was he ready to do something. This is how far burnout syndrome can take you. Of course, this is an extreme example.

Emotional burnout: from enthusiasm to disgust

To more in simple words To indicate how emotional burnout manifests itself, you can resort to the description of the German psychologist Matthias Burisch. He described four stages.

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

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

On third stages, the first defensive reactions usually begin to take effect. What does a person do if demands are constantly excessive? He leaves the relationship, dehumanization occurs. This is a reaction of counteraction as a defense so that exhaustion does not become stronger. Intuitively, a person feels that he needs peace and is less supportive social relations. Those relationships that must be lived because one cannot do without them are burdened by rejection and 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 regarding the demands that are placed on him. But this is precisely what they fail to do - to avoid requests and claims.

Fourth stage- this is an intensification of what happens in the third stage, terminal stage burnout. Burish calls this “aversion syndrome.” This is a concept that means that a person no longer carries any joy within himself. There is disgust towards everything. For example, if I ate rotten fish, I vomited, and the next day I smell the fish, I feel disgusted. That is, this is a protective feeling after poisoning.

Causes of emotional burnout

When talking about reasons, there are broadly three areas.

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

The second sphere - socio-psychological, or social - is pressure from outside: various fashion trends, some social norms, demands at work, 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 can be carried out in a hidden form, and it can result in burnout.

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

So, we have identified two groups of reasons. With the first one we can work in psychological aspect, within the framework of consultation, 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, which is related to the organization of systems. If the system provides to an individual too little freedom, too little responsibility, if mobbing (bullying) occurs, then people are exposed to a lot of stress. And then, of course, a restructuring of the system is necessary. It is necessary to develop the organization differently, to introduce coaching.

Burnout: You Can't Buy Meaning

We will limit ourselves to considering the group psychological reasons. In existential analysis, we empirically established that the cause of emotional burnout is an existential vacuum. Emotional burnout can be understood as special shape existential vacuum. Viktor Frankl described the existential vacuum as suffering from a feeling of emptiness and lack of meaning.

A study conducted in Austria, during which 271 doctors were tested, showed the following results. It was found that those doctors who led meaningful lives and did not suffer from an existential vacuum experienced little burnout, even if they worked for long hours. The same doctors who were found to have relatively high level existential vacuum in their work, demonstrated high performance burnout, even if they worked fewer hours.

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

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, love from others, then it is a false or apparent meaning. It costs us a lot of energy and causes stress. And as a result, we have a lack of fulfillment. Then we experience devastation - even when we relax.

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

To summarize, we can say the following: burnout is the final state that occurs as a result of continuing to create something without experiencing the aspect of fulfillment. That is, if I experience meaning in what I do, if I feel that what I do is good, interesting and important, if I enjoy it and want to do it, then burnout does not occur. But these feelings should not be confused with inspiration. Enthusiasm is not necessarily associated with performance - it is a more hidden, 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 how concerned am I with this? If I cannot give my heart to what I do, if I am not interested in it, I do it for some other reason, then in a sense we are lying.

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 rewards for it there. It's not about money. Yes, of course, I can earn money, but I personally do not receive any compensation. If I am not present with my heart in something, but use what I do as a means to an end, 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’t refuse and somehow resist it. Thus, we may be tempted to make some choices that will then lead us to burnout. If it only happens once, then maybe it's not so bad. But if this goes on for years, then I'm just passing by with my life. What am I giving myself to?

And here, by the way, it may be extremely important that I experience burnout syndrome. Because I probably cannot stop the direction of my movement myself. I need that wall that I will face, some kind of push from within, so that I simply cannot continue to move and reconsider my actions.

The money example is probably the most superficial. The motives may be much deeper. For example, I may want recognition. I need praise from someone else. If these narcissistic needs are not met, I become anxious. 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 maybe I myself don’t realize that I have such needs.

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

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

In order for people to be willing to follow such an apparent, false motivation for a long time, there must be a lack of something behind their behavior, a mentally felt deficit, some kind of misfortune. This deficiency leads a person to self-exploitation.

The value of life

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

How do I understand my life? Based on this, I can develop my goals by 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 sets goals for himself that he wants to follow.

This is completely normal. Which of 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, frozen behavior. Then we do our best to achieve our goal. And everything we do becomes a means to an end. And this does not carry its own value, but only represents a useful value.

“It’s so good that I will play the violin!” is living your own value. But if I want to be the first violin at a concert, then, while playing some piece, I will constantly compare myself with others. I know that I still need to practice, play and play to achieve my goal. That is, my goal orientation predominates due to my value orientation. Thus, a deficit of internal attitude arises. I do something, but there is no inner life in what I do. And then my life loses its vital value. I destroy myself internal contents for the sake of achieving goals.

And when a person neglects the intrinsic value of things in this way, and does not pay enough attention to this, an underestimation of the value of his own life occurs. 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 inconsistency with oneself. And with such inattention 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 arrive at a state of pre-depression.

This also happens when we do too many things, just for the sake of doing them. For example, I cook dinner just so that it is ready as quickly as possible. And then I’m glad when it’s already over, done. But if we are happy that something has already passed, this is an indicator that we did not see the value in what we are doing. And if it doesn’t have value, then I can’t say that I like doing it, that it’s important to me.

If we have too many of these elements in our lives, then we are essentially happy to let life pass us by. So we like death, destruction. If I simply carry out something, it is not life - it is functioning. But we shouldn’t, we don’t have the right to function too much - we must make sure that in everything we do, we live, feel life. So that she doesn't pass us by.

Burnout is such a mental account, which we are exposed to for a long alienated relationship with life. This is the life that is not truly mine.

Anyone who spends more than half the time doing things that he does reluctantly, does not give his heart to, and does not experience joy in doing so, should sooner or later expect to experience burnout syndrome. Then I'm in danger. Wherever I feel an inner agreement in my heart about what I am doing and feel, there I am protected from burnout.

Preventing emotional burnout

How can you work with burnout syndrome and how can you prevent it? Much can be solved on its own if a person understands what causes burnout syndrome. If you understand this about yourself or about your friends, then you can start solving this problem, talk to yourself or your friends about it. Should I continue to live this way?

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

Then I remembered about burnout syndrome. And I said to myself: I probably need more time, and my desire will surely return. And I allowed myself to observe. After all, the desire came every year. But that year it did not arrive, 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 treat this - as bad or as good? It turns out that I couldn’t, it was a failure. Then I told 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 was a lot to do, the whole academic year was very busy.

Here, of course, I had an internal struggle. I really thought and reflected on what is important in my life. As a result, I doubted whether the book written was so important matter in my life. It is much more important to live something, to be here, to experience valuable relationships - 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, working with burnout syndrome begins with unloading. You can reduce time pressure, delegate something, share responsibility, set realistic goals, critically examine the expectations you have. This is a big topic for discussion. Here we really come across very deep structures of existence. Here we're talking about about our position in relation to life, about ensuring that our attitudes are authentic and correspond to us.

If burnout syndrome has a much more pronounced form, you need to take sick leave, physically rest, see a doctor; for milder disorders, treatment in a sanatorium is useful. Or just arrange good time for yourself, to live in a state of unloading.

But the problem is that many people with burnout syndrome cannot resolve it. Or a person goes on sick leave, but continues to make excessive demands on himself - thus he cannot get out of stress. People suffer from remorse. And in a state of illness, burnout intensifies.

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

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

You can prevent burnout 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 this of value to me?

2. Do I like doing what I do? Do I love doing this? Do I feel like this is good? So good that I do it willingly? Does what I do bring me joy? It may not always be this way, but a feeling of joy and satisfaction should prevail.

Ultimately, I may ask another, larger question: Is this what I want to live for? If I'm lying on my deathbed and I look back, do I want it to be that I lived for it?

When a person takes on too many responsibilities, strives for ideals in work and relationships, and at the same time experiences constant stress, his strength may be depleted. Then he begins to feel inferior, loses interest in everything that happens around him, becomes lethargic and apathetic. Symptoms such as irritability, anger, depression, and a 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, family is almost destroyed, there is no desire to do anything... What is this?

Psychologists call similar condition emotional (or professional) burnout. Speaking scientific language, emotional 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 responsibilities at home and at work, a feeling of one’s own failure and incompetence in the profession.

The Pursuit of Happyness

On CT scans of people exposed to long-term stressors, large white spaces may be seen where brain tissue would normally be. Nightmare? Probably evolution.

The problem is that humans were not designed to live at the fast pace of the 21st century. The body simply does not have a huge reserve of ability to withstand chronic stress. And why were they needed before? Even in the Middle Ages, rarely anyone lived to be 35 years old. This is probably why we resist stress well when we are young. But our “protective system” is not designed for a longer period.

IN last years Even the beloved American dream is crumbling, and those who strived for it are thrown to the margins of life. People become disillusioned and their anger and resentment turn into self-destructive behavior. “Burn everything with fire! Life has failed, and I’m giving up trying!” - 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.

Cure for stress

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

1. Admit you are facing difficulties.

Don't beat yourself up. Recognizing the problem means half winning the battle. Sometimes we think that everything is our fault. But let me point out: modern world sometimes makes too high demands on everyone, so it’s normal to burn out.

2. Ask your loved ones for help

3. Regain your hope

Relax - you won't become rich by age 40, and Prince Charming has a boyfriend. That's it, the fight is over. You set the bar too high and worked too hard. But life is not over there: the goal was simply unrealistic.

4. Find an outlet

Whatever way you choose to deal with the vicious circle of stress, there is always a chance to break it. Meditation, physical education, changing views, 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 something else more likely - good attracts good.

5. Develop awareness

Try to monitor 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

Do you want to take a sedative or get drunk at the nearest bar? Don't give in to your immediate desires! Wait 10-15 minutes, and then think again - do you need it?

Before you argue with your boss or be rude to your family, step aside and calm down. You will certainly regret your rash action. It's better to warn him!

7. Play sports

Movement changes thoughts. Make it a rule to go to the gym twice a week, swim or run. Ride horses, walk, play tennis - anything to take your mind off bad thoughts.

Instead of a conclusion

And one last thing. When you really can't bear it, develop an escape plan. Take a long-term vacation or look for another job altogether. Go on a trip or talk to your family about moving to another city. Just remember: “This too shall pass.”

Based on materials from the book “The Psychology of Bad Habits” by Richard O’Connor

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