Or maybe you’re experiencing it right now.
Workplace Burnout is a horrible thing to have – and it is an official thing, recognised by the WHO as an ‘occupational phenomenon’, and described as:
- feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
- reduced professional efficacy.
So if you’re always exhausted, you are absolutely fed up of your job, and you’ve started doing badly at work, you might have workplace burnout. People around you might have noticed that you aren’t interested in work anymore, or conversely, that you complain about it all the time. You’ll know that you aren’t feeling how you normally do, and life isn’t as good as it normally is.
I am reminded of when I had workplace burnout in one of my previous careers. I had no energy, I dreaded going to work, and I was much more tearful and irritable than normal. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what. I went to my GP, who was very kind, and asked if I’d like her to request some time off work for me. I said I didn’t want time off work, but that I wasn’t sure how I would know if I needed time off work. She told me that I would know. And a few days later, I just couldn’t get out of house to go to work because I was crying so much. Looking back on this, I wish I had taken a break from work sooner, I think I felt bad and burnt out for longer than I needed to. It was a horrible experience – but with the help of some time to rest and recover, plus of course some therapy (that I got free through my work), I was able to feel good again, and to return to work. I made some changes – I was stricter with myself about taking breaks, leaving on time and working on my life outside work. And I learnt to be kinder to myself, a lesson that has served me well ever since.
Sometimes it’s hard to acknowledge or recognise burnout, and this is especially likely if you are angry with something or someone at work, or are experiencing injustice. It can be hard to untangle any legitimate feelings of anger from the longer lasting experience of burnout – and sometimes the two come together.
You might have a very good idea of why you are experiencing burnout – maybe you have been working too many hours, or have little or no control over what happens at your work. Maybe your job hasn’t been clear to you, or easy, or well enough resourced. Maybe it feels like no one appreciates what you do, or you are under constant high pressure – you may well already know what’s been making you feel so bad. Any or all of these can contribute to burnout.
If you are neurodivergent, you might be at higher risk of workplace burnout – through no fault of your own. This is because the way your work and workplace is organised might well be in a way that suits you, so you are working extra hard all the time.
Seeing a therapist to talk about your burnout can be very helpful. Sometimes just having a place to be free to talk about what it’s like for you can help you feel better straight away. You and your therapist can work out what has contributed to the burnout, and if you like, you can work together on a plan for what to do next. You might also want to go deeper, and talk through anything about you specifically that might make you more vulnerable to burnout. This might be something like being the sort of person who wants to achieve perfection, or being someone who wants everyone else to be happy, no matter what it costs you.
Here’s more information about burnout, from Mental Health UK:
https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/
If you’d like to arrange a session or an initial meeting with me, to help with your burnout, please get in touch.