Coming to the office, you feel irritation and exhaustion from the very morning:
Do not turn on the computer before you repeat mentally three times with a zombifying voice: "I love my job"? Well, then, welcome to the club. Since the beginning of the recession, he has ceased to be closed, on the contrary, subscriptions do not have time to be printed, and the number of places began to be indicated by a horizontal figure-eight. Irony is almost the only thing that remains for those who have faced the syndrome of professional burnout - a phenomenon that can turn upside down all his life. Sooner or later we are approaching the conventional Maginot line, after which we must part with the comfort zone. And no laziness or modesty will not prevent you from stepping over the line. Simply because it is simply impossible to be in a state of dissatisfaction for a long time. Burning out, a person suffers from chronic fatigue and complete indifference to working activity. And for the weekend strength and enthusiasm are not restored. But the most painful thing in this situation is a sense of own insolvency and the fear that you are losing your skills. Bad relations with bosses and colleagues, routine work, the absence of visible changes for a long time - increasing salaries or moving up the career ladder. Even if for the time being you are only burning with enthusiasm for your business, you remain in the office in the evenings without objections and work perpetually on weekends, this does not mean that it will always be like this. The danger lies in the stage of achieving the goal, when the coveted post flaunts on your business card, and you yourself sit in a new leather chief's chair. Sudden fading at first seems as inexplicable as peat fires, but it quickly attacks consciousness and soon begins to be perceived as a reality. The trouble is that during the sprint race on the way to achieving the desired position, work can become a drug - first to become addictive, then to demand an increase in the dose, and later simply to stop bringing the usual habitual buzz. But do not assume that professional burnout is the destiny of well-tied to your workplace and schedule.
External reasons for "firing a fire" can be a lot:
Work should not become the center of heavy interests, eclipsing the rest of the world of people. This syndrome is also affected by "flyers", changing the employer every year at the first signs of stagnation. Jumping from one office to another like squirrels from branch to branch, they suddenly realize that, despite the constant drive of searching and getting used to a new place, their motivation evaporates. At this first stage of burnout, a person is inclined to ask himself philosophical questions: what is the meaning of my work on a global scale, is it getting better from the world and changing my personality for the better? By the time when the worker is tired of reflections on the topic "who am I and where I am going", the second phase comes - detachment. Have you ever felt in the midst of a busy workshop that you seem to be watching all this from the side? These are signs of an impending "overheating". The third stage is leveling and cynicism. The point of no return, from which it is no longer possible to find the return road: criticism of the authorities, caustic remarks about colleagues and subversive activities with respect to team spirit. All this in the end so poisons the life of the "Mr. Prosecutor" himself, that no possible proposals from the employer will be able to keep him in place. But why do we destroy our own careers with our own hands?
According to experts, one of the reasons for the misfortune is the discrepancy between the principles of work and personal attitudes of the person. The more this chasm - the higher the risk of "burn out". In fact, it does not matter what happens objectively at your work - you should subjectively feel that you are growing and developing. Otherwise, problems begin. Plus, to all of us, even those who say that they work exclusively for the sake of money, it is very important to feel the importance of their work and its relationship with personal development. This is a deep need, requiring compulsory satisfaction. It can be said that nature itself in man has a desire to realize its belonging to something larger, significant - it inspires and gives strength. And if the work tasks sincerely seem stupid and superficial, then no matter how much you disguise your attitude to what is happening, there will still be a feeling inside inside that the effort does not cost the donut hole. Accordingly, not believing truly what a person does, he will not be able to do this for a long time. After all, a career, as well as a relationship, implies constant emotional investments, dedication and the desire to introduce something new into the routine.
The wind of change
In an ideal world (more precisely, in the reality of large Western corporations) care about preserving, if not falling in love, the employee's loyalty to his company and activities is the task of the employer. For example, in Google, as part of the motivation program, the "twenty percent" rule works - employees can spend exactly as much time on their own (except for a lunch break), using all of the company's resources if desired. Motivation programs include the development of the head of small goals for subordinates, upon the achievement of which they are given prizes or organize a lavish party. The emphasis here is not so much on the work done, but on the fact that a person feels that it is important for the firm and its activities are encouraged. The most effective prophylaxis of professional burnout is the Sabbatical (English sabbatical) - an academic vacation of a year's duration with preservation of the workplace, which is sometimes paid for. As a rule, it is provided to employees who have worked in the organization for more than five years. Europeans and Americans taking a sabbatical try to spend it on travel or to move for the entire period to another country. One can only imagine how much this experience can recharge energy and make it look at work from a different angle! Unfortunately, in Ukraine, it is only to dream of implementing this practice. And, proceeding from the fact that the salvation of drowning people still remains the work of the drowning themselves, to be reborn from the ashes, if you are "burnt out", will have to do it yourself. Essential assistance in this process can be understood by the fact that professional burnout is a signal that a person is ripe for change. The burnout trigger triggers a delayed-action bomb at the moment when we stop seeing the further (let even approximate) motion vector and begin to live by inertia. A clear vision of the future and the availability of specific goals acts on the "virus" as a disinfector. That's only to observe the crystal hygiene of thinking, you need to make great efforts to maintain a balance between career and private life. Work quite unnoticed becomes the center of gravity of interests, eclipsing the rest of the world. More precisely, narrowing it down to the size of the office. And professional burnout - just the right call, calling to wake up and start acting; informing that there was a skew. Decrypting this message, you can direct the events in the right direction. And if it seems to you that you are stuck in one place, it is useful to remember that stopping is also part of the way.
How to return the former fervor
Look for pros
As you know, the most painless way to change the situation is to change your attitude towards it. Whether you are at the steepest peak of professional burnout or have never faced it - get in the habit of celebrating the positive aspects of your work. For example, insurance, convenient location of the office, regular salary payments, unlimited access to the Internet, parking and even a pleasant team. Believe me, most do not have this! Focus on what you are fortunate.
Make time for yourself
Work can not or, at least, should not be the main sphere of life. And if this happens, then there is a violation of the balance, which inevitably leads to burnout. In order not to turn into a person who, when meeting in an informal atmosphere immediately after his name, calls a position, diversify leisure as much as possible.
Sign up for courses
The best prevention of burnout - a condition in which it seems that you are doomed to a monotonous boring activity - is to go to school. It does not matter what - a new language, dance, drawing. The main thing is that the learning process helps to feel the versatility of the world, especially when you have reached the sensation that your life is limited only by work.
Make a plan
Think about what you want - not only in your career, but in life in general. How and where do you see yourself in 10 years? And in 5? Such reasoning will help to understand in which direction to move and what changes to initiate in order to achieve the desired lifestyle.