Burnout

Have you ever had days where you felt a loss of motivation or emotional depletion? You may have been experiencing burnout. The concept of “burnout” was first brought up in the 1970s by Herbert Freudenberger. It is now officially recognized by the World Health Organization as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. Some common sources of burnout include lack of control, work-life balance, unclear expectations, and the list goes on. Any of these can bring with them unhealthy consequences including, lack of sleep, stress, high emotions, and even illness.
In previous positions, I have personally felt this sense of burnout due to unclear expectations. When I experienced these feelings, I became overly stressed and frustrated. I did my best to try to meet what I thought were the expectations, but in reality, I was clueless as to what they actually were. This only increased my workload and compounded the feeling of burnout. In retrospect, I should have taken the time and talked to my Director to find out exactly what her expectations were.
Some tips you can follow to prevent a burnout:

1. Take control, and manage your time
2. Find a creative outlet
3. Delegate where it is appropriate
4. Practice Mindfulness
5. Build your social support

Try to recognize your feeling of a burnout before it’s too late!

-Kayla

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