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source?
I’m getting kid of tired of infographics with absolutely zero mention of the source, the reasoning, etc.
This seems mostly legit, but who knows?
I had the exact same concern. Where’s the support for these ideas?
Ended up Googling it for awhile today and got linked to a podcast that had some decent practical tips for reducing burnout (towards the end of the podcast)
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-be-a-better-human/id1544098624?i=1000601831170
Beyond that, though, burnout seems kind of vague and much of the content around it is either worker-focused (you’re burned out because you don’t believe in what you’re doing for a living) or employer-focused (you should be watching out for signs of burnout in your workforce because it hurts productivity).
The best things I found basically recommended having strong boundaries in place to make sure your work and personal life don’t blend.
¯_(ツ)_/¯
I had the same feeling. In terms of contents, the examples seem to be fashioned after the Maslach Burnout Inventory but their description is a sometimes off and would fit depression better than burnout (which overlap, but the latter is work-specific). The MBI is also much more extensive and requires a more nuanced response to each example (not just yes/no).
Generally, you should never interpret these graphics as some kind of diagnosis. An actual diagnosis requires a trained therapist, who may use tools like the MBI to help with this but not as the sole foundation of the diagnosis.
Edit: The danger with these kinds of infographics is that they’re simplified so much that basically anyone can recognize themselves in them. Most people feel at least some of these things occasionally. That’s normal and doesn’t automatically mean you’re suffering from burnout.
According to this I had burnout in kindergarten.
If you find yourself as an adult acting like a toddler, you might have a problem.
Exactly. Normal adults look back on their childhood years with envy.
Meanwhile, who can’t highlight the text properly before applying bold?! This world is fucked.
Your parents should not have let you in social media in kindergarten
We only had TV back then. But the moral panic was exactly the same.
Anyone else find it irritating that only half of the word “highly” is in bold?
I saw it immediately and my brain was like “the lack of attention to detail completely invalidates this entire thing.”
Then I had to slap my brain and tell it to shut up.
Irritable, you say? 🤔
Damn I like this gif. What keyword did you use to get this out?
Funnily, it was just a top result for “star trek”.
Same. But I’m not cynical, just disappointed, so I’m ok?
So what if we’ve been feeling like this for as long as we can remember? How long can you burn without going out?
For me it was 52 years. Or 14 if you count the day my first child was born, which in turn put enough stressors on me to burn out and not to read or answer any mail (bills & taxes) and go bankrupt in 2018.
I am on the way out, defend free time like nothing else, but still can feel stress reactions in my body.
I’ma take my complaint in a different direction even though the other comments make really good points. Wtf do I do now? This gives me no indication of what I should do once I recognize I’m burnt out.
These are incredibly broad. There are like 9 different things with equally broad sub points. It would be more concerning if any of you read this and thought “nope, literally none of this applies to me.”
If you need help talk to a therapist, of course do it. If you can roll back some obligations to reduce stress then do it! But don’t let this post spook you. Take care of yourselves, definitely avoid burnout where possible, and have a good weekend!
so all of life. I was gonna say I don’t do social media but woops im here.
You just described my last 2 jobs before I quit and became much happier even tho I was unemployed.
Work is stupid. We should be working 20 hours weeks and fucking around the rest of the time. Everyone would be so much happier.
Or maybe everyone with ADHD (and, this, 80 gagillion hobbies)
Having both an extremely enjoyable and fulfilling job, as well as having a long sabbatical that same year, fucking around can honestly get boring real fast.
All those ADHD traits pile up real fast and I honestly felt worse day-to-day than I did working absurd hours at a job I really like. There’s a balance, but honestly having fulfilling structured work to fill at least part of the day is super important. I’ve personally noticed that I tend to go a bit batty even if work is slow and I’ve not got much to do, so having that bit of structure really helps.
Fair point. I am actually concerned about just bouncing around aimlessly when I retire. I know that will not go well.
What you’re talking about sounds like what I had in mind. Structure for at least part of the day. Every day.
I also need to have specific goals laid out. I’m starting to make a master list of post retirement goals. I imagine having one big long term project and a few short term ones would work as long as I keep to a rough timeline on each.
Back when I had a better work schedule I usually had one or two small projects or else one big project going at any time and was able to stick to them.
I’m also thinking that taking a class or doing a part time job (or volunteering) would be a good idea. And another option is switch to part time at my current job. I know a few who have.
Reduce my hours to ~30 and I’d get the same amount of work done in that time.
Ok how do I fix it?
I’m medicated but still very prone to burnout, and currently burned to a crisp.
I saw this post and realized I’m going through this.
So this response is for me. You can take and modify it to fit your needs. I’m rooting for you.
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Outline what you do at work and see what can be offloaded, dropped, given to someone else.
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Make some if-thens. (Google up implementation Intentions)
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Return to personal hobbies. Oddly enough, I actually have to carve time out.
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Find ways to spend more time outside of your work environment. Bonus if you can take your work with you. Going on a walk while catching up on a work recording, or going to the park and cleaning out your emails, or have a meeting in a coffee shop.
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This one is the biggest for me: I find myself frequently scrolling through news/social media. This habit of seeking instant distraction can be more mentally draining than recharging. Replacing this behavior with a healthier hobby would be more beneficial for my overall well-being.
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Only answer is: Take it easier. Burnout is no joke. If you’re already burnt out, you might need months or more to relax enough to get some passion back.
Hm. I have one vacation day left after being sick. Won’t get more until next week. Work 10 hour days 4 days a week and the too exhausted to relax most of the remaining 3.
What if… Hear me out… What if I were to be, idk, run over by a bus and hospitalized for a month? /s
Take it easier.
How?
you might need months or more to relax enough to get some passion back
You paying my bills?
I understand the difficulty, but let’s put it this way. If you truly are moving towards burnout, either you’ll figure out a way to take it easier or eventually your own brain will make you.
Yeah, I had to learn the hard way that I needed to enforce boundaries like a strict bedtime and one day a week where I do absolutely nothing productive (even socialize) or my body/brain would enforce those boundaries at a time of their choosing instead of mine. I’d rather do nothing on Sundays with little consequence than have a mental breakdown on a Tuesday that lasts days and suffer bigger consequences.
He isn’t dismissing how difficult your situation is. He is just saying the only solution to burnout is to stop doing the thing that is burning you out, i.e. take it easier. Whether or not that is within your power is a different story.
It starts with working within the contract. If it says you have with hours until 17h, stop at 17h. Whatever happens at work after that is not your problem. Most people don’t have shares so it doesn’t matter personally. Overtime earns some cash but in my case has a lot of tax, and costs you more in mental health in the long term.
But that’s me.
I’m there, bro. But I live making that money
It’d be one thing if I was making money. But this job is hostile to my income, it seems like sometimes.
so basically, living in an imperialist capitalist society and being aware of it is burnout?
Nah, it’s fine. I’m only experiencing all of those signs.
my entire life be like
