How to know when if you are burned out at work

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Falling asleep are your desk

If work isn’t what it used to be and you’re dreading going in every morning, then you might be burned out. It isn’t something that just happens to workaholics, it can happen to anyone. For many reasons, but picking up the feeling and addressing it, is the only way to get your work energy back. If you don’t and you carry on being burnt out, you will find that your work quality will slip and you might be leaving yourself open for injuries in the workplace.

So if you are feeling a little down in the dumps about work or you are simply dreading going in, then maybe you should consider that you are in fact burnt out. One of the main signs of being burnt out is lack of concentration. Which means that whatever task you try to undertake will not be done to the same standard, that it might if you were giving it your all.

This isn’t your fault though, when your brain is burnt out, it will avoid the thing that is causing it with everything it’s got. This doesn’t mean though that your boss will be happy with the standards slipping. You might also find yourself feeling really tired all the time. This is because your brain needs a rest. It can’t cope with the load of work you are giving it and it’s getting tired out. You will feel sluggish and uncoordinated. If you are working with heavy machinery, or around it, then it’s time to take some time off. You could end up hurting yourself or someone around you.

Finding a healthy balanceIf time off isn’t an option then you need to get a really good nights rest. If you are also finding that all your work is being done, without you really thinking about it, then you might want to consider a break. Even if it’s just for ten minutes. If you have let your brain go into auto pilot, it means you are switching off from your tasks. You need to address this. Sometimes it’s because you have burned yourself out, but sometimes it can be because you just don’t enjoy your job anymore. Either way you need to know.

If you haven’t taken a day off work in over two weeks, then you are at risk of burning yourself out. Long stretches of work without a break can overwhelm your body and brain. Leaving it useless for the actual job it is trying to do. You brain needs a steady flow of different activities to keep it healthy and happy. If it is burdened with the same tasks day in day out it gets strained. Even if you do not think you can afford a day off, you need to find a way for your health and well being’s sake if nothing else.

The main signs of being burnt out are these:

  • If you find it hard to concentrate.
  • If you always feel tired at work.
  • If the idea of work makes you feel dread.
  • If you can’t get your head around the work that you are doing.
  • If you feel yourself feeling this way, then you can’t just ignore it.

You have to address the issue before it becomes a risk to your health and happiness.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paula-davislaack/job-burnout_b_3530660.html