At some point we all question do I simply need a break from my work or am I dealing with job burnout? Maybe you haven’t taken a proper vacation in years. Or perhaps you just need to take some time to figure out if you want to move on in your career path. If you feel like you had enough and need to move in another direction, here are a few helpful tips for what to do if you are experiencing signs of job burnout from identifying the signs to self care.
Signs of Job Burnout
Is it a struggle to get out of bed to go to work, do you hate your job?
Do you question the importance of your role?
On Sundays, do you have difficulty sleeping because you dread going back to work on Monday?
Are you losing patience with people at work? Is it spilling over to your home life?
These may be signs of job burnout or they may be symptoms of a different health condition. You may want to consider speaking with your health care professional about this.
Talk With Someone about your Job Burnout
You can either speak with a career coach or a respected friend to help you determine if you are ready to move on from your job, in addition to possibly speaking with a health care professional about possible health conditions. Although you likely don’t want to lay all your cards on the table, you can consider talking to your boss about other internal opportunities if you work for a company that promotes internal movement. Maybe you don’t necessarily have to leave your organization but find a new challenge.
Cause of Job Burnout
Lack of autonomy can impact job satisfaction and confidence in your role. You may feel like leadership is not confident in your abilities or they don’t give you the level of control to perform at your best. There may just be too much to do and you feel you are being set up for failure. There is only so much one person can do. Your relationship with your boss can definitely be a factor if you don’t feel as if you are supported, you are struggling because you don’t have clear direction or you are overwhelmed. There are other factors that can lead to job burnout as well.
Self Care
Are you taking care of yourself? I hear clients tell me I work until midnight and I just can’t keep doing it. The question you should ask is “Why am I working until midnight?” Is that really what your company requires from you or are you just putting too much pressure on yourself? Have you told your boss you are working until midnight? It just seems excessive to me. I have worked at multiple Fortune 500 companies in leadership roles. If I had to work until midnight every night, I would have to assess the situation because there is something clearly wrong with this picture. You can’t possibly be practicing self care. Isn’t there anyone you can delegate some of this work to? How can you work more efficiently if possible? It is a matter of developing a strategy and that may involve asking for help. Most managers want to do the right thing. Ask for help if you need it.
If you have already decided on a career pivot, it is time to go, then plan out a thoughtful exit strategy and make sure you have a standout resume in this competitive job market.