learn the warning signs and tips to avoid burnout

What is the burnout ?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout (the burnout) as “a feeling of intense fatigue, loss of control and inability to achieve concrete results at work”.

Resulting from chronic stress at work, the burnout can be the result of different factors, whether professional, relational, school or even family. In addition, its manifestations can be physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral, among others. What are the warning signs and how to prevent burnout? Ici Paris presents a non-exhaustive list of 10 warning signs and 10 tips to avoid burnout.

Did you know ? Although certain individual factors may predispose to this disorder, the burnout can affect any employee, without distinction of branch of activity, responsibilities or gender. In France, almost four out of ten employees are in psychological distress (Source: Empreinte Humaine/OpinionWay survey in October 2021)

10 signals that should alert you

If you are experiencing more than one of these symptoms, you are probably experiencing burnout. Here is a selection of warning signs, to help you recognize them and act for your personal and professional well-being.

1. You are frequently stressed and tired, even after the weekend or a vacation period;
2. You experience sleep disorders or eating disorders;
3. You face memory, attention and concentration problems;
4. You can no longer find time for yourself and your loved ones;
5. You are no longer motivated to carry out your missions or your personal activities;
6. You are in a state of emotional exhaustion;
7. You have lost confidence in yourself and your skills;
8. You may have a lot of questions and ruminate;
9. You suffer from palpitations, tachycardia or other heart rhythm problems;
10. You frequently have skin problems or headaches, stomach aches or backaches;

Attention : the diagnosis of burnout is difficult to make. The symptoms mentioned above are variable depending on the individual and are not all synonymous with burnout. We therefore advise you to call on a psychologist or your doctor to obtain expert advice based on your personal situation. Know in any case that this situation is not final and that we can get out of this bad patch, with patience and support. There is always time to act!

10 tips to prevent burnout

Several measures can help prevent burnout:

1. Do a to do list tasks to be done in order of priority to avoid being overloaded and follow the progress of your files in real time;
2. Do not hesitate to delegate certain missions to your colleagues to adopt a less consequent pace of work;
3. Learn to say “no” when you feel a new workload is too heavy;
4. Don’t compare yourself to your colleagues;
5. Listen to your body and your emotions;
6. Put into perspective and frequently perform relaxation exercises to deal with unforeseen professional events;
7. Do not check your work email on holidays or weekends;
8. Avoid social isolation and practice activities to get away from it all;
9. Recognize the situations and events that stress you out to try to avoid them or approach them differently;
10. Talk about it around you, to your loved ones or to people you trust within your company;

More information here

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