Is your Work Causing you to Suffer from Burnout?

Written by Dr Lisa Alfrey for Doctify

Its the end of the week. You’re excited for the weekend but half of you just wants to crawl under the covers and never come out again. Or perhaps you’re one of those Instagram influencers that keep popping up on our newsfeeds and you’re currently in Bali drinking Flat Tummy Tea, sprawled out on a flamingo floatie and seem to be having the time of your life. Whichever one you are, you could still be experiencing burnout.

Here to explain exactly what this term actually involves is Psychologist, Dr Lisa Alfrey.

So, what is burnout?

Over the years, many people have tried to define the phenomenon of ‘burnout’.

However you choose to define the phenomenon, it is becoming more and more common in today’s society. Burnout has been described as a loss, whether it is a loss of meaning, a loss of physical energy or a loss of coping.

What areas of life tend to trigger it?

We spend roughly 90,000 hours at work in our lifetimes. If we struggle to find meaning in that work, we often feel demoralised in our lives as a whole. With the ever growing pressures and the struggle to maintain a certain level of professional stability, it seems pretty certain that the phenomenon of ‘burnout’ is a relevant topic in today’s working culture.

What are some of the warning signs?

Many of the factors that contribute to workplace burnout are often long term and ongoing. If you’re suffering from it, you can experience frustration, along with questions about the meaning of your work. You could also experience disappointment at not achieving your goals.

However, it is important to see that the meaning of an experience is deeply rooted in our own perception and how we deal with what is happening.

How can seeing a psychologist help?

Within the therapeutic relationship, we can explore how we see the phenomenon of burnout and the impact that it can have on our lives.

The impact can vary from the emotional side (i.e. feeling disconnected from others and ‘in a fog’) to the physical side (i.e feeling tired and digestive problems). This phenomenon not only has an impact on ourselves but how we relate to others around us. If we are struggling to connect to our work, what kind of impact is it having on our personal relationships?

Counselling can be a safe and non judgmental way of exploring what has lead up to the burnout, the burnout itself and how to manage these feelings.

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