Off-days at work are completely normal. There are days when you function like a well-oiled machine, and others when it takes too much energy to perform even the simplest of tasks.
Ask yourself: Do you find that you have to drag yourself to work and you have trouble getting started once you arrive? Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive? Do you feel unmotivated or dissatisfied with your accomplishments? Do you feel disillusioned about your job? Have your sleep habits or appetite changed?
I don’t need to tell you that if any of these situations ring any bells to you, it’s time for a career check. You might be feeling burnt out.
Burnout: The Epidemic of the Modern Workplace
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you unmotivated and uninterested.
Job burnout is caused by various factors: being unable to influence decisions that could affect your job, unclear job expectations, dysfunctional office dynamics, poor fit between your role and interests and skills, monotony at work, or work-life imbalance.
If you’re feeling tired all the time, but you can still carry out your tasks properly, then you might be experiencing burnout. When you feel you’re not making progress and you feel that the work you do doesn’t matter, that’s when it’s time for a conversation with your boss.
Ways to completely avoid burnout:
1. Go for one thing at a time.
Contrary to popular belief, multitasking is counter-productive. Sometimes trying to focus on too many things all at once saps your momentum. It can also lessen the quality of your work output.
You’re not a robot. Take some time off to give yourself physical and mental breaks especially if your job involves repetitive tasks.
3. Identify the source of burnout.
Find out why you’re feeling exhausted at work and try to fix them. Discuss concerns involving your role with your supervisor.
A clear indicator of burnout is not deriving any satisfaction from your achievements. Celebrate your wins, regardless of whether they’re as big as a promotion, or as little as cleaning up your desk.
5. Look for better opportunities.
The reason for your prolonged stress may be because you’re in the wrong job, or you might have outgrown it. Assess if you’e still making full use of your abilities in your current job and whether it coincides with the industry that you’re thoroughly passionate about. If you think you’d be able to better contribute your skills and strengths elsewhere–in a job that you’re thoroughly interested in–then it might be time to think of better career opportunities.
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