We all experience stress on the job. There are some days that nothing goes right and we can’t wait till the weekend. These experiences often pass and life brings us a “new day” with renewed energy. What we know as “burnout”, keeps us feeling like that “new day” may never come and if it does we have no energy left to experience it. Researchers define burnout as a syndrome that is more of a chronic condition with the following features:
Emotional exhaustion – growing sensation of having nothing left emotionally for outside activities as a result of intense job responsibilities.
Depersonalization – the tendency to treat co-workers, clients, or family members as objects, not as people.
Lowered personal productivity – working harder and harder with less productivity to show for it. Commonly called: “hitting the wall.”
When we experience “burnout”, symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression often become apparent. To assess if you may be at risk for burnout, take the following self-assessment inventory:
JOB BURNOUT INVENTORY
How true are the following statements
(rarely true) 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 (usually true)
_______Lately, others have told me that I am insensitive
_______I often blame others when I have poor job performance
_______I can’t concentrate at my job like I used to
_______Most days I wake up not wanting go to work
_______I am unclear about the responsibilities of my job
_______I feel that there is a lack of communication between me and my superiors
_______I often do not get along with my co-workers
_______Sometimes I must compromise my values at my job
_______My workload is overwhelming
_______I feel that I need to accomplish every task with 100% accuracy
_______I push myself harder at my job even at the expense of my health suffering
_______My work is not challenging
_______I have a “why bother” attitude about my job
_______I still get tired even when I’ve gotten adequate sleep
_______I get irritable for no apparent reason
_______I have problems staying focused
_______I get sick (i.e.; migraine headache, stomach problems) more often then I used to
_______My friends tell me that I look depressed
_______I have thought a lot about looking for another job
_______I see no future in my present job
_______I rarely make time to exercise / work-out
_______I find myself using either drugs, gambling, or shopping, to cope with job stress
_______When I come home from work I always feel emotionally drained
_______I feel that I am working harder but getting fewer things done
_______I feel trapped in my job with no options
___________TOTAL SCORE
This scoring index should be used to suggest your risk for burnout.
25-50 = Low
51-75 = Moderate
76-100 = High
101-125 = Severe
If you have scored more than 70 you may want to call REACH to find ways to effectively treat burnout. Assistance is available!