BATTLING BURNOUT

The odds are high that burnout will strike every healthcare professional, manager, educators and other care givers at some point. Health workers -- as well as teachers, managers, ministers and others in the caring professions -- are at increased risk for the stress syndrome because of the intensity of their work and the emotional bonds they form with the people they're helping, experts say.

Most people experiencing burnout carry their jobs home with them. It's good to really care about your patients or clients needs. But if you don't know how to distance yourself at times, it will be a problem. Eventually, anyone who constantly put their patients' needs above their own will start to burn out. Remember you are only good to others, when you are good for yourself.

Generally, burnout is caused by a person's inability to relieve the physical and mental symptoms associated with unrelenting stress. It is an emotional exhaustion. It can show up as poor job performance, an impersonality with clients and lack of motivation. Health problems such as high blood pressure, insomnia, depression or addiction can also be signs of burnout. The degree of burnout and the way the syndrome manifests itself vary widely from person to person. "First-degree burnout" may include nothing more than a negativity about the workplace, while "third-degree burnout" could be so bad that the person has no interest in ever going back to work into their current work field.

WARNING SIGNS

Generally, burnout is a progressive phenomenon, signaled by subtle changes in mood. People who are on the verge of burnout take a long time regaining their energy and positive attitude about their work. For example, if it takes a week rather than a weekend away from the workplace to restore your energy, you may be burning out. Burnout level can also be measured at the beginning and end of each day. If you've always woke up in the morning looking forward to the day and now you don't, burnout may be the cause. And at the end of the day, "only recollecting the negative parts of the day is a serious sign.

People are most at risk of burnout if they:

• Don't know how to say "no" to demands on their time and energy.
• Assume added responsibility when they are already working at capacity.
• Consistently sacrifice their personal lives for work.
• Lack control in their positions.
• Regularly suppress their emotions.
• Don't discuss their problems or feelings.
• Routinely criticize themselves.
• Haven't learned how to manage stress effectively.

Click to Download Potential Burnout Inventory List

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