If you wish to add articles of interest to this site, please contact me via my e-mail address. I will 'eventually' reply to all posts. All submitted articles will be author acknowledged unless otherwise requested.
My Personal Introduction to Teaching from My Experiences and the Reason for This Website with Opinions...
Education & Professional Development
Birmingham ICC 2001
Continued>>>
3-5
3-5
Pages
Recognising Burn-Out
Signs and symptoms of burnout Most of us have days when we feel helpless, overloaded, or unappreciated—when dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. If you feel like this most of the time, however, you may be burned out. Burnout is a gradual process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can creep up on you. The signs and symptoms are subtle at first, but become worse as time goes on. Think of the early symptoms as red flags that something is wrong that needs to be addressed. If you pay attention and actively reduce your stress, you can prevent a major breakdown. If you ignore them, you’ll eventually burn out.
Physical signs and symptoms of burnout Feeling tired and drained most of the time Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses Frequent headaches or muscle pain Change in appetite or sleep habits
Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout Sense of failure and self-doubt Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated Detachment, feeling alone in the world Loss of motivation Increasingly cynical and negative outlook Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout
Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout Withdrawing from responsibilities Isolating yourself from others Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope Taking out your frustrations on others Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early
The difference between stress and burnout Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn’t the same as too much stress. Stress, by and large, involves too much: too many pressures that demand too much of you physically and mentally. However, stressed people can still imagine that if they can just get everything under control, they’ll feel better. Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough. Being burned out means feeling empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress feels like you’re drowning in responsibilities, burnout is a sense of being all dried up. And while you’re usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens.
Stress vs. Burnout Stress Burnout
Characterized by over-engagement Characterized by disengagement Emotions are overreactive Emotions are blunted Produces urgency and hyperactivity Produces helplessness and hopelessness Loss of energy Loss of motivation, ideals, and hope Leads to anxiety disorders Leads to detachment and depression Primary damage is physical Primary damage is emotional May kill you prematurely May make life seem not worth living
Source: Stress and Burnout in Ministry
Causes of burnout Burnout often stems from your job. But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout, from the hardworking office worker who hasn’t had a vacation in years, to the frazzled stay-at-home mom tending to kids, housework, and an aging parent. But burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many responsibilities. Other factors contribute to burnout, including your lifestyle and personality traits. In fact, what you do in your downtime and how you look at the world can play just as big of a role in causing overwhelming stress as work or home demands.
