Burn It Down Or Burned Out?
Four things to consider as you decide, do you need to make a big change or simply take some time off?
Spot the signs of burnout
Job Burnout is defined as - a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity. Signs of burnout include, lack of satisfaction with your accomplishments, finding it difficult to concentrate, lack of motivation, excessive irritability, and others. Sometimes burnout can be a result of problems in the workplace, and sometimes it is from working too much with no real breaks. Check-in, when was the last time you completely unplugged?
Review the toxic workplace checklist
Lack of control is a common reason for burnout resulting from a toxic workplace. If you feel you have no control over your schedule, assignments, or workload and feel afraid of sharing that with your team or leader, this is a sign that it is time to make a move. Other symptoms of a poor workplace culture include poor communication, cliques and exclusion, high turnover, and unmotivated coworkers. If you have a gut feeling that stress is coming from the people you work with vs. the tasks you are completing, your workplace is the problem.
Visualize what is next
Opportunities for growth do not always have to come from work, but if you do not feel challenged, you may have hit a plateau. Can you see yourself where you are currently at the end of 2022? If not, and if there is not an opportunity to do something different where you are, it may be time to make a move.
Look for your sparks
Think of things that regularly bring you joy. This could be time spent with friends, walks in nature, reading a good book, or petting a puppy. If you can’t find a spark, this could be a sign of burnout or something more serious. Talking with a healthcare professional could be a good step before you make any big decisions like making a career move.
