Avoiding burnout

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AVOIDING BURNOUTAVOIDING BURNOUT

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Job Burnout:Job Burnout:(Preventing Job Burnout, ISBN 1-56052-357-3)(Preventing Job Burnout, ISBN 1-56052-357-3)

Impaired motivation to work resulting in a Impaired motivation to work resulting in a growing inability to mobilize interest and growing inability to mobilize interest and abilities. It is becoming more common in abilities. It is becoming more common in today’s complex and demanding society. today’s complex and demanding society. Rarely is a person burned out at work, yet Rarely is a person burned out at work, yet enthusiastic and energized at home. enthusiastic and energized at home.

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Burnout Warning Signs:Burnout Warning Signs:

Feelings of frustration.Feelings of frustration. Emotional outbursts.Emotional outbursts. Sense of alienation.Sense of alienation. Newly acquired substandard performance.Newly acquired substandard performance. Increased use of drugs and alcohol.Increased use of drugs and alcohol. Lack of motivation.Lack of motivation. Inability to adapt to changes.Inability to adapt to changes. Why bother, Why bother, attitude.attitude.

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Stages of Burnout:Stages of Burnout:

You begin with boundless energy.You begin with boundless energy. Disillusionment and disappointment Disillusionment and disappointment

develop.develop. Confused, you can’t quite put your finger Confused, you can’t quite put your finger

on what’s wrong.on what’s wrong. Frustration and irritability set in.Frustration and irritability set in. Full scale exhaustion and fatigue prevail.Full scale exhaustion and fatigue prevail.

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Occupations Most Susceptible to Burnout:Occupations Most Susceptible to Burnout:

Helping professionals such as social Helping professionals such as social workers, nurses, teachers, police officers.workers, nurses, teachers, police officers.

Those that require exacting attention such Those that require exacting attention such as air traffic controllers and pharmacists.as air traffic controllers and pharmacists.

Those that deal with life and death Those that deal with life and death situations such as surgeons and the clergy.situations such as surgeons and the clergy.

Those that require working under time Those that require working under time schedules such as a television news crew.schedules such as a television news crew.

Those that require exact detail such as Those that require exact detail such as bookkeepers.bookkeepers.

Those that are socially criticized such as Those that are socially criticized such as nuclear engineers.nuclear engineers.

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Good Wins:Good Wins:

When you do somethingWhen you do something That causes a positive actionThat causes a positive action

That is recognized and acknowledged.That is recognized and acknowledged.

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Negative Wins:Negative Wins:

When a negative situation existsWhen a negative situation exists And you take actionAnd you take action

That makes the negative situation go That makes the negative situation go away.away.

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Sustaining Motivation:Sustaining Motivation:

You must see a positive relationship You must see a positive relationship between what you do and what happens between what you do and what happens to you. You to you. You must feelmust feel you can influence you can influence what happens to you.what happens to you.

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Positive Factor Induced Motivation:Positive Factor Induced Motivation:

Working for:Working for: Fun.Fun. Challenge.Challenge. Status or fame.Status or fame. Self respect.Self respect. Praise.Praise.

Positive motivators can achieve positive Positive motivators can achieve positive results.results.

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Negative Factor Induced Motivation:Negative Factor Induced Motivation:

Working to avoid:Working to avoid: Debt.Debt. Job loss.Job loss. Criticism.Criticism. Loneliness.Loneliness. Boredom.Boredom. Guilt.Guilt.

Negative motivators can achieve positive Negative motivators can achieve positive results.results.

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De-motivating Work Situations:De-motivating Work Situations:

The critical boss = Cannot be pleased no The critical boss = Cannot be pleased no matter what effort you put forth.matter what effort you put forth.

Lack of recognition = Good work often goes Lack of recognition = Good work often goes unnoticed.unnoticed.

Inadequate pay = Particularly when others Inadequate pay = Particularly when others that perform at a lower level are paid the that perform at a lower level are paid the same.same.

Under-employment = You’re trained for a Under-employment = You’re trained for a higher level than you work at.higher level than you work at.

Ambiguity = If you do not know what is Ambiguity = If you do not know what is expected, it is difficult to feel confident that expected, it is difficult to feel confident that you are doing the right thing the right way.you are doing the right thing the right way.

Lack of information.Lack of information.

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De-motivating Work Situations Continued:De-motivating Work Situations Continued:

Lack of clear goals.Lack of clear goals. Tasks without end.Tasks without end. Impossible tasks = Impossible expectations.Impossible tasks = Impossible expectations. No-win situations = Incompatible demands, No-win situations = Incompatible demands,

values conflict.values conflict. Bureaucracy.Bureaucracy. Work overload.Work overload. Skill deficit.Skill deficit. Meaninglessness.Meaninglessness. Lack of authority.Lack of authority.

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When you feel you have no control over When you feel you have no control over the events in your life, motivation to the events in your life, motivation to continue performing decreases and continue performing decreases and

burnout results.burnout results.

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Paths to Personal Power:Paths to Personal Power:

Managing yourself.Managing yourself. Breaking big jobs into manageable steps.Breaking big jobs into manageable steps. Patting yourself on the back.Patting yourself on the back. Goals.Goals.

Must be attainable.Must be attainable. Must be measurable.Must be measurable. Must be time framed.Must be time framed. Must be written down.Must be written down.

Self contracts.Self contracts.

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Paths to Personal Power Continued:Paths to Personal Power Continued:

Manage stress.Manage stress. Building social support = Research shows that Building social support = Research shows that

people with close emotional and social ties are people with close emotional and social ties are physically and mentally healthier and live physically and mentally healthier and live longer.longer.

Skill building = develops self confidence.Skill building = develops self confidence. Decision making.Decision making. Listening.Listening. Information gathering.Information gathering. Team playing.Team playing. DelegatingDelegating

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Skill building continued:Skill building continued: Public speaking.Public speaking. Technical skills.Technical skills. Negotiating.Negotiating. Supervising.Supervising. Mentoring.Mentoring. Leading meetings.Leading meetings. Goal setting.Goal setting. Time management.Time management. Writing.Writing. Mediating.Mediating.

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Tailoring the job = Can I re-engineer the job.Tailoring the job = Can I re-engineer the job. Changing jobs.Changing jobs. Detached concern = Letting go!Detached concern = Letting go!

Play to win but don’t insist on winning.Play to win but don’t insist on winning. Don’t dwell on past problems or worry Don’t dwell on past problems or worry

about the future. Live in the present about the future. Live in the present moment.moment.

Be flexible.Be flexible. Learn to laugh.Learn to laugh.

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Powerless Thought:Powerless Thought: Powerful Thought:Powerful Thought:

I hate cold weather.I hate cold weather. I look forward to ice I look forward to ice skating.skating.

I have no friends.I have no friends. Becoming a Big Brother Becoming a Big Brother allowed me to:allowed me to:

My clothes don’t fit me.My clothes don’t fit me. I made friends at the I made friends at the fitness center.fitness center.

I have less skills than my I have less skills than my colleagues.colleagues.

Night classes have helped Night classes have helped me to be able to:me to be able to:

My personal debt exceeds My personal debt exceeds my income.my income.

Debt reduction counseling Debt reduction counseling has allowed me to gain has allowed me to gain control of my finances.control of my finances.

Education

Avoiding burnout