Surviving Organizational Stress in the Workplace - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Surviving Organizational Stress in the Workplace - Introvert Whisperer Surviving Organizational Stress in the Workplace Dread creeps in the second your alarm goes off in the morning. Potential excuses fill your head. Maybe you could call in sick or take a personal day. Anything but go into work again. You’re so nervous about the day ahead that you can’t even enjoy your morning coffee. This is a much more intense scenario than run-of-the-mill work stress. This type of burnout is what happens when typical stress builds over time and impacts every area of your life. It’s not uncommon, either. A recent study by Gallup of approximately 7,500 full-time employees found that 23 percent were dealing with burnout on a regular basis. When you’re overwhelmed at work, there can be major consequences for your emotional, mental, and physical health. Relationships and overall happiness can be negatively impacted, and you’re more susceptible to illness due to a compromised immune system. A disorganized workplace, which can often come from higher up the chain and be out of the employee’s control, can lead to burnout, as can a variety of other work stressors. Signs of Burnout Stress alone isn’t a sign of burnout, though it can be a precursor to it. Stress can be used as a motivator to push yourself to meet goals. It can also inspire you to make necessary changes to your workflow or lifestyle. When stress becomes severe enough to lead to burnout, though, there’s a bigger problem. These are some common signs that you’re now dealing with burnout: You’re not performing well at work any longer. You may not even be interested in your job at all. You’re doubting yourself and feel like you’re already defeated or alone. Your relationships with your supervisors or your co-workers are strained. At the end of the workday, you feel exhausted and drained of energy. Your passions no longer interest you and you can’t carry out your regular responsibilities. Other signs of burnout include: Insomnia Muscle pain Negative thoughts Substance use for coping Tension headaches In addition to affecting the employee, burnout can also impact the business and its customers. When nurses experience compassion fatigue, for example, they feel sick or emotionally drained from coping with so many serious situations. This type of burnout can cause them to no longer provide top-level care for patients. The same is true for professionals in a number of settings. “It brings about negative effects, such as increased absenteeism, decline in classroom performance, and poor interpersonal relationships with colleagues and students,” Matthew Lynch of The Edvocate writes about teacher burnout. “Burned-out teachers are usually less sympathetic toward the problems of students, and are less committed to their jobs. They develop lower tolerance for classroom disruptions, are less prepared for class, and are generally less productive.” It’s clear that the effects of burnout take a toll not only on individuals, but also on businesses, the economy, and those they are tasked with serving. How to Cope with Stress and Burnout Whether you’re stressed and on the way to burnout or you feel like you’ve already reached the burnout stage, there are ways to cope. Eliminate as many stressors as you can. Can you avoid an employee who always drags you down? Can you do things during the workday that will soothe you, like listening to music? Can you alter your schedule to have more concentrated time off? Track how much time you’re spending on difficult projects. You may be taking too long to work on a project that can be accomplished in a shorter amount of time. You could also break that project up into smaller amounts of time in order to make progress without overwhelming yourself. Exercise to improve brain function and mental health while reducing fatigue. Exercising in nature is best because it can reduce negative symptoms like anger, depression, and tension while improving energy and revitalizing you. Take a break from work. This can mean taking advantage of your full lunch hour, disconnecting from work for the whole weekend or taking an entire week of vacation time to get away. Don’t overwhelm your non-work schedule. If you fill all of your free time up with other commitments and responsibilities, you won’t get the necessary RR to revitalize. Some of your time off work should be filled with your social life and doing the things you enjoy. Once you’ve decided how you’re going to combat stress and burnout, form a plan. Are you going to change your daily routine or shift your work schedule? Are you going to start looking for a new job to see what’s out there? Write down the steps you’ll need to take. Simply having a plan can help you feel better right now because you know that, one way or another, things are going to change and improve. When to Look for a New Job If you’ve been experiencing burnout and have been trying everything you can think of to cope but it’s still not working, it may be time to reconsider your job. It’s important to know when it’s time to cut your losses and look for something new. Some things to look at are: Your boss is the primary source of stress and there are no changes that are in your power to make. The company culture isn’t for you. For example, maybe you’ve tried your best to enjoy the mandatory team building exercises, but it’s just adding to your stress. You feel like you’d perform better and be happier at a place where quiet productivity is wanted. You feel like you’re going to quit on the spot at any minute, even though you know that could impact a future job if you’re seen as a risk. Even if everything can be fixed and your stress can be diminished, you know you can’t grow at your company and advance in your career. Stress and burnout from work aren’t uncommon, but they have to be managed. When you internalize stress without dealing with it, it can grow exponentially and even threaten your health. Before you’re pushed to the limit, decide which changes â€" either minor or major â€" need to be made and make them. Author Bio: Jori Hamilton is a writer from the Pacific Northwest who has a particular interest in social justice, politics, education, healthcare, technology, and more. You can follow her on twitter @hamiltonjori Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.  Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer