Am I heading for a Burn-Out? Part 1. More and more, today’s state of mind is one of working until you drop. Feeling tired or plain unhealthy, is taboo. You’ve got to finish your work first, right? As soon as our career becomes our first priority, we start to neglect our health. No wonder that we’re fueling a burn-out driven society. Instead of easing off when we’re feeling weak, we resort to pills against headaches or fatigue. When we’re low on energy, we either snack on candy bars or pump our veins full of caffeine. Only when our health completely prohibits working, we start to take things easy –until we’re feeling even slightly better that is.
Does this sound familiar? In the coming weeks, we’ll give you five questions you can ask yourself to better understand the contemporary syndrome.
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Is your self-esteem inherently connected to your work?
Especially those who’re hardwired to outperform, have trouble letting go. They’re not satisfied until they’ve reached their goals. It is of course, a very good idea to aim for your goals, but you often find yourself reaching them sooner when you’re willing to take a step back. That doesn’t only give you another perspective, but it’s better for your health too.
A burn-out on the other hand, seriously interferes with your schedule. A couple days off, a holiday, or taking some time off to come to your senses, is nothing compared to the long lasting effects of a burn-out. People who identify themselves with their work, often tend to forget that there are other vital parts of their life too that deserve just as much time and attention. They’re completely absorbed by the projects they’re running, the work they’re doing and the goals they’re striving for.
That’s why you need to find out for yourself which other elements of your life deserve more quality (time). It goes without saying that your health is one of them. Remember that the first symptom of a burn-out, is excessive ambition, followed by self-neglect, heavy emotional reactions, forgetfulness and finally, a complete lack of joie de vivre.
It’s a good idea to make your very own battery meter in order to start screening yourself on a daily basis. When the meter indicates that you’re low on “power”, try to take it easy and look for your inner energy and have some more rest. As soon as you’re recharged, you’re ready to battle your obstacles again at full swing!
About the picture:
‘Matchstick Men’ by Wolfgang Stiller is a project that combines wooden sticks and head molds to look like charred matches.The collection of matchsticks were on display at the Python Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland and formed part of an exhibition called ‘Burnout’.