Burnt out already? Maybe it's time for a career change
At the beginning, every career is motivating and every task has its exciting novelty. But what happens when, over time, you become tired of the dull weekdays, and the work that once used to be challenging turns into a boring routine? With the help of Virág Jónás, a psychologist mentor at Green Fox, we've gathered how to recognize the warning signs of burnout and what to do once it takes over you.
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What exactly is burnout?
Burnout syndrome is a specific workplace hazard, with the main symptoms of complete physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. Burnout usually occurs as a result of prolonged stress, especially under excessive workload.
It often happens that someone doesn't realize they've reached their burnout point, meaning they've crossed the threshold where they are no longer just "really tired" but "too exhausted to function properly". Additionally, many people like to be busy and may not realize they're working too much.
According to Virág, when we look at burnout on an individual level, we can discover numerous different stories, all sharing the same outcome of emotionally and mentally exhausted individuals with reduced performance.
What leads to burnout?
- The disruption of work-life balance, often accompanied by not setting proper boundaries (a typical example is when it's hard to say no too many times), and when personal identity is dominated by the work role, gradually pushing other territories of life (e.g., hobbies, relationships, family, friends) into the background.
- If career choice was driven by strong external pressure, and you later find no joy or inner motivation in your work, and you can’t connect your work internally.
- Environmental factors: constantly changing circumstances that require daily adaptation for survival. In addition, we need to mention the lack of a supportive environment, since our social network (both in personal and professional life) significantly contributes to our mental well-being.
Burnout can occur at any stage of a person's career, but a recent study has shown alarming results: the average worker can experience burnout by the age of 32. Our latest alumni survey also revealed that more than 40% of Green Fox students applied for our career changing courses because they feared burnout.
How can you recognize burnout? Here are the most common symptoms:
- Exhaustion: you feel like you have no energy, and are constantly tired.
- Frequent headaches.
- Insomnia: you've been having trouble sleeping lately.
- Quick irritability, everything seems to annoy you.
- Decreased performance at work.
- Feeling helpless and desperate.
- A scattered mind, often unable to concentrate.
- You've completely lost your motivation, even in your personal life.
If you recognize some of these symptoms in yourself, it's time to prioritize yourself and consider changing your workplace or even your entire career instead of putting the company and your colleagues first.
What can you do to prevent or stop burnout?
Virág’s 3+1 advice to fight burnout:
- Look inwards
Try to be aware of your boundaries and set them– first for yourself, then for others. Remind yourself that your energy stocks are finite, and just like you need to recharge your phone's battery regularly, you also need to respond to your physical and emotional needs.
- Look outwards
Consider how certain environmental factors affect you and examine which aspects of your life you can influence. What do you need to perform at your best while avoiding burnout in the process? Who can you turn to? If you find that you have no influence on critical aspects of your work environment, it's time to explore new opportunities, whether it's a different company or even a new career, as the nature of the work itself may be causing a similar effect on you over time.
- Find your inner motivation
What is it that you truly enjoy doing? Is there anything that has interested you since childhood, but you chose a different path based on others' advice? What activities captivate your interest , and what are those that you keep postponing to avoid dealing with?
+1. Break free from the environment causing burnout
If you feel that the situation is hopeless, and what you're doing no longer makes you happy, do not feel helpless. Many people reach this point in their careers, and fortunately, there is a solution. Think about what you would enjoy doing and take steps into a change.
Why should you consider a career changer course?
"Most of your waking hours and the majority of your adult life are spent working, which has a significant impact on your overall well-being. It does matter how you spend this time and what you do with it. Choosing the right profession not only provides financial security, but also deeply facilitates your physical and mental health," says Virág.
Green Fox Academy’s students often report that stepping out of their comfort zone and pushing their boundaries result in lifelong experiences and lessons that support them in their new careers. During the course at Green Fox, they learn how to acquire knowledge effectively from scratch through practical learning, whether it's technical skills or soft skills like productivity and teamwork. This experiential learning is not only more effective, but often more enjoyable as well, as the feedback is continuous, allowing for more successful experiences.
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