Now Listening: 古巨基 - 路边摊....

Okaye, below is an extract (with some edits) of the article on Burning Out in 110505's issue of MIND YOUR BODY.. Kinda long, but take ur time to read.. as u read.. just relax and read it light-heartedly... I've oso changed the music.. hopin tat u wont fall aslp with tat murf song..ahaha :D

Burning Out

U used to look forward to going to work and seeing your colleagues. Now it fills you with dread. U go from intense bouts of working one minute, to a couldn't-care-less attitude the next.

U snap at ur colleagues or subordinates. And you sometimes find urself staring at the computer screen. your mind at a blank.

These scenarios looked familiar.. i've had had them b4. U? This are actually the warning signs of burning out...

Some additional scenarios include:
* Increasingly higher targets
* Unclear or changing job targets
* New boss or team member
* Multitasking

So, wad is burnout? It is excessive mental or emotional exhaustion on the job, resulting in an inability to do tasks you were once compentant at. It happens when ppl are highly stressed and unable to cope with it.

Stress itself is neither good nor bad. It can get the adrenaline going and lead ppl to work faster and better. But too much of it and the adrenaline tap gets turned off. Instead of thriving on challenge, ppl stop caring.

If left unheeded and unchecked, burnin out can lead to serious depression or anxiety. We shldnt look @ burnout as personal weakness! It is the collective responsibility of the individual, the company and society. It isnt really anybody's fault.

The 2 main causes of it are WORK STRESS and RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS. There are physical, mental and emotional symptoms tat can show up.

Physical symtoms show up as frequent illness (common ones like headaches, migraines, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhoea, comon cold and heart palpitations). It can also raise a person's BP, and eventually leads to heart attacks and strokes.

Emotional and mental ones include feelings of sadness, helplessness, emptiness or loss of control.

Ppl who have trouble coping with stress may start smoking or drinking a lot, or go on shopping binges. They also have slping difficulties and often feel tired.

Some ppl end up toking about their work all the time to their colleagues, friends and family. Others find tat they swing between working madly and not caring two hoots whether the proj succeeds. Yet others find tat no matter how hard they work, their productivity keeps getting lower, or quality of work declines. And in extreme cases.. they end up virtually paralysed — not able to make decisions or do any work.

Sometimes, work problems are compunded by outside stresses. Stressful situations are easier to handle if they come one @ a time. (if only they do...) Compounding stress is capable of giving anyone a nervous breakdown.

No doubt ppl of today undoubtedly face greater levels of stress. And the society as a whole is coming up ith new ways of dealing with it. We can see the evidence in the form of the proliferation of spas and yoga classes. It is also evident tat more ppl are accepting burnout as a form of illness, n not a sign of madness. More n more ppl are seeking help from counsellors and psychiatrists.

One muz understand that some can juggle multiple stressful events at the same time. Others may not able to cope with more than one or two in a yr. Sometimes, even happy events like getting married puts a lot of stress on ppl. So does moving house, death of a loved one or change of job, even if it's due to a promotion.

Perfectionists are more prone to burnout bcos of their high expectations. So are Mr Nice Guy (or Gal) types who do not noe how to sae no... and end up with too many tasks.

Working women are more like to suffer from depression and anxiety tthan men. This could be due to their bearinga greater load both @ home n @ work.

Ppl who primarily deals with other ppl in their work are also more likely to suffer from it.. (E.g. Teachers and ppl in service industries...)

Often, all it takes is a vacation — some time away from the frenzy to realise that there's more to life than work. Toking abt the problems with friends and fauly also helps, giving truth to the adage tat a problem shared is a problem halved. U may sae (as i expected..someone shot this to me), after the break, the problem comes back. But the difference is, u have a crystal-clear mind now... Alrite, clearer than b4. N u noe a clear mind can do wonders..

In addition, one has to be realistic abt one's abilities. One shld tok to their bosses if they feel they are being made to shoulder too much. This will do both the company and themselves a favour. Managers shld also learn to delegate more.

Balancing work and life helps. Spending quality time with the family, taking holidays, doing physical exercises and having hobbies are all ways to combat burnout. When all else fails, maybe it's better to move off into another line of work altogether.

And of cos.. as a last resort.. seek professional help.. if u tink it's really getting out of hand. (heh.. i hate medications.. haha)