It is 4:00 and you are pacing the house, having an imaginary conversation with your boss, drafting a letter of resignation imaginary, against the anger and inadequacy and worry about your lack of interest in your allocated tasks and the lack of care for your clients.
You could be suffering from serious fatigue, and you need to take action before it ended in heart failure, stroke or murder.
Burnout questionnaire
Say whether the following statements are true or false for you.
I often feel inexplicably sad.
I feel tired even when I had a normal eight hours of sleep.
I was bored with my job and have difficulty concentrating.
I carry too much responsibility.
I've gotten to the point where the needs of other people I do not care.
I feel emotionally empty at the end of a normal working day.
My workload is too heavy to do it right.
I do not feel like I feel sensitive.
I often worry about my ability to do my work after hours.
My boss has unrealistic expectations of me.
I often drink or eat too much.
I was often sick.
I wake up in the morning scared the mind will work.
I am no longer interested in sex or social activities.
I often depressed on Sunday night.
Life generally seems pointless to me.
There is not much in my life hoping for.
I care about my appearance than before.
My family constantly complaining about not seeing enough of me.
I spent a lot of time watching TV when I'm not at work.
If you have answered 'true' to five or more of these, you can go to fatigue.
From awesome to awful: how well things turn bad
1. The honeymoon phase
During this phase, a new job you look perfect. You are very happy and satisfied and enthusiasm you know almost no bounds. There is no task too demanding. You feel satisfied and stimulated.
2. Reality check
Rose color glasses you wear off and you've realized that your boss is not the Angel Gabriel. You also realize secretary talk about you behind your back, and you are excluded by the fact that the board did not agree to pay you overtime.
You begin to experience disappointment, because you realize that long hours at work are frustrating your social needs, and you do not get paid enough to justify it.
You work harder, but this does not seem to be the answer, and you often feel tired, disappointed, hopeless and frustrated.
3. Phase Disappointment
Now you no longer feel enthusiastic and energetic, but often tired and annoyed. You can begin to either lose or weight and sleep patterns can change. You may begin to exhibit patterns of compulsive behavior related to sex, drinking or drugging, partying or shopping.
You can feel very angry, perhaps blaming others for things that go wrong in your life. Your job is in danger of deteriorating and you may be openly critical of your boss and colleagues. Anxiety and depression to be a part of your everyday life and you often sick.
4. Red alert phase
This final stage is serious and unless someone intervenes or you take control of your life, it could end up in serious illness, or even death.
At this stage, life may seem pretty pointless and you may feel desperate constant. You are completely exhausted and feel as though your mental and physical reserves are exhausted. You experience an overwhelming sense of failure and loss of self-esteem and confidence. You feel unable to take over or make changes.
What can you do to avoid burnout
Do not expect the job to meet all your needs.
Avoid career where you have to give to others constantly, unless you are also very good for the emotional input received from others.
Do not let your work take over your life. Work overtime as a rule will have a negative impact on your ability to do the job in the long term.
Do not work too hard in an attempt to avoid dealing with personal or relationship problems.
Maintain an active social life and do not give up your hobby.
Learn to say no before you become completely overloaded.
Accept the fact that you can not be all things to all people and that you are not replaceable.
If you work in a helping profession, remember that you can not take responsibility for other people's problems. They have to do it yourself. All you can do is point them in the right direction.
Doing things for the people they have to do for themselves says quite a lot about you and the possibility of control problems unresolved. If you can not imagine getting on top of this, consider seeking counseling with a therapist.
No use of anti-anxiety medication or antidepressants unless you are also dealing with the source of stress. Get help if it is something in you that causes you to work to the point of exhaustion.
If you can not change jobs, at least change your attitude related to the existing ones. Learn to set boundaries and stick to them.