Recently, a medical term such as "professional burnout" is very common. For the first time, employees of the Montreal Hospital started talking about him. Many believe that this disease is nothing but a form of depression. However, there is something to argue about.
It is believed that this syndrome is a form of professional deformation. Earlier (in 1974) the concept of emotional burnout appeared. But professional burnout is a process of prolonged exposure to the body of factors that cause stress. And they are all connected with the professional employment of the patient. That is, this disease is a serious chronic process.
As a rule, this syndrome develops most often in people who, by the nature of their activity, constantly communicate with people or are engaged in intellectual work: journalists, teachers, doctors, leaders in various fields, etc. Professional burnout has several symptoms. So, with its development, there is complete apathy for work, colleagues (even if you were friends before) and for everything that happens, in general. As a rule, self-doubt appears , a person begins to think that he is not competent enough, he has little experience and knowledge to occupy a given position or post.
As a rule, this syndrome has a number of physical signs. The fact is that in connection with the accumulation of negative emotions, the energy resources of the body begin to deplete. And this is expressed in a constant feeling of tiredness, increased fatigue, sleep disorders (regular insomnia). A person becomes very irritable, he starts having problems with vision and hearing, constant headaches.
In general, professional burnout syndrome can occur under the influence of three factors:
- Personality. According to psychologists, women are more susceptible to this disease. The fact is that they are the ones who are very emotional prone to endure all the difficulties associated with professional activities. Also, this syndrome often develops in those people who are more humane and prone to sympathy. They are often carried away by the idea, catch fire, and their hobby can reach fanaticism. Also, professional burnout is no less dangerous for authoritarian and restrained people who have a low level of empathy.
- Role. This syndrome is most often found in those teams where the duties and responsibilities of employees are not clearly distributed, actions are uncoordinated, and competition is increased.
- Organizational. Professional burnout directly depends on the level of psycho-emotional activity (the need for active communication, which requires emotional costs, decision making, high concentration on the perception of information). An adverse atmosphere in the team also increases the risk of developing the syndrome: conflicts, bureaucracy, the need to work with psychologically difficult members of society (sick people, difficult teenagers , etc.).
Many seriously believe that this disease is just a fiction. In fact, this is a serious disease that requires treatment. At the first symptoms, you need to consult a psychologist. If there is also physical symptoms, you need to visit a therapist.
Prevention of professional burnout requires a constant alternation of labor and outdoor activities. At work, you need to be able to switch from conflict situations to positive moments, not to dwell on one thing for a long time. You also need to determine for yourself the feasibility of choosing a profession or place of work. Maybe it's just not yours. Then the solution to the problem lies simply in the right choice of occupation.