This woman works fast!
Yesterday I received the following email:
I'm an editor at Ladders, a website focused on careers and life in
the workplace. I'm hoping you might write a brief essay for us or speak to me
for a short interview on burnout and how to get over it, in response to this:
https://qz.com/932813/employee-burnout-is-becoming-a-huge-problem-in-the-american-workforce/
Might you have a few minutes in the next few days to speak by
phone or write 400-700 words? I'd love to make something work!
More about Ladders: We have more than 2 million monthly visitors
and an email newsletter that reaches more than 8 million. We'd link back to
your site and share widely across our social networks.
Thanks so much for the time and consideration,
Kirsten
Senior Editor, Ladders
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, by 3:30 that afternoon we began a stimulating half-hour
question/discussion exchange. And by this morning, her work/our collaboration
was online. Kirsten recorded the conversation and deftly captured the
essentials. Trust me, she did a wonderful job sorting out my psychobabble!
I’ve been dealing with burnout since the 1980s – mine and many
others. And in 2000, this burnout engine was in full steam mode, at least in
the tech world of Northern Virginia…when the industry had its meltdown. Again,
it’s in hyperphase and companies are ignoring the "erosive spiral"
warning signs…to the peril of both employees and companies.
I’m glad to have contributed to this not just timely but, also,
critical piece.
Mark Gorkin
stressdoc@aol.com
www.stressdoc.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ladders Link
https://www.theladders.com/p/17413/overcome-burnout
I overcame burnout. Here’s how you can too.’
Kirsten Salyer
By Kirsten Salyer, Senior Editor at Ladders
Mar 21, 2017
Have you ever felt overworked, stressed, or just plain burned out
at work?
You’re not alone.
As productivity has risen and technology has expanded the
workweek, wages have failed to catch up. More than half of U.S. workers left
vacation time unused in 2015, and surveys have shown that about two-thirds of
U.S. workers eat lunch at their desks.
If more employees burn out, it could pose problems for individuals
and organizations. As Quartz reported, a recent study found that burnout is
responsible for up to half of workplace attrition. Think about that: one of
every two workers leaves his job because he just can’t take the stress any
more.
Mark Gorkin, who coaches
people on how to overcome stress and is the author of Preserving Human Touch in a High-Tech World, spoke to Ladders about
his own experience with burnout and his suggestions for how companies and
employees can address it in the workplace.
Ladders: What is burnout?
Gorkin: Burnout is the gradual process by which a person detaches
from work and other significant roles and relationships in response to
excessive and prolonged stress and mental and physical strain. It results in
low productivity, cynicism, confusion, and a feeling of being drained and
having nothing more to give.
Have you ever experienced
burnout?
My first real experience was as a doctoral student. I was trying
to do something creative but off the academic wall. At that time in my life, I
was immature, and I wasn’t going to let anyone stifle my creativity. But I was
being unrealistic, and I eventually burned out.
What I learned is that there are different stages of burnout:
physical and mental exhaustion, shame and doubt, cynicism and callousness, and
finally failure, helplessness, and crisis.
I went through all of them, and I dropped out of the program.
Why is burnout a problem in
the workplace?
Where do you spend most of your time? Most people spend more hours
at work than anywhere else.
We live in a driven and distracted world, and management is not
taking enough time to really recognize the impact.
One of the consequences is that people feel like they’re being
used up. We’re constantly doing more with less.
There are also some people who feel like they’re doing the same
thing over and over. They feel like they’re being underutilized and that their
talents are not being given a chance.
Burnout can be just the tip of the iceberg. If it goes on, it can
cause people to call in sick more, feel distressed, become more passive
aggressive, or engage in workplace sabotage.
What can organizations do to
prevent burnout?
Good organizations allow people to have a sense of authority,
autonomy, and accountability.
The problem occurs when employees have a lot of accountability,
but they feel that there isn’t much authority or autonomy. When people feel
that they’re in control, they are more stress-resilient.
Organizations should encourage breaks and give their employees a
chance to sit down and talk about burnout. They should ask: “Where are people
feeling overloaded? How can we give you some support?”
The important thing is to address it not as an individual issue
but as a structural issue.
What can individuals do to
beat burnout?
Here are some steps I learned in my own personal recovery.
1. Exercise
When I started feeling better, I started an exercise regime. Not
only is exercise good for you, but it also gives you a sense of accomplishment
and control. When you’re feeling burned out, you need to create some rituals
that give you a feeling of accomplishment and competence.
2. Laugh
When you’re experiencing burnout, after a while, your funny bone
starts to atrophy. I read books, like The Catcher in the Rye, that made me
laugh. Watch Friends. Watch Seinfeld. Do something that helps you see the
absurdity of life. Laughing helps you feel that you’re not trapped in a black
cloud.
3. Reflect
I took a personal retreat and took time to reflect on how I got
myself in the burnout predicament. You might feel like you’re in a great position
and can’t give it up, but rigid expectations are a formula for burnout.
4. Write
What was really helpful for me was that I started writing.
Research shows that when you’re able to write things out, it can be
stress-reducing.
5. Reach out
Find a stress buddy. It’s easy to get caught up in the whole
process. Find someone at work who will give you honest feedback.
Once you’ve done these things, you’ll be ready to take more risks
— whether that means speaking up in your workplace or saying that it’s time to
move on.
~~~~~~~~~
Mark Gorkin, MSW, LICSW,
"The Stress Doc" ™, a nationally
acclaimed speaker, writer, and "Psychohumorist" ™, is a founding
partner and Stress Resilience and Trauma Debriefing Consultant for the Nepali
Diaspora Behavioral Health & Wellness Initiative. Current Leadership
Coach/Training Consultant for the international Embry-Riddle Aeronautics
University at the Daytona, FL headquarters. A former Stress and Violence
Prevention Consultant for the US Postal Service, he has led numerous
Pre-Deployment Stress Resilience-Humor-Team Building Retreats for the US Army.
Presently Mark does Critical Incident Debriefing for organizational/corporate
clients of Business Health Services. The Doc is the author of Practice Safe
Stress, The Four Faces of Anger, and Preserving Human Touch in a High Tech
World. Mark’s award-winning, USA Today Online "HotSite" –
www.stressdoc.com – was called a "workplace resource" by National
Public Radio (NPR). For more info,
email: stressdoc@aol.com.
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