3 Reasons Job Burnout Can Be a Good Thing
Posted May 13, 2014 & filed under Job Search
Workplace stress over time can be toxic. It creates a sense of disillusionment and leaves employees with feelings of job dissatisfaction. Yet job burnout, a common side effect of workplace stress, may ultimately be good for your career.
Let me explain.
Reaching your low point
For many people, job dissatisfaction and the subsequent job burnout that follows isn’t foreign. A Gallup poll indicates that 70 percent of 150,000 full and part-time workers feel completely disengaged. These workers are in the throes of job burnout; they’re at the bottom and feel they can’t creep any lower.
And that’s exactly where the greatest potential lies.
Reverse job burnout
The truth is that job burnout doesn’t have to be a permanent state of being. Take the right action and you can do to dissolve your job dissatisfaction. First, ask yourself why you are dissatisfied.
Have your job responsibilities grown stale?
Job responsibilities, completed day in and day out without deviation, can easily cause job burnout. And it’s in your best interests to speak up.
When you do feel dissatisfied, approach your direct supervisor for a solution. Emphasize that you want to use your talents on fresh challenges. Keep the interaction positive and convey that taking on new and engaging projects will be just as beneficial for the company as it will be for you.
Are you feeling overloaded?
Workplace stress can be the anchor that drags even the most engaged employees down into the abyss. Mayo Clinic identifies work-life imbalance as one of the primary causes of job burnout, which can in turn lead to health problems, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. And that hurts your overall productivity.
Approach your direct supervisor and make it clear your overburdened workload has negative implications for the company. Explain how workflow, quotas, task completion speeds, and general productivity are suffering under an overbearing workload.
However, don’t just gripe; come up with an action plan. Explain how spreading out the workload or hiring a new employee can boost overall productivity. That way, you not only decrease your workplace stress but you benefit the company, and reveal that you are a leader who can take initiative when a problem emerges.
Is the job not right for you?
Sometimes, job burnout is caused by a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.” Not every company is going to be ideal for every employee. In this case, use your burnout as a catalyst for change.
Start completing applications, scheduling interviews, and finding new ways to boost your network. And if you really want an edge, get in touch with some of our recruiters. They can help you do away with your job burnout in favor of an exciting new career.
by James Walsh
