Reasons You are Experiencing Work Burnout and How to Fix It
One of the most common reasons my clients seek out anxiety treatment and individual therapy is dissatisfaction in the workplace. Let’s face it, we often spend the bulk of our quality waking hours working. For some, their profession is integral to their sense of identity. For others, the relationships that they have in the workplace are vital to their sense of connectedness. So when things go awry…when we’re overworked, or dealing with uncomfortable amounts of conflict, or stuck doing a job we dislike, the emotional toll can be significant. Professional burnout and work burnout are becoming more and more common.
I’ve certainly heard some horror stories from clients over the years…about bosses who range from the unreasonable to the abusive…about customers who belittle and dehumanize employees trying to help them…about employers who leave employees feeling underappreciated and always wary about job security.
It’s pretty darn easy to feel trapped in a job, even a job that one is miserable in.
I’ve seen plenty of clients fall prey to the “golden handcuffs” trap of good pay but unreasonable time demands. Or to the mistaken belief that they can’t do better, switch gears, or go back to school. And, generally, these beliefs solidify and get stronger as time goes on. A reciprocal, back-and-forth relationship starts to form between work burnout and lower self-esteem. As feelings of demoralization and depression sink in, it can become increasingly harder to envision big changes let alone take the bold actions needed to make them.
A few years ago I read an interesting book on different ways in which people earn a living and the personality traits that draw individuals to different walks of life (Cashflow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki). For many, safety is the most prominent motivation when it comes to job selection. On the one hand, attending to financial security and safety is important for our mental health, and it may feel especially imperative that our family’s needs are secured well into the future. On the other hand, excessive safety-seeking can lead people to settle for a lower quality of life that is counterbalanced only by seemingly good job security, reasonable pay, and decent benefits. Deviating away from the known and familiar can, accordingly, be quite anxiety-provoking for safety-seekers. It’s this anxiety that keeps them where they are.
At the other end of the spectrum is the motivation for freedom.
This is the main drive for side-hustlers and those seeking streams of passive income. They crave the possibility of more free time and more control over their schedule and life. Freedom-seekers are often willing to roll the dice a bit more in the service of improved quality of life. Naturally, too much risk-taking may very well backfire. However, not enough of it is possibly the greatest risk of all.
So where do you fall on this spectrum of Freedom Versus Work Burnout?
Are you erring too much in one direction? Maybe you have trouble trusting your instincts and judgment about what is possible or sensible? Does weighing the pros and cons leave you feeling confused or overwhelmed? It may help to pause, step back, and self-reflect for a moment on the values that you possess. What really is most important to you in this life? Time with family and friends? Your physical and mental health? Recreational time? Personal growth? Spirituality? Something else entirely? Are you living consistently with your values right now? If not, is your job getting in the way? If so, that’s a problem worth consideration and discussion.
Sometimes smaller changes can result in better value consistency…things like getting better work/life boundaries, changing position within a company, or making more intentional use of free time. Other times, bigger, bolder changes are called for. Perhaps your safety vs. freedom balance is in need of recalibration, something easier said than done.
If you’re struggling with Professional Burnout or Work Burnout in Ohio, Online Therapy can help!
In any case, therapy for work burnout in Ohio can be a helpful venue for thinking through these types of issues in a non-judgmental, circumspect way. By doing so, my clients get to enjoy collaborative problem solving with an unbiased third party and often reach a decision that excites them and boosts confidence. There’s something about talking out these issues with another person (rather than just playing them in one’s mind) that helps with reaching resolution! If you believe you could benefit from talking with an online therapist in Ohio, Ascend Psychological Services can help. To get started, follow these simple steps:
Meet with your caring therapist
Begin to work through work burnout and adjust to new life transitions
Other Services at Ascend Psychological Services
Get support from a therapist when you’re ready for a change that can assist you in this season. If you’re looking for a specific treatment at my Cincinnati. OH, counseling practice additional services include PTSD treatment and trauma therapy, insomnia treatment, psychological assessments, anxiety treatment, grief counseling, life transitions, marriage counseling and couples therapy, online therapy in Ohio. Additionally, I offer CBT therapy, prolonged exposure, written exposure therapy, accelerated resolution therapy, cognitive processing therapy, and person-centered approaches. When you’re ready to begin services, I am here to support you.