Why you can burn out even at your favorite job and how to avoid it

If a person is engaged in a business that he does not like, he can quickly get tired and lose interest in it. Not surprisingly, in such a situation, not far from burnout. But it turns out that this can happen in your favorite job, which brings joy. Let's figure out why this happens and how to prevent the loss of strength, energy and interest in your occupation.

1. You get carried away and do not notice fatigue

If you are doing what you love, you can work for a long time and not pay attention to time. It pleases and inspires: the day is filled with interesting tasks, hours fly by one after another. But at the same time, you can easily not notice that you have been sitting at a laptop in an uncomfortable position for half a day.

At first, this can be taken as proof that you are doing the right thing: it's great when a person is so addicted that he does not feel tired. But over time, it will be more and more difficult for you to take up work in the morning. And after the end of the working day will begin to appear

irritation and dissatisfaction. You will suddenly notice that the usual activities suddenly began to take too much effort, and for some reason the result is much less pleasing than it used to be.

Elena Rezanova in her book "It's normal!" calls such a work schedule “diminishing returns.” The main sign is that you spend energy and strength much faster than they have time to recover. At first, interest and passion seem to turn on additional batteries, and you do not notice fatigue. But sooner or later, the body will still sound the alarm and ask for mercy.

How to fix it

The easiest way is to turn on the timer and be sure to arrange breaks. Moreover, during a pause, you should get up and move around if you were sitting, and vice versa - relax if your work is related to physical activity. That is, a designer should do some vigorous exercises to warm up, and a fitness trainer should sit in a comfortable chair for a few minutes.

Another effective method is to plan your working day in advance. Please note that there are various types of tasks in the schedule - from negotiations and phone calls to intense creative work. The most complex and energy-intensive tasks should be given no more than 3-4 hours a day - otherwise the likelihood of burnout will greatly increase.

It is worth planning the day so that at the end "get up from the table with a slight feeling of hunger." May tomorrow you want to quickly take up the affairs that you parted with today.

2. You spend too much time at work

Often people unconsciously perceive work as the basis of their lifestyle, and everything else is just an addition to it. That is why they do it on the weekends and even during the holidays they call up clients or the team.

Work may even be one way procrastination. For example, you need to sort out cabinets or clean up the kitchen. If you don’t feel like doing this, you can open your laptop - and you don’t seem to be avoiding an unpleasant business, but doing something important.

Over time, work begins to take a disproportionately large place in life. Hobbies, close relationships, rest go by the wayside. At a meeting with friends or at a rock concert, a person continues to think about work tasks. And even before going to bed, in his head there are often only numbers, pictures, diagrams, customer objections and answers to them. Such situations sooner or later end in burnout.

How to fix it

Learn to switch attention. Don't forget about your hobbies and favorite recreational activities, even if it seems that work is much more interesting. Look for new hobbies that have nothing to do with your professional activities. For example, if you are a programmer, but you once loved paint, buy paper and watercolor. Or download a special program to your tablet. Try to make time for hobbies. And the farther it is from your main job, the less likely it is to skew and burn out.

And also - devote more time and attention to relationships with a partner or friends. Emily and Amelia Nagoski book “Burnout” writes that attachment, close and friendly relationships are an important condition that helps to feel comfortable and safe. This means avoiding burnout or coping with it faster.

And, of course, do not forget about outdoor activities. Treat it not just as a way to restore strength. Let the rest become a pleasure, an opportunity to get unusual emotions and impressions.

3. You have fallen into the "helper trap"

This formulation was also proposed by Elena Rezanova in her book. Coaches, doctors, teachers - everyone who works with people often fall into the trap.

If the main thing for you in your work is the opportunity to help others, then you can burn out very quickly. The fact is that clients, students or patients will not necessarily be as passionate about your favorite thing. It may happen that you will be even more interested in their success. They will train reluctantly or forget to perform homework. Or they will listen to you inattentively and miss all important warnings.

As a result, the coach may be upset that the ward has abandoned the exercises for a couple of months, and now he needs to start again from scratch. And the nutritionist will be upset that the client on vacation completely forgot about the diet, which she hardly managed to pick up. If there are many such clients, then sooner or later burnout may occur. After all, it may seem to a specialist that no one needs his efforts, and his work itself is completely useless.

How to fix it

It is worth calmly accepting the fact that not everyone will share your love for the chosen business. Yes, most people will remain indifferent. But remember that you are not working for them. There are many other clients who will be happy that they are very lucky to have found such a competent and passionate professional as you.

And if there are doubts about whether you are in the right place, remember the victories - yours and your clients. You can make a list of such successes in advance so that you can look at it when it becomes sad.

4. Are you constantly dealing with stress?

Stress is a part of our life, and even at our favorite work we cannot do without it. For example, a clothing designer can think over the concept of a new collection for a long time, looking for suitable materials. Then observe how his costumes or dresses look in real life, organize a photo shoot and choose good shots. Run ads. And then wait for the start of sales and worry about how those for whom he created all this will appreciate his ideas.

Each of these steps is associated with stress, especially if a person is not indifferent to what assessment the results of his work will receive. And the body can suffer from the consequences of such situations.

Emily and Amelia Nagoski in their book write that every stress must be completed. The body should receive a signal that there is no more danger, you can relax and not worry about anything.

In ancient times, people rejoiced loudly and violently if they managed to get away from a predator. Nowadays, only children can afford such a display of emotions. They scream, jump, somersault and are not afraid that someone will look askance at them. Adults are used to restraining emotions. This means that their body does not receive a signal that all difficulties are behind them. The body remains in tension day after day, and as a result, a person constantly feels tired, irritated and apathetic. That is all the symptoms of burnout.

How to fix it

The easiest and most affordable way to relieve stress is to move. You can choose the option that you like best: walking, dancing, running around your neighborhood or jump on a trampoline. The main thing is to do it regularly. We face stress almost daily, so we need physical activity every day.

There are other ways to relieve stress:

1. Short communication with others. According to the Nagoski sisters, blitz conversations with a neighbor, with a cashier in a store, or with a barista in a cafe are needed not only to show that you are a polite person. Such fleeting conversations are possible only in a calm and safe environment. So, they also send a signal to the body that you can relax.
2. Laughter. And not a polite giggle or an on-duty smile, but a loud and effervescent laugh - the one that is sometimes considered indecent. But it helps to relieve stress and relax.
3. Cry. It's also a great way to loosen up. You can see melodrama or read a touching story, put on some soulful music or a show that always makes you cry. The main thing is not to hold back the crying, and the stress will recede.
4. Creation. It is not the result that is important here - a beautiful picture or a ballad written according to all the rules of versification. It is important to let go of yourself and give free rein to emotions. Then you will feel relief, and the stress will recede.
5. Warm embrace. And it is not necessary to hug a partner. You can take your pet in your arms and feel its warmth. Such contacts will also signal to the body that you are safe.

The main thing is to take care of yourself every day, not to dive into work with your head and remember that, in addition to your favorite business, there are many interesting things in life. Then burnout will have little chance of getting the better of you.