A psychologist gave tips on recognizing professional burnout

Professional burnout is a syndrome that occurs as a reaction to prolonged stress, mainly in interpersonal communication. This phenomenon is a form of psychological protection when a person turns off emotions to save mental resources. The HR director of the consulting company "Together." LLC told Izvestia on August 31 how to recognize this condition.ABOUT", practicing psychologist Dmitry Chernyshov.

Modern research distinguishes between two types of burnout. The first is an existential crisis, when a person becomes disillusioned with his profession and loses faith in its meaning. The second type is work burnout, when a person retains a love for his profession, but faces difficulties in the organization, such as a toxic atmosphere or excessive workload.

"It's a dangerous mistake when these two types of burnout are mixed up: you can leave a good place, deciding that you don't like the profession anymore, or, conversely, quit your favorite business, having failed to solve problems in the team," the specialist noted.

According to Chernyshov, two mini-tests have been developed to detect burnout. The first one helps to determine the presence of burnout if a person feels constant fatigue, a noticeable decrease in performance, and negative work-related emotions.

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"Answer yes or no to the following questions: 1. I feel constantly tired and emotionally drained, even after resting. 2. My work efficiency has noticeably decreased, I have become more cynical and irritable. 3. Thoughts about work cause me mostly negative emotions," the psychologist said.

If the answers to two of the three questions are positive, this is a signal of a possible syndrome. The second test helps to distinguish between the types of burnout: disappointment in a profession or in an organization. It is important to ask yourself questions about what exactly causes rejection and what could help — a change of profession or just a job.

To prevent burnout, the specialist suggested three main strategies. The first is the search for energy sources at work, such as optimizing business processes or participating in professional events. The second is taking care of physical and mental health outside of work, including sports and hobbies. The third strategy is regular health monitoring: once a month, ask yourself questions about your motivation and satisfaction with working conditions. This allows you to identify possible signs of burnout in advance and take action.

On July 15, Evgenia Gankina, director of the Roskachestvo Organizational Development Department, said that a full-fledged return to work processes after burnout should be approached gradually. According to the expert, after feeling an improvement, a person often strives to get into business at full capacity as soon as possible, but it is haste that contributes to a new round of exhaustion.

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