Details

Fighting Burnout to Improve Mental Health at Work

Achieving success at work is a difficult task by itself, and mental health issues may only make it more difficult. Mental health problems can stop you from achieving your professional goals, and they can also prevent you from enjoying what you do.

Although the topic of mental health in the workplace is hotter than ever, many companies still have a lot of work to do to create an environment where employees could maintain their mental well-being.

Work-related mental health issues

Perhaps, the most common issue people have to deal with at work is stress. If your work makes you feel stressed out, you’re not alone. According to statistics, as much as 25% of people note that their job is the main factor that triggers their stress, and 85% of people, in general, experience work-related stress issues.

Although stress is extremely common, it shouldn’t be ignored. Chronic stress can have severe consequences for both one’s physical and mental well-being. Stress is one of the main risk factors when it comes to anxiety, sleep disorders, and many other problems.

Another common work-related problem is burnout. Prolonged or repeated stress can lead to burnout, which feels like a state of severe exhaustion: physical, mental, and emotional. Usually, burnout isn’t a result of multitasking and working long hours, although both these factors may increase the risk of burnout. The underlying roots of this problem, however, lie in a sense of self.

When a person doesn’t receive enough support or needs to pursue goals that don’t resonate with their inner values, they are likely to experience burnout pretty quickly. This problem, however, may also appear when working on a job that you genuinely enjoy, in case you don’t get enough rest.

Burnout vs. stress

Burnout usually manifests itself as a sense of repulsion toward one’s work accompanied by irritability, anger, and cynicism. Some people whose professions involve helping other people, such as doctors or first responders, may also feel compassion fatigue, being unable to feel as much empathy as they used to.

Although burnout is usually a result of extended periods of stress, stress itself may not be as harmful, especially if it’s not tied to a particular goal and is short-term. At the same time, severe chronic stress often causes or at least accompanies burnout.

How to deal with burnout

Although people of certain professions, such as doctors or law enforcement workers, are more likely to experience burnout at work, this problem is also common among everyone else. According to statistics, more than 50% of American workers have experienced burnout at least once.

Given that burnout is often associated with a lack of sense of purpose, making your job more meaningful can help. Everything that helps you feel valuable or make a significant impact can help you cope with burnout. If you’re feeling exhausted because of your job, a good vacation may help you remember other things worth living for. But sometimes, a good solution might be taking on more challenging tasks and responsibilities.

It can be difficult to determine the exact factors that caused burnout, but it’s important to understand the causes of burnout to find the right solution. Quite often, people notice the symptoms of burnout when they are already too intense, and it becomes difficult to pinpoint the exact root cause of burnout.

A licensed therapist can help you figure out what about your job or lifestyle could lead to burnout and suggest effective coping practices so that you can restore your energy, get back on track, and ensure professional and personal growth.

Types of therapy

While traditional therapy has always required clients to sit in the same room with a therapist, it’s not the case with online therapy. Even if you have an extremely busy schedule, you can find some time to send a text message to your therapist or schedule a video call to talk face-to-face.

Online therapy platforms like Calmerry can connect you with licensed therapists from your state, and you won’t need to commute to a therapist’s office. All you need is a mobile app. You can get matched with a therapist within an hour based on your symptoms.

There are different types of therapy, and people need different kinds of treatment depending on their symptoms and the type of problem. Here are some of the most common types of therapy that have proven to be effective.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

This type of talk therapy is probably the most common, and the reason why it’s so popular is that it’s effective. CBT is used to treat a vast range of mental health problems, including stress, burnout, depression, anxiety, and many more.

The main idea behind this type of therapy is that unwanted actions and emotions stem from unhelpful thinking patterns. Therefore, the goal of CBT is to identify these thinking patterns, challenge them, and ultimately replace them with helpful thoughts.

As a result, it becomes possible to overcome symptoms of various mental health disorders by addressing their root causes. CBT may involve not only conversations with a therapist but also homework with worksheets, journaling, and other practices.

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)

This is another common therapeutic modality that stems from CBT and has a lot in common with it. The main difference is that while CBT focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behavior, DBT seeks a balance between changing what can be changed and accepting what cannot be changed.

Usually, DBT is used when dealing with particularly strong emotions. This is a well-structured therapeutic modality that can be helpful when treating bipolar disorder and other problems.

Psychodynamic therapy

Rooted in Freud’s psychoanalysis theory, psychodynamic therapy significantly evolved and is also used today. While CBT and DBT focus on solving a specific problem, psychodynamic therapy has a more general approach and usually takes more time.

The goals of psychodynamic therapy are bringing unconscious processes in your mind into consciousness and enabling you to manage them so that you can cope with various emotional challenges.

Interpersonal therapy

This type of therapy is widely used when dealing with relationship problems and whenever a client needs to improve social skills. This type of therapy usually involves many roleplay exercises that imitate different social situations.

Getting started with therapy

Your mental health impacts all areas of your life, including your professional life. Stress and burnout can stop you from growing as a professional and achieving your career goals.

Talk therapy has proven to be effective when treating burnout, chronic stress, anxiety, and other work-related problems. Thanks to online therapy platforms like Calmerry, you can receive therapy with no need to leave your home.

All you have to do is complete a quick questionnaire about your symptoms, and you’ll be matched with a licensed therapist from your state within an hour. You deserve a more fulfilling life. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.