Employee burnout is a real crisis
If there’s one condition that’s plaguing organizations across the globe, then it’s employee burnout. Cases of employee burnout have reached such a point that the World Health Organization (WHO) has given it the official status of an “occupational phenomenon.” As per a recent study conducted by Gallup, about two-thirds of workers working full-time face burnout at work.
Unfair treatment at work, low motivation, low compensation, personal issues, lack of clarity of goals, and unreasonable work pressure can quickly cause employees to fall into the shackles of burnout, leading them to utterly distressing and unproductive times.
Signs of burnout
For project managers, the situation becomes highly opportunistic because they have many tasks to juggle and many stakeholders to please. While these times may seem extremely challenging for them to go through, there are ways to cope, provided they are mindful of some warning signs of burnout. Here goes the list:
1. Feeling physically and mentally drained
Chronic fatigue is a clear sign of burnout. It’s the stage when both the physical body and the mind refuse to function (or rather find it difficult to function). Prolonged tiredness felt by project managers is a matter of concern and should be addressed at the earliest.
2. A fall in efficiency and performance
When project managers experience burnout, it’s natural for them to see their ability to work plummet significantly. Even the simplest of tasks start becoming unattainable chores—something that holds them back from advancing.
3. Frequent absenteeism
An increase in absenteeism of project managers is a sign that something is wrong and needs an open discussion. Even the problem may be personal and not work-related, it can still cause people to experience burnout.
4. Frequent health complaints
Headaches, digestive problems, and sleep problems become highly opportunistic when project managers undergo serious stress. These health conditions, when experienced frequently, can greatly affect their work.
5. Mood changes
Sadness, depression, anxiety, anger, and lack of motivation step in when a person experiences burnout. More often than not, these underlying emotional problems show up as physical conditions and prevent project managers from performing efficiently.
6. Addiction
Sometimes, the distress from the prevailing situation becomes too much to bear, often pushing stressed project managers to resort to external means of coping. This can include excessive smoking, drinking, and even narcotics.
7. Negative thinking patterns
Lastly, project managers who experience burnout often slip into negative thinking patterns. They start to look at everything through tainted glasses. They lose the motivation to work, enjoy and live. This can also manifest as social withdrawal, decreased sense of accomplishment, and a feeling of helplessness.
