Burnout
has been in the news lately. That's
because the World Health Organization recently upgraded it from a "state"
of exhaustion to "a syndrome" resulting from "chronic workplace
stress." (Friedman, 2019)
I'm
wondering why they included "workplace" in the definition since
non-workplace stress can be equally debilitating and I find that stress is cumulative.
But I
was reminded of an article from last October that discussed stress among
doctors, and mentioned that the doctors themselves thought more work might be
the solution. (Mukherjee, 2018)
The
idea is consistent with Viktor Frankl's book - "Man's Search for Meaning"
and is based on the concept that what is burning people out is the daily grind of their jobs, which makes it difficult for them to find meaning in their work. Paperwork, long hours, and lack of respect can suck the life out of anyone. What they didn't mention was boredom.
Yes. That's sounds like an oxymoron. How can someone be really busy but still
bored? It's easy. Doing the same thing day in and day out is a
soul crusher.
So
even though I was crazy busy at work, I was essentially unfulfilled. The solution?
More work.
Specifically
giving me to a short time assignment on a pro bono account. It provided both a change of pace from my routine
duties and an opportunity to do some good.
I didn't mind at all that I was working additional hours.
And
yes. It helped my burnout considerably.
:-)
Friedman,
R. (2019, June 3) Is Burnout Real? nytimes.com
Retrieved June 11, 2019, from
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