Take Our Quiz to Find Out(Part One of a Two-Part Series)
You have just survived a taxing tax season and find that you just don’t feel like yourself these days. Perhaps you’re lethargic or just can’t get excited about work like you used to. Are you experiencing burnout? Burnout is the result of physical, mental, and/or emotional exhaustion caused by your job. Generally it’s brought on by too much stress and anxiety. Don’t panic. This doesn’t mean you have quit your business. It’s perfectly understandable, and treatable. Take our 10-question quiz to see if you’re a little crisp around the edges.
1. Do you dread going to your office?
This is a telltale sign of burnout. If you find yourself avoiding your office, finding excuses to stay away, or bracing yourself for work that was once enjoyable, you need to consider what has changed. Tracing the burnout back through your symptoms and to the cause will help you better deal with the stressors that are making you feel overwhelmed.
2. Are you feeling unmotivated and depressed?
Often apathy and sadness are emotional signs that you’re struggling with burnout. Consider what, specifically, is making you feel this way. Diagnosing your ailment is only helpful when it enables you to pinpoint what’s causing it.
3. Are you suffering from physical ailments like backache, headache, insomnia, or high blood pressure?
Your body will respond to stressful situations to let you know they need to be addressed. Instead of masking the ailments with medication or chemical substances (see number seven) you should look to the root of the problem to see how it might be eliminated. Perhaps it’s the stress that has made you feel burned out.
4. Is your work suffering?
If you find it takes longer to do ordinary tasks and the quality of your work has declined, chances are you’re feeling overwhelmed by your job and all that it entails.
5. Are you avoiding clients and other tax professionals?
When you’re experiencing job burnout, you develop an aversion for things you once enjoyed. Often that includes those that you work for or share common interests with.
6. Are you irritable?
Things that didn’t bother you much before suddenly become extremely frustrating. You may recognize that your temper has a shorter fuse and you’re taking your anger out on people that you care about, putting relationships at risk.
7. Have you turned to chemical substances for support?
Some people try to cope with burnout by turning to sleeping pills, caffeinated beverages, and cigarettes. This can lead to the abuse of harder substances like drugs and alcohol. If you find yourself turning to chemical substances for support, you need resolve this problem as soon as possible.
8. Do you find yourself consumed with anxiety about unfinished tasks?
Often those with burnout don’t leave the office even after they’ve turned out the light and shut the door. If you find yourself consumed with the stress and anxiety regarding your job and are distracted by work when alone with friends and family or when you should be sleeping, than chances are you’re burned out.
9. Have you lost the excitement and passion you once felt for your work?
You got into this business because it was something you enjoyed and could get excited about. If you’ve lost that lovin’ feeling, you need to determine what has chased it away.
10. Do you live day-to-day rather than look with great anticipation towards the future?
When you’re consumed with the stress and anxiety of your job and have lost sight of your future, than you need to take a step back and ask yourself what’s causing you to feel that way.If you’ve answered “yes” to three of more of the above questions than you’re probably experiencing job burnout. Thankfully, diagnosing the problem is half the battle. Once you determine that you’re experiencing burnout you can find out exactly what stressors are causing you to feel overwhelmed and unmotivated. This week consider what’s triggering your most difficult symptoms and join us next week when we discuss ways to overcome this common career ailment.
