By Anusha Bapat

The overwhelming feeling of drowning in work isn’t very pleasant. Work burnout is a form of stress that leaves you physically and emotionally tired and unmotivated.

The common causes of this are heavy workload, long working hours and unclear expectations that leave you feeling unaccomplished. 

1.Seek support. Look for employee support programs at your workplace. Asking for different responsibilities can break you from feeling bored and tired of repetitive work. Share your thoughts and concerns with the people who genuinely care for you. 

2. Join a yoga or meditation class. Meditation and light exercise has been clinically proven to help with stress and anxiety. You may not get results right away but in the long run it is greatly beneficial to your body, mind and soul. It will stop you from depending on caffeine and alcohol too. Make time for meaningful things outside of work like spending time with your friends and journaling. Practicing affirmations and positive thinking help prevent lack of enthusiasm.

3. Ponder on the reasons you feel unsatisfied and discouraged at work. Address the root causes. Remind yourself of what you did differently when you actually loved the job. Some questions to ask yourself are: ‘What is causing the burnout- is it the work or people around me?’, ‘What can I do to stop feeling this way?’, ‘Am I only tired of this particular project or is it my role as a whole?’ 

4. Take some time off. Use this time to think about the future and whether your current job is accelerating you towards it. Taking a vacation can recharge you and improve your attitude towards work. If you dread work to a point where it takes away your sleep and happiness then it is a sign to recourse your life. Talking to a therapist or finding a new job can help solve your distress. 

Work burnout is a very common drawback in every professional’s life. Often it could be a result of a particular project. Although if it causes long term stress and adversely affects your physical and mental health,it may be a good idea to get professional help.