Know What Burnout Looks Like, and How to Extinguish the Flames
Working in finance jobs can certainly be pressurized. As the financial sector navigates its way through a testing pandemic, individuals are at risk of burnout.
According to a 2021 research study by Ketchum, 52% of employees in professional and finance jobs feel more burned out in their job now than they did at the beginning of the pandemic.
You must take responsibility for your own health, wellbeing, and career in finance. In this article, we’ll tell you all you need to know about burnout.
What Is Burnout?
Burnout is a mental state of physical and emotional exhaustion brought on by excessive and prolonged stress. It means that someone has reached their mental or physical limits, or both.
When people experience burnout, they often feel disillusioned and may find it difficult to maintain their quality of performance. They may also feel like quitting the job that made them burn out in the first place.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Burnout?
The same employee study outlined how over half of burned-out finance workers cited the following reasons as causes:
- Financial obligations (38%)
- Being isolated from others (34%)
- Their job (30%)
Other triggers for burnout include:
- Too much responsibility without support
- Working in an unpleasant environment or with a toxic boss or colleague
- A poor work-life balance
Your finance job should not be exposing you to these elements.
How to Recognize Signs of Burnout Early and Take Action before It’s Too Late
Often, burnout can be left to fester and mistaken for regular pressures of your job – until it’s too late, and detrimental to your health, happiness, and performance. Here are some signs to look out for:
- Feelings of stress, anxiety, and agitation
- Fatigue and loss of energy
- A feeling of reduced motivation
- Memory problems
- Problems with reasoning or concentration
- Fatigue and loss of energy
- Feeling depressed, and tearfulness for no apparent reason
- Lack of interest in hobbies and activities you used to enjoy doing
If any of these sound familiar, you must take action immediately.
Tips for Reducing Burnout & Enhancing Your Work-Life Balance
The best ailment to burnout is to prevent it. Here’s how:
- Take breaks throughout the day by taking a walk, reading a book, or doing something else that relaxes you.
- Resist the urge for perfectionism. It’s impossible to be perfect all the time, so don’t beat yourself up when you make mistakes.
- Know your limits and delegate responsibilities that are not part of your job description.
- Practice better time management skills by establishing priorities and sticking with them while recognizing which tasks are of lower priority or require delegation.
- Set boundaries. Switch off from work when the day is done, and go to bed at a reasonable time.
- Ensure self-care, insisting your work allows time for you to do the things you love doing, and need done to recuperate.
- Identify needless pressures or unachievable deadlines that are negatively impacting the quality of your work and performance. Consider what could help you – more time, training, or colleagues? More autonomy?
- Talk to your boss. Ask for a private meeting, and discuss how you’ve made changes yourself and how they can help you avoid burnout and enjoy and achieve more in your finance job.
- Does your boss take action? Or do you continue to feel overwhelmed? Consider your career options. Don’t be afraid to look for finance jobs that would better suit and support your career, personal life, and wellbeing.
Reduce Your Chances of Experiencing Burnout
How? By making sure you have a job you love, and that fits in with your lifestyle and other life goals. It’s crucial you first identify that you’re suffering burnout to know action is required. Your boss may be unaware of how you’re feeling, and be able to provide the tools, time, and support you need to ensure you enjoy your job.
But if you’ve taken all the actions we’ve discussed in this article and still feel stuck in a rut, don’t suffer. You can still have a career matched to your skillset without leaving you feeling burned out and unhappy.
Submit your resume to ACG Resources. We’re here to connect you to the fulfilling and rewarding career you deserve.
