Designing Your New Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness--and a New Freedom--at Work

by Bill Burnett

Mayo Clinic defines job burnout this way: “Job burnout is a special type of work-related stress—a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” They have a ten-part questionnaire that you can use to decide if you are experiencing the symptoms of burnout. Ask yourself the following questions: Have you become cynical or overly critical at work? Do you have to drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started once you arrive? Have you become irritable or impatient with coworkers, customers, or clients? Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive? Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements? Do you feel disillusioned about your job? Are you using food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better or to simply not to feel anything? Have your sleep habits or appetite changed? Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, backaches, or other physical complaints? Answering yes to two or more of these questions might indicate that you are burned out, or well on your way. So how do we get from overwhelm to burnout? Mayo attributes it to a number of potential causes and triggers, such as: Lack of control. You are not able to influence decisions that affect your job, such as your schedule, assignments, or workload. Unclear job expectations. You’re unclear about the degree of authority you have or what your supervisor expects from you. Dysfunctional workplace dynamics. You work with an office bully, you...