Professional burnout is a mental condition that is very closely akin to depression in terms of symptoms. It generally happens as a result of some problem at work. Sometimes it is an overall sense of dissatisfaction with a job that builds up over time, but it can also be related to some specific aspect of a job or even problems with certain co-workers. When someone suffers from professional burnout, the person may have a difficult time going to work every day, and it is also common for the individual to have trouble with staying on task. If something is not done about professional burnout, job performance may eventually suffer, and it can lead to various personal problems.
People who develop professional burnout are often relatively bored with their jobs, and they may feel that starting each day and heading to work is getting harder and harder with each passing week. While at work, they may constantly spend time thinking about other things besides their job. Even when these people come home, they may spend their off time dreading the eventual return to work. This can get to the point where the person isn’t really enjoying life anymore. It can also make an individual’s job performance falter to the point where he or she isn’t able to contribute in a positive way, and eventually, co-workers or managers may begin to notice this.
Professional burnout can happen because a person’s job involves some kind of repetitive activity with very little variation. Another cause for this problem is the feeling that there is no hope of advancement in a job, and people may begin to think that their lives are at a dead-end and that they have no way to make things better. Some people may experience professional burnout because their job doesn’t give them enough free time, while other have problems because they have to bring work home with them on a daily basis, and they never feel like they're really escaping their job responsibilities.
The solution to professional burnout can vary depending on the cause. Some people can potentially recover by taking a long vacation from work. In some cases, the solution may be more complex, and it could involve changing the approach to a job or finding something enjoyable to do at home so that it’s easier to escape from the job during rest periods. For some individuals, the only solution is to look for an entirely different way of making a living.
