What is burnout: enthusiasm as a problem

Over-enthusiasm can ruin everything from the interview with the recruiter to getting the job done.

Let's talk about the flip side of initiative and find out what the catch is with the question from an HR manager, "What do you do in your spare time?"

Featured book: Life-Span Human Development by Carol Sigelman & Elizabeth Rider

What's the danger?

If you're genuinely passionate about your job, that's cool! But in a wave of enthusiasm, you can forget about personal boundaries.

How this manifests itself:

you take on more tasks than you should;staying late for an important project;you stay in touch at weekends and even on holiday;You do not see anything wrong in helping colleagues all the time.It's important to notice when the initiative turns into a curse and colleagues start to get on your neck. Otherwise, even the most beloved work will lead to burnout.

What kind of employees employers value

Appropriate companies recognise the problem of employee burnout. At the interview stage the employer will try to find out whether you know how to strike a good balance between work and private life.

"What do you do in your spare time?" - is a standard question of the recruiter at an interview. The question is not as simple as it may seem at first glance. What the recruiter is really checking is

whether you know how to relax and deal with stress;whether you recognise the importance of free time and hobbies;how quickly you'll burn out and how soon you'll have to be replaced.There is no right answer here. Be honest about your hobbies and interests, and if you can't find anything to say, wonder if you haven't lost yourself in the incessant overwork.

Why it's important

Let's parrot you a bit now. There's a cruel but true saying: 'The summit of Mount Everest is strewn with the corpses of very motivated people'.

Burnout could well be compared to professional death. In 2019, emotional burnout syndrome was included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). It is a dangerous condition that can lead to anxiety, severe stress and depression.

Signs of burnout:

In behaviour: boredom, reluctance to go to work, procrastination, tardiness, reduced creativity.Feelings: depression, depression, guilt, irritability.In health: sleep disorders, fatigue, exhaustion, reduced immunity.

Coping with burnout is so difficult that people quit their once favourite jobs to nowhere, visit psychotherapists and try to remember what they liked doing before. In the Career Workshop video course, for example, experts help participants rediscover themselves and discover their true interest and motivation in work.

How to distinguish your own initiative from the manipulation of others

If there is more and more work to do and less and less free time to do it, take some time to analyse the situation objectively. First try to understand: do you take so much on your own initiative or are you at the behest of the company and the team?

Alarm bells ringing at the company:

A toxic environment where overwork is encouraged;a highly competitive environment where you have to prove yourself all the time;a self-promoting boss who violates the personal boundaries of his subordinates.If this sounds familiar to you, consider changing jobs. The bosses at those companies are consuming, and it's a real burden to fight that corporate culture.

How to prevent burnout at work

If the toxic company atmosphere has nothing to do with it, follow some simple rules to prevent burnout:

Define clear times when you work and when you rest;Ask not to be disturbed after hours;Don't be afraid to say "no" to colleagues and refuse extra tasks;during your free time, switch to other activities and don't forget your hobbies;Take care of yourself and take time off as soon as you feel tired;Maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise.

At first, the effects of these small steps will seem subtle. In the long run, however, they will help you to build a healthy relationship with your work and prevent burnout. The main thing is to follow these rules clearly.