Photo by Christian Erfurt on UnsplashHave you ever felt emotionally, mentally, or physically exhausted? As if you have nothing left to give? Every day makes you feel bad. Do you feel completely drained while completing tasks? Whatever you do, you see no point. You have lost your former interests, become indifferent, hopeless and helpless. You are no longer able to respond to the demands of everyday life. According to the World Health Organization, burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic stress at work. Characteristics of burnout include feelings of exhaustion, mental distance from work, negative work attitudes, and decreased performance. American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger first wrote about burnout in 1974. His work was based on observing volunteers (including himself) at a free drug rehabilitation clinic. He described the symptoms of burnout as exhaustion due to an inability to respond to increasing demands, as well as physical symptoms such as insomnia, headaches and anger. What is burnout? Physical symptoms of burnout: changes in sleeping and eating habits, headaches, muscle pain, physical exhaustion and fatigue. The most common behavioral changes are: isolating from others, avoiding work, being late for work or leaving early, using food, drugs or alcohol to solve problems. Emotional symptoms include feelings of loss, meaninglessness, stuck, loss of motivation, negative attitude, and loss of satisfaction. Burnout cannot be prevented by slowing down work, extending rest periods, or reducing work hours. When people are stressed, they continue to struggle because they are under pressure. But in a state of burnout, people can no longer function. Burnout is much more than just exhaustion. It is a deep feeling of loss of meaning and helplessness, mental and physical exhaustion, frequent mood swings, impatience, short temper, loss of motivation and interest, inability to take on responsibilities or responsibilities, decreased immunity, isolation from colleagues and social situations, helplessness and hopelessness, depressed mood, sleep problems, foggy thinking, problems with attention and concentration. Burnout and stress are not the same thing. Stress is characterized by increased involvement, hyperactivity, loss of energy, anxiety disorders and physical suffering. On the contrary, burnout is a decrease in engagement, dulling of emotions, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, loss of motivation, ideals and hope, depressed mood and emotional distress. Burnout can be caused by a feeling of lack of control over the work that a person has to do, lack of reward for achievements, unclear expectations and prospects at work, monotonous and unchallenging work, working in a chaotic environment, taking on too much responsibility, the feeling that everything depends only on you and there is no one to help, a tendency towards perfectionism and pessimism, an excessive need for control, lack of emotional boundaries, working too long without breaks, rest and relaxation. How to prevent burnout? Before takeoff, a flight attendant will say, among other things: “Before you help others, first put on your oxygen mask.” Here are some tips to prevent burnout at work. After all, when you run a red light, it’s difficult to force yourself to return.* Delegate tasks. You don't have to do everything yourself. You don't need to know everything better than everyone else. There are other people who specialize in jobs that are a burden to you. They may not do the job perfectly as you expect, but they will do it for you. Good communication leads to good cooperation. Be clear about what to expect and by when.* Find balance in your life. Work and life are not synonymous. Find time.