America is seriously stressed out. According to The American Institute of Stress, even before the pandemic 94 percent of workers said that they regularly felt stressed. And more recently, the American Psychological Association reported that the country's collective stress had reached alarming levels. We all get busy sometimes, but feeling constantly and chronically swamped, worried, and overwhelmed can lead to burnout, which can have serious consequences.
Think of burnout as stress taken to another level. "Typically, burnout is defined as an extreme state of psychological strain," says YoungAh Park, an associate professor at the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois. It's a response to facing prolonged, chronic stressors that go beyond your ability or available resources to overcome.
Because so many of us frequently feel stressed, it can be hard to recognize when the line has been crossed.
True burnout is different from feeling overextended. Michael Leiter, a professor of psychology at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, explains, "Burnout combines three key dimensions: overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism, and a sense of discouragement, inadequacy, or low accomplishment." Feeling exhausted when you begin working is a red flag. "This is a sign that demands are building faster than you can recover from them," he says.
この記事は Reader's Digest US の September 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Reader's Digest US の September 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
GOTCHA!
We asked for it: What's the best prank you ever pulled?
KITT THE COURAGEOUS K-9
Officer Bill Cushing needed a partner. His dog needed a purpose. Together, they rescued each other.
Let's Dance!
It's good for your body, soul and even your brain
DISASTER ON THE RIVER
Two canoeists struggle to keep themselves and their friendship-afloat
WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THE STUFF WE RETURN
Think your rejects go back on the shelves? Think again.
Words to Live By
Poems offered me an anchor as I lost my son, so I shared them
LOST, FOUND, HOMEWARD BOUND
A collection of heart-thumping, tail-wagging, zoomies-inducing pet reunion tales
Paging Dr. AI
IF YOU'VE EVER Googled symptoms (and who hasn't?), you've probably scared yourself with a dire diagnosis, with no doctor there to vet the source and put the information in context. But we can't help ourselves. So can AI help?
The HEALTHY WELLNESS FROM THEHEALTHY.COM
A vaccine is finally on the way. In the meantime, here's how to protect yourself from ticks.
How to Speak Like a Midwesterner
FROM THE BOOK A GUIDE TO MIDWESTERN CONVERSATION