Americans work more hours than anyone else in the world, but the extra hours can actually backfire, leading to decreased productivity and chronic stress.
Though not yet an official medical condition, job burnout is the greatest challenge to the global health system and stress-related symptoms are expected to get worse as the workplace becomes more global and competitive.
If you experience the following signs that we've compiled from studies and research, you may be heading toward job burnout and should reconsider your work-life balance.
You can't concentrate.
Chronic physical and mental exhaustion can lead to various cognitive problems, such as an inability to concentrate, hold attention, and remember things.You'll find that it's harder to get things done and you simply can't keep up the way you used to.
David Ballard from The American Psychological Association says that our brains are only designed to handle stress in short bursts before returning to normal, so "when stress becomes chronic, this narrow focus continues for a long time and we have difficulty paying attention to other things.”
You always have too much to do.
Do you always feel like you should be working more?
According to a study from the University of Zaragoza, "frenetic burnout" types are "involved and ambitious subjects who sacrifice their health and personal lives for their jobs."
You feel guilty.
You're constantly working, but can't seem to get all of your work done (maybe because your work load is too heavy or you can't concentrate) and you eventually feel guilty for not completing your work, which leads to working even more.
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