Summer vacation season is upon us once again. If you're nearing the end of your rope at work, it may have arrived just in the nick of time.

While a much-deserved vacation can do wonders to alleviate workplace stress and recharge your physical, emotional and intellectual batteries, it's not always a cure-all. This is especially true if the exhaustion brought on by a demanding work situation is causing job burnout.

The term burn out once referred only to fuses or light bulbs that had worn out and extinguished. But since 1974, when an American psychologist first used burnout to describe symptoms of exhaustion, the word is now commonly associated with workers whose flames of professional passion and productivity have been snuffed out.

Unlike a light bulb, which ceases abruptly, job burnout is a gradual response to long-term work stress. It makes you feel increasingly powerless, hopeless, fatigued and frustrated.

According to the Mayo Clinic, you may be more likely to experience job burnout if you identify so strongly with work that you lack a reasonable balance in the rest of your life.

The same is true if you constantly strive to be everything to everyone, especially for those working in a "helping" profession such as health care, teaching, counselling or law enforcement. Finally, people who are stuck in monotonous jobs or believe they have little or no control over the work they do are also likely to burn out faster.

Since the onset of burnout does not occur in a sudden flash, it is important to recognize the early warning signs before it can escalate into a serious health issue. Among them:

• Your co-workers comment on your cranky mood. If people have been asking "what's wrong?" or are walking on eggshells so as to not set you off, there may be a problem extending beyond occasional irritability and interpersonal dynamics.
• You've been coming in late and leaving earlier. Burnout makes for a painfully long day starting with dragging yourself out of bed, forcing yourself to work, then watching the clock until you can finally count down the minutes to escape.
• Your enthusiasm has been replaced by apathy. People who are disillusioned by their jobs express it in a spectrum of ways. Lethargy and indifference can be signs of tuning out while becoming cynical, critical or sarcastic are more aggressive reactions.
• You're no longer interested in camaraderie. If you used to enjoy laughing and socializing with co-workers, going for lunch and participating in company functions but now only want to be left alone, consider it a red flag.
• You're experiencing physical symptoms of stress. Common indicators of stress are fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, insomnia and weight fluctuations. This can be compounded if you are self-medicating with food, alcohol or drugs to feel better.

If you recognize yourself in any of these symptoms, do not ignore them. Experts recommend that the first course of action in preventing job burnout is to talk to your supervisor or someone in the HR department to alleviate some of your stress. Perhaps there is a way to redefine your role or reconfigure your work load by altering demands, changing deadlines or by delegating work to others.

Finally, give yourself permission to take a break. A vital part of stress management is getting plenty of rest, so no matter how critical you believe your job us, take your earned holiday time and get away from work.

Unwinding in a completely different environment helps to shake off those overwhelming emotions and negative thoughts that can lead to burnout while reminding you about what is most important in life.

Viva vacation!

Source: www.mayoclinic.com

-- With reporting by Barbara Chabai

John McFerran, PhD, F.CHRP, is founder and vice president of executive recruiting with People First HR Services Ltd. For more information, visit www.peoplefirsthr.com.

RESEARCH:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/burnout/wl00062

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/worklife/07/30/cb.burnout/index.html

http://www.execbuddy.com/blog/careers-and-employment/10-tips-to-avoid-job-burnout-burn-brightly-instead/

Six Causes of Job Burnout

While it is entirely possible to overcome burnout, it is first important to understand the source of your stress and anxiety at work. Job burnout can result from:

1. Lack of control. Imagine the powerlessness that comes with an inability to influence decisions affecting your job, from work hours to the amount of work being done.
2. Unclear job expectations. Not having a grasp on what you are to do, your degree of authority or the necessary resources to complete your work can be frustrating.
3. Dysfunctional dynamics. Being forced to work with an office bully, an undermining colleague or a micromanaging boss will wear you down.
4. Mismatch in values. Stress stems from the internal conflict of not having your values align with the way your organization does business or deals with people.
5. Poor job fit. Staying in a role that doesn't jibe with your natural interests and skills will only leave you frazzled.
6. Extremes of activity. A chaotic job that requires constant energy will deplete your productivity and drain your physical and emotional resources.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 26, 2010 I2