|
|
|
An ADD Case Study: When the Pace Picks Up, Learn to Slow Down
The fall season signals a shift in most people's minds. The summer is coming to a close, and it's back to school, work, and the other things that we haven't put as much effort into since Memorial Day. Many ADDers welcome this shift, as boredom...
EQ vs. IQ
DEFINITIONS EQ - is a measure of your emotional intelligence, or your ability to use both your emotions and cognitive skills in your life. Emotional intelligence competencies include but are not limited to empathy, intuition, creativity,...
Gain back your time and eliminate stress
Work, meetings, deadlines, appointments, telephone calls, shopping, taking the dogs out etc. – all these are things most people have to accomplish daily. Most of the times, on the waiting list there are other things like: family, friends and even...
Stress Symptoms
Stress relief and management Recognizing stress symptoms can be a positive influence in that we're compelled to take action. The sooner the better. It's not always easy to discern why the stress in each situation but some of the more common events...
The High Cost of Anger - Part 1
Learn to manage your feelings for better health. Suppose you are standing in the ‘express’ lane of a supermarket checkout. You see that the third person ahead of you has about 25 items and is paying by check when the signage clearly restricts this...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preventing Mid-Career Burnout Article
Jeremy had all the symptoms of mid-career burnout.
A 29-year-old buyer in the purchasing office of a Bay Area company for four years, he was having a hard time staying focused and completing projects at work. He also had low energy, no enthusiasm and a negative attitude toward his job. Worst of all, he simply did not want to go to work when his alarm clock would ring in the morning.
“The pay wasn’t bad, and I had good benefits and vacation time,” Jeremy said. “I had a lot of reasons to stay, actually, but I was feeling totally burned out. I had the job down. It was beyond routine. My work was mindless and I couldn’t handle the repetition any more.”
Jeremy’s symptoms of mid-career burnout are very common. Many people start to burn out after working at a job for more than a few years or once they have mastered a profession. Burnout is a major reason for people switching careers. In today’s day and age, people are expected to make five to seven career or job changes in their work life. The U.S. Labor Department says the average 34-year-old has held nine full- or part-time jobs since entering the workforce.
One of the first things you should do if you are experiencing the symptoms of mid-career burnout is to assess the causes of these feelings by asking yourself the following questions:
Has the job become routine with no further challenges?
Are there growth opportunities in the company?
Has the field or industry become stagnant?
Are jobs being shipped overseas or to other parts of the country?
Are there opportunities for professional development?
Is there too much stress or not enough to do (either one extreme or the other)?
Has the company downsized or reorganized too many times?
By asking these questions, Jeremy figured out his problem: He was frustrated with the lack of growth opportunities at his job.
Some questions that can help you refocus include:
What motivated you to get into the profession or work you are in?
Did you plan it or did you just fall into it?
Was there a time when you were excited, and if so what types of projects or tasks were you working on then?
Do your values match the company’s?
Do you like who you are working for?
Are you staying current in your industry or field?
What have you tried to remedy the situation?
In Jeremy’s case, some introspection led him to changing career paths completely.
Jeremy has always been passionate about music. While he was a student at the University of San Francisco, he majored in communications with a music industry focus. He is also an avid drummer who has played in a few different bands. Getting a job in the music industry was something he always wanted to do, so he decided
to conduct some informational interviews with people in the music industry and discovered that he could transfer his purchasing skills to being a buyer or sales rep for a music store. He ended up fulfilling his desire and eventually found a job as a sales representative for a company that sells musical equipment in the Bay Area.
Another strategy to fix the problem of mid-career burnout is to look for a similar position in a different setting. Sometimes what people need is a change of scenery: Doing similar tasks in a smaller company, or for a company in another state or country, could be a positive career move. You should also consider changing industries. For example, a person working in human resources in the high tech industry might want to stay in human resources but move to the healthcare industry.
The easiest option is to look within your own company to see what the opportunities might be. Don’t overlook this possibility. Your company may not want to lose you if you are adding value to the organization. Plus, if you leave you may walk out with a great deal of knowledge and expertise they may not be able to replace. For example, if you are working in sales and feeling burned out, consider moving into marketing or management. It would be a good idea to talk to people in various departments to learn what they do. Ask questions and find out about the training or educational background needed to move into these departments.
Another option for those suffering from burnout is going back to school to obtain an advanced degree or certificate. Returning to school can be a way to re-energize your career, because when we are learning we are growing and developing. Many people become transformed when they are engaged in learning new things either through extension courses, certificate programs or online learning programs. If you are unsure of what program to take, consider signing up or auditing a couple different types of classes in subjects that interest you.
The next steps for people like Monette are to research classes in their areas of interest online by visiting sites such as SearchForClasses.com and by talking to admissions reps at the schools or programs they are interested in. They should also find out how long the programs will take and whether their workplace has tuition reimbursement.
There is no reason to stay stuck and continue feeling burned out at your job. There are remedies out there to help you move forward. What can help is taking action and experimenting to see what you want to explore and investigating further. A more exciting career could be waiting for you. Just ask Jeremy.
Linda Warren is a writer for http://www.searchforclasses.com/ To read more of his articles and to learn more about online education visit http://www.searchforclasses.com/newsletter/
|
|
|
|
|
| Stress Management Tips and Techniques from Mind Tools |
| More than 100 stress management tips and techniques, helping you manage the job-related stress in your life. |
| www.mindtools.com |
|
| Stress Management Techniques, Stress Relief & Stress Reduction ... |
| Mind Tools helps you manage the causes of stress and teaches useful stress management techniques. |
| www.mindtools.com |
|
| Stress Management |
| Stress Management. What is Stress? Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical ... |
| www.ivf.com |
|
| Stress Management: Information and Resources on Stress From About.com |
| Find a wide variety of stress management strategies you can use in your daily life. Learn about the causes and effects of stress, healthy and effective ... |
| stress.about.com |
|
| Stress Management |
| Links to stress management information on the web. |
| www.pp.okstate.edu |
|
| Links to Stress Related Resources |
| Return to the Stress Management and Emotional Wellness Page ... Cognitive Restructuring Approaches to Stress Management ... |
| www.imt.net |
|
| International Stress Management Association(UK) |
| The leading professional body for stress management. The ISMA website has articles from their journal Stress News, links and general advice on lifestyle and ... |
| www.isma.org.uk |
|
| Stress Management for Patient and Physician |
| Stress management for patient and physician. Stress is the most common cause of ill health, probably underlying as many as 70% of all visits to family ... |
| www.mentalhealth.com |
|
| Stress Management: Counseling Services, University at Buffalo |
| The description on stress management. ... Stress Management. Introduction Stress is a part of day to day living. As college students you may experience ... |
| ub-counseling.buffalo.edu |
|
| Stress Management and Anxiety Relief |
| Welcome to stressmanagement.co.uk - We specialise in managing your stress. |
| www.stressmanagement.co.uk |
|
| Stress Management for effective ways to manage stress |
| Our stress management services allows you to find the solutions to all types of stress. We also have professional stress management counsellors available 7 ... |
| www.stressmanagement.com.au |
|
| Stress Management--UIUC Counseling Center |
| Self-help Brochures. What is Stress? Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; ... |
| www.couns.uiuc.edu |
|
| The Stress Management Society |
| Congratulations to taking the first step to freedom from the stress trap. This is the place to learn more about stress and its management. |
| www.stress.org.uk |
|
| Stress management - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Stress management encompasses techniques intended to equip a person with effective ... Definition of stress: Stress management defines stress precisely as a ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Stress |
| Stress Management. Everyone experiences stress from time to time, so it is perfectly normal ... Fortunately, stress management is largely a learnable skill. ... |
| www.cyberpsych.com |
|
| SBC Academic Resource Center | Stress Management |
| With stress management training, you can learn to avoid procrastination and other stress-producing situations. Stress Quiz: How Stressed Are You? ... |
| www.arc.sbc.edu |
|
| Mind Tools - How to Master Stress |
| 3. Stress Management Techniques. Raising Stress Levels - Psyching Up · Stress Reduction Techniques · Reducing Short-Term Stress - Mental Techniques ... |
| www.psywww.com |
|
| Stress, stress management, occupational stress, stress prevention ... |
| A recent survey showed that 70-90% of us feel stressed at work and outside. Unless we learn to manage stress, we will get sick. |
| www.holisticonline.com |
|
| HSE - Stress Management Standards Homepage |
| The International Stress Management Association has produced a leaflet showing how employees can work with their employers to tackle work-related stress ... |
| www.hse.gov.uk |
|
| Stress Management Tips for Stressed and Overworked People. |
| Free weekly stress management tips and relaxation CD plus practical resources for stressed people. |
| www.stresstips.com |
|
|