On your best days, your job will make you feel driven, motivated, and enthusiastic. You’ll wake up in the morning excited by the idea of heading into the office and working hard to bring home awesome results. You’ll have clear goals in mind and an idea how to aim for them.
On your worst days, you’ll dread getting out of bed. Every second of your morning commute will feel like torture, and at the office, you’ll feel like a zombie, sliding back and forth between irritability, cynicism, and extreme stress or feelings of inadequacy.
We all have good days and bad days, but if the bad start to outnumber the good, take note: you may be approaching burnout.
Burnout brings with it many unfortunate, and avoidable, effects. Loss of enjoyment in your job is just the most obvious one. Feeling burnt out at work can lead people to quit a good job or abandon a potentially fulfilling, lucrative career — just because they didn’t learn to manage their stress and balance their lives well enough. But burnout affects all areas of your life. It can cause problems in your friendships and relationships, and even your health. Weight gain, drug use, the risk of heart conditions and poor decision-making can all be linked back to work-related stress and burnout.
The problem isn’t even limited to your life: the American Institute of Stress estimates that “workplace stress” takes $300 billion from the American economy each year in the form of health care costs, missed work, and stress-reduction measures.
What Causes Trader Burnout?
Even people who love the job won’t hesitate to admit that it’s hard work. Financial firms are high-stress environments and employees are expected to put in long hours. It’s all too easy to let the job take over your life and start neglecting other important things — even basic essentials like getting a decent amount of sleep every night.
Another factor is personality. The same personality traits that push would-be bankers to choose a demanding field of study, excel in school, land an excellent job and then relentlessly climb the corporate ladder are the same that make people vulnerable to burning out: intense ambition, extreme perfectionism, and stubborn refusal to leave any job unfinished.
This can lead people to always feel like they’re not doing enough, maintaining a constant level of stress and fear of failure. When you remain in a constant state of stress for too long without giving yourself adequate breaks, you’ll start succumbing to the symptoms of burnout.
Stay Balanced
Avoiding burnout is a matter of maintaining balance in your life. It’s easier said than done, but even in a non-stop, ultra-demanding career, you can still carve out time for yourself and the things that make you happy. Take time to exercise, even if it’s just a brisk 30-minute walk. Remember that no amount of caffeine can truly stand in for adequate sleep, so make it a priority to get the at least the bare minimum of rest that you require to function well and feel good. Think about your daily routine and identify time-wasters that you can cut out, allowing you to maximize your productivity and give yourself more time to enjoy yourself after work.
And most importantly, be honest with yourself and your coworkers when you feel that you’re reaching a breaking point. Everyone in this field can relate to its hardships, so find a mentor you can confide in and take their advice seriously. Practicing good self-care is just as essential as working hard when it comes to ensuring professional success.
Contributed by Saraval Industries
