De Guzman pointed out that feeling exhausted from our jobs means we over-committed ourselves to tasks that are causing us stress for a prolonged period. "If you stick to that over-commitment, you will continue to feel burnout and dissatisfaction with your job, even if you love what you do," he warned.
When asked about the most common burnout symptoms, the coach explained that there are a variety of different signs. However, he mentioned these three key indications:
- Exhaustion — feeling tired and low in energy
- Cynicism — negativity and detachment from work or people
- Reduced professional efficacy — inability to cope, reduced productivity or morale
"The longer you don't take care of your symptoms, the more detrimental burnout will be to your health. The symptoms can become more major with severe illnesses, anxiety disorder, physical or mental collapse, or deep feelings of being lost and unsure," De Guzman said.
The burnout coach explained that one thing can tremendously help in finding relief from stress, and that’s finding humor in funny videos, memes, or other forms of content that can take away our thoughts from demanding situations. "There is comfort in knowing you're not the only one suffering from similar struggles. It's good to know that there are other working people going through something similar and can support you by laughing along with you or providing helpful advice if reasonable," he told us.
However, this is only a temporary solution. "Humor is only one helpful source for our health. It's not the only source," he said. If you want to improve your mental and emotional health, these are some of the helpful sources De Guzman suggested: "Rest, reflection exercises, self-compassion, doing more things aligning with your values, proper nutrition, body movement."
"Focus on what you value in life. The more we align our life to our values, the easier it is for us to become happier more frequently," he said. "If you overcommit to something along the way, have the self-awareness to re-balance yourself using: boundaries, time-management, prioritization, planning, or self-love. If your job doesn't align with your values, make progress towards aligning your career to something more meaningful for you," De Guzman concluded.
