According to Statista 5.9 out of 1,000 health insurance members were unable to work due to burnout in 2019. If this is calculated for all those with statutory health insurance in Germany, it comes to 185,000 burnout sufferers for each year.
The study also showed an increase in the average number of sick days due to burnout. While in 2005, for example, only 13.9 days of incapacity to work out of 1,000 health insurance members were due to a burnout diagnosis, in 2019 the amount of sick days increased up to 129.9.
What exactly is burnout?
Burnout is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion. In the catalogue of the International Classification of Diseases diagnoses, burnout is described as "problems related to difficulties in coping with life".
Burnout is therefore not a mental illness in its own right, but rather a work-related demand that leads to stress symptoms (e.g. sleep disorders, nightmares, increased blood pressure, palpitations, nausea, sexual problems, strong weight gain or loss, increased nicotine, alcohol or caffeine consumption) and the feeling of being overwhelmed. Other burnout symptoms may include feelings of powerlessness and helplessness, feelings of inner emptiness, crumbling self-esteem, pessimism, anxiety or dejection.
Most of the time, these warning signs are not recognised early, so they persist for weeks and months having devastating effects on one's performance (e.g. dwindling creativity; inability to cope with complex tasks; problems making decisions).
The lack of energy then also results in sufferers becoming increasingly indifferent to everything, often feeling bored, withdrawing from friends and family and eventually becoming lonely.
In the final burnout phase, the feeling of helplessness increases and becomes general hopelessness. Everything seems to be pointless in this phase and the person affected no longer knows what to do with their life. In addition, due to his increased indifference, it is difficult for them to find joy in anything and they finally sinks into a severe burnout depression.
Ultimately, the development of burnout is a question of resilience, because every person reacts differently to stress. There are people who can hardly withstand even moderate pressure, and even a little pressure is enough to set the burnout vicious circle in motion.
Others, on the other hand, cope well even with very heavy stress of everyday life. However, there are also situations that are so stressful for everyone that only very few people manage to get through them without a burnout. Therefore, even very resilient people are obviously not protected from burnout. In the following, I have listed the best methods and strategies with which you can avoid burnout in the first place.
Burnout prevention
Be aware of your own needs: Try to take care of your own wants and needs instead of slaving away for the dreams of your bosses. What is really important to you? Are you really happy and satisfied with your life or are you just living for others?
Relaxation techniques: Since stress is a burnout driver, it is advisable to actively counteract it! Relaxation techniques such as autogenic training or progressive muscle relaxation are very helpful.
Maintain social contacts: Social contacts are one of the most important factors in burnout prevention. Contact with loved ones provides people with the necessary balance to their working life. Therefore, ask yourself whether you still have time for your loved ones, friends and family, or whether you are just lonely vegetating constantly on your way home from work.
Define clear goals in life: Find out which goals are really important to you in life and use your energy in a targeted way. Also try to distance yourself from any ideas that have been instilled in you by other people such as your father or mother. Only in this way is it possible to protect yourself from energy-sapping plans and projects that ultimately do not satisfy you.
Distance yourself from perfectionism: People who are prone to burnout often have very ambitious goals and want to do everything perfectly and please everyone. For this reason, they are also very quickly pushed into excessive demands. Therefore, one should always keep in mind that nobody is perfect and that mistakes are part of success!
Healthy lifestyle: The basic building block of burnout prevention is a healthy lifestyle. Without a balanced diet and sufficient sleep, no one can protect themselves from burnout. Above all, regular sport and plenty of exercise help to reduce stress. Try to limit the consumption of stimulants such as nicotine and caffeine or stimulants such as alcohol and sugar. This will help you feel fitter and not live beyond your personal limits.
My conclusion:
Focus more on yourself and your own dreams, desires and goals instead of constantly following a plan to fulfil the dreams of your superiors and other people completely neglecting yourself. Try to build a life where you do the 8 hours of work every day for your dreams and goals, instead of slaving away for 8 hours for someone else all your life, coming home exhausted every day and never having time for yourself and your loved ones. Because there is nothing that makes a person happier than self-fulfilment. Especially if you can also monetise your favourite activity well. And in this day and age, thanks to digitalisation, that's really not difficult. If you would like to learn more about how you can build and monetise your own online business, then simply send us an email with the subject "Online Business Building & Monetisation". We look forward to hearing from you!
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