Share This Article
The big word is ‘I can’t do it anymore, I’m burned out’. Gradually you tell the people around you what is happening to you. In my case, there really was no one who saw that coming. No, everyone was more shocked and confused. They didn’t understand that I was the one who ended up at home. “I never expected that from you!” was the most common response.
While talking to people who have experienced the same thing, I discovered that we burnouters have a lot of qualities in common. Properties that in this case have contributed to becoming ill. Often because we are so critical of ourselves, we forget to see how powerful these qualities are. By recognizing your strong qualities, you can work on developing these qualities a little more. These qualities can be a source of strength.
ALSO READ: 4 Reasons To Indicate Your Limits
1 You are a loyal person
Loyalty is a wonderful character trait. For example, you are committed to the company you work for. You adjust your own behavior to the needs, priorities and goals of the company. You are a valuable asset to the company. You will always commit yourself 100%. You are involved in what happens on the work floor and will make yourself available if your manager needs you.
The pitfall is excessive loyalty where you expect too much from yourself, your colleagues and your manager. These unrealistic expectations cause problems and often evoke feelings of frustration, disappointment and anger. You cannot let go of work and thoughts, even if this means that you have to work in your free time.
2 You are a social person.
You can empathize with others. The most important thing is that everyone has a good time together. You like to make time for others and there is always room for the other person’s opinion or feelings. When you see that someone is having a hard time, you don’t hesitate to offer a helping hand, even if that means putting your needs aside for a while. You are a good team player and team leader. With you there is space and respect for everyone.
The pitfall is to become a ‘pleaser’. You put your own needs aside because someone else’s is more important than yours. The fear that people won’t like you makes it difficult for you to say no. Guarding your boundaries is important here.
ALSO READ: My Journey to Recovery: How I Ultimately Overcame Burnout
3 You take responsibility
You feel you are a co-owner of the challenges and problems that arise in the workplace. If the manager knows you, he or she never doubts whether you have completed your tasks. If you encounter a bottleneck during work, you will take the initiative to raise this with your manager. You have probably already thought about what you can contribute to the solution. You are a great employee because you can work independently. You don’t wait but prefer to take action so that everything happens on time and in the right way.
The pitfall is feeling responsible for the work and behavior of others. You take on too much and have difficulty delegating because you do not trust that others will take responsibility.
4 You are an assertive person
When you start something, you are well prepared. You consider what the situation means to you and how you can best handle it. You are good at analyzing, planning and organizing. Where others encounter problems along the way, you have seen them coming a long time ago and came up with a solution. Your employer knows well what he or she wants from you. Rarely are you the one who provides surprises.
The pitfall can be that you cannot let go. You want to have control over everything. This makes it difficult to work with others because they sometimes do things in a different way than you are used to. That makes you frustrated and irritated.
ALSO READ: Overcoming Burnout: How to Rebuild Confidence in Your Recovery Journey
5 You have a winning mentality.
You enjoy excelling at something and being the best. Once you have something in mind, it will happen. People around you know that you will only compromise on something if it is perfect. You’d rather hand something in two weeks late if that means it will be perfect. You are known for your performance, your motivation and your commitment. Where others stop, you continue and giving up is not in your dictionary.
The pitfall is to be too perfectionistic. You always want to bring out the best in yourself. You see it as a failure when this doesn’t work out. You are rarely satisfied and strict with yourself. This takes a lot of energy.
P.S. Are you already following Gistinger.com on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter?