近日,一条有关心身耗竭综合征(Burnout syndrome)现象的微博冲上热搜。
它描述了一种特殊现象:“周围工作一些很有能力,也很拼命努力的人,在经历‘间隔年(Gap year)’后,再次回到职场就只能做一些简单的工作,而且每隔一周就会有一天不得不因为精神状态不佳而无法上班休息”。
评论区不少网友指出:“原来不止我有这种感觉!”
其实,这种状态是生病了。心理学家将其称作“心身耗竭综合征”:当你处于心身耗竭状态时,任何问题都看上去难以应付,每件事都没有希望,根本无法振作起来,更不用说做些什么来改善了——它引起的不快乐和孤独感会威胁到你的工作、人际关系和身心健康。
然而,这种状态是可以被克服的。有许多方法可以帮助你重新找回生活的主动权。
为什么人会"Burnout"?
“心身耗竭综合征”这个概念,最早出现于20世纪70年代早期,是由美国纽约的心理分析学家赫伯特·J·弗罗伊登贝格尔(Herbert J. Freudenberger)提出的。
当时,弗罗伊登贝格尔注意到,他曾经无比满意的工作,现在却让他感到疲倦和失落。后来他又注意到,随着时间的推移,身边的许多医生也变得情绪低落、愤世嫉俗,对病人也越来越冷淡、越来越漠不关心。
Burnout is an occupational phenomenon where employees experience a mix of physical and psychological symptoms that result in decreased job satisfaction and productivity (Bridgeman, Bridgeman, & Barone, 2018).
Occupational burnout was first recognized in the mid-70s (Freudenberger, 1974) among healthcare professionals.
The World Health Organization (2019) defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
世界卫生组织将其定义为:“无法处理长期、慢性的工作压力,从而引起的综合征。”
引起身心俱疲不止因为缺乏处理工作压力的能力,当然这是主要原因,除此之外,任何造成过重工作压力的原因都有可能间接导致“Burn out”。例如:
1、缺觉(Lack of sleep)
缺觉是很多不幸的开始,这也是造成“burn out”的一大主要成因。如果你的睡眠不足6小时,那将极大地影响你的状态。
Physical factors like sleep deprivation are among the possible burnout causes. Scientists estimated that less than six hours of sleep per night is a major predictor of job burnout. Lack of sleep, or insomnia, can also be symptoms of burnout, leaving you fatigued during the daytime, but unable to sleep when you have the chance.
2、不切实际的工作期望(Unrealistic work expectations)
当人承担了不切实际的工作期望时,更容易进入心身耗竭状态。例如期望自己完成超负荷的工作量、过早的工作截止时间以及长时间处于加班状态。
Unrealistic work expectations include an unmanageable workload, unrealistic deadlines, and unrealistic time pressure. Employees who are expected to perform consistently for long periods under unrealistic deadlines are more likely to experience burnout.
The number of tasks that employees are expected to complete also contributes to an unrealistic workload.
3、病态的完美主义心态(Negative perfectionism)
并非所有完美主义都是一件坏事,但人若永不满足于现阶段自己所取得的成就,或者认为“没有最好的,只有更好的”,就更容易感到心身耗竭。
Not all perfectionism is a bad thing, but people who never feel satisfaction from their achievements, or who feel that nothing is ever good enough, experience stress as a result, which can result in burnout.
4、成功学心态("Overachiever" mindset)
太多励志书籍、名人访谈都在传递一个明确的信息:“没有金钱和成功,你就不会快乐。”再加上一些网红的“毒鸡汤”,这样的内容看多了,恐怕你再也不会快乐了。
The "get rich or die trying" philosophy dictates a certain lifestyle. Movies, music, interviews with celebrities, and numerous motivational books, send a clear message: you can't be happy without money and success. Even more disturbing is the pseudo-psychological motivation from influencers who tell you to push your limits and try harder every day.
5、孤立感与缺乏支持(Isolation and lack of support)
员工所处的工作环境也是一个社群,需要社会化交往,从而提供一种“支持”,倘若员工感受到与其他人交流过少、领导对其不支持以及受到不公正待遇时,就更有可能感到倦怠。
Unclear instructions can lead to unrealistic work expectations and micromanaging because employers do not clearly explain what they expect of their employees, resulting in multiple iterations of work without an apparent end. Employees have to work hard to figure out what exactly employers expect from them, and this increases feelings of anxiety and exhaustion.
心身耗竭后,有哪些症状?
当人患有“心身耗竭综合征”时,身体上会出现如下症状:感觉大部分时间都很累、精疲力竭;常有头痛或肌肉酸痛;免疫力低下,经常生病;胃口改变或睡眠习惯改变。
The physical symptoms include: Feeling exhausted, unable to recover from a common cold, frequent headaches, frequent gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath.
精神上则会出现消极状态,易怒、固执、沮丧等等。
The behaviors include: Irritability, Heightened emotional responses (quick to cry, quick to anger), suspicious and paranoid about colleagues, substance abuse, stubbornness, rigid thinking, and unwillingness to listen to other people, negative attitude, appears depressed.
四步带你抵抗“Burnout”
1、优先照顾好自己(Prioritize self-care)
通过良好的睡眠习惯、补充营养、定时锻炼、社交等提升幸福感的做法,如冥想、写日记和享受大自然,来补充你的身体和情绪能量,以及提升你的专注能力,这是至关重要的。
It’s essential to replenish your physical and emotional energy, along with your capacity to focus, by prioritizing good sleep habits, nutrition, exercise, social connection, and practices that promote equanimity and well-being, like meditating, journaling, and enjoying nature. If you’re having troubling squeezing such activities into your packed schedule, give yourself a week to assess exactly how you’re spending your time.
2、转换视角(Shift your perspective)
尽管上述做法可以暂时改变你的沮丧心情,但它并不能根本性地解决问题。你更应该做的是转换思维方式,认真思考你所在的处境:哪些是可以被改变的?哪些是无法改变的?
如果你觉得工作量大是罪魁祸首,那就学会分配任务,以便腾出更多时间做自认为更有意义的工作。
While rest, relaxation, and replenishment can ease exhaustion, curb cynicism, and enhance efficacy, they don’t fully address the root causes of burnout. So now you must take a close look at your mindset and assumptions.
What aspects of your situation are truly fixed, and which can you change? Altering your perspective can buffer the negative impact of even the inflexible aspects. If exhaustion is a key problem, ask yourself which tasks—including critical ones—you could delegate to free up meaningful time and energy for other important work.
3、减少与压力源的相处(Reduce exposure to job stressors)
学会减少和那些让你感到压力的人、事、物相处时间,例如换工作环境、换同事,重新明确你们合作的基本规则,甚至减少和某些家庭成员的相处。或许这个过程会遭遇阻力,但你要相信,这都是为了你的长期健康考虑。
You’ll also need to target high-value activities and relationships that still trigger unhealthy stress. This involves resetting the expectations of colleagues, clients, and even family members for what and how much you’re willing to take on, as well as ground rules for working together. You may get pushback. But doubters must know that you’re making these changes to improve your long-term productivity and protect your health.
4、寻求社会联系(Seek out connections)
如果你感到工作效率低下,负面情绪严重,可以向外寻求更丰富的人际交往互动,和进一步规划自身职业发展。多寻找职场或人生上的导师,他们可以帮助你建立积极关系,获得更多学习机会,同时,自愿帮助他人也能够打破恶性循环。
The best antidote to burnout, particularly when it’s driven by cynicism and inefficacy, is seeking out rich interpersonal interactions and continual personal and professional development. Find coaches and mentors who can help you identify and activate positive relationships and learning opportunities. Volunteering to advise others is another particularly effective way of breaking out of a negative cycle.
编辑:李雪晴
见习编辑:李涵萌
来源:哈佛商业评论 积极心理学网站
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