Prevention of professional burnout of teachers. Due to lack of time, fatigue or stress, I often pay less attention to my partner than I should. My requirements for the work performed are higher than what I achieve due to circumstances

“There is a position, and the money is paid ... And the work is already here!”

Hello,

Recently, we somehow undeservedly forgot about interesting practical psychotechniques. Previously, for example, and , and , and found . But for a long time there was nothing about it. It's time to catch up, what do you think?

Why is it important?

Professional burnout is the very catch that you do not expect. But at some point a person is ready to quit his job and run wherever his eyes look. However, the truth is that you cannot run away from yourself.

What is professional burnout

Professional burnout- this is the exhaustion of nervous, mental and physical forces, because of which one does not want to work. As they say in encyclopedias: expressed in a depressed state, a feeling of fatigue and emptiness, a lack of energy and enthusiasm, a loss of the ability to see the positive results of one's work, a negative attitude towards work».

Test yourself.

Burnout Test

Consider the following statements for you:

1. I'm reluctant to go to work
2. If I remember to work on the weekend, it's hopelessly messed up.
3. I do not like to communicate with colleagues (clients), they annoy me
4. Lately I tend to overeat (loss of appetite)
5. I feel very tired after a working day
6. I have physiological changes in my body from my work (vision, hearing, smell have become worse, something hurts, etc.)
7. I often drink coffee, tea (or take smoke breaks)
8. I like my job, but I don't enjoy it as much as I used to.

Which professions are at risk

It is believed that there are professions that are more prone to professional burnout. This is a job where there is close interaction with people. The most difficult in this regard is the work of a psychologist who has to listen to the problems of strangers. And if he has a developed sense of empathy (empathy), he can unconsciously "join" a person and live with him a negative experience.

Everything would be fine, but the client has only one experience, and the psychologist accumulates it hundreds of times more. It becomes a living archive of other people's negative stories (oh, what will happen now - many of you will not envy the fate of healers of souls).

The same can be said about teachers and managers.

But in fact, professional burnout can happen in any job. Each person has his own nature, and it is she who accelerates or slows down this phenomenon. People who are very dynamic by nature, love change, are emotional, somewhere uncoordinated, burn out more likely than those who are slow, thorough and do not like dynamics by nature.

Common causes of professional burnout include

• monotony of work
• urgency factor
• close interaction with people
• tension and conflict in the team
• lack of conditions for self-expression
• suppression of initiative
• work without the possibility of further promotion

To the hidden causes of professional burnout -

• poor self-organization (inability to plan time leads to overwork)
• workaholism (little rest)
• lack of motivation (no goals and dreams)
• perfectionism (I want to do everything perfectly, but the progress of work slows down and there is little return, and as a result, rapid exhaustion)
• non-environmental activities (deception of colleagues, clients, relatives about work, oneself)
• failure to fulfill life's calling

The main causes of professional burnout

There are two main causes of burnout in any job:

1. you exhausted yourself
2. You outgrew the position

The very first call to professional burnout can be indifference to everything new that happens in your field of activity. It ceases to amaze you and evoke emotions. You don't want to "grow up", you stop reading on your topic, listening to lectures and developing.

But if at the same time you are actively interested in something else, this is a sign that you have “outgrown” or burned out, and, therefore, it is time to change your qualifications.

Prevention of professional burnout in the second case should come down to the fact that you are looking for a new place of application of forces. Try to start by studying related professions so as not to lose the experience that you have behind you.

Prevention of professional burnout during exhaustion

• Supervision."Supervision is the collaboration of two professionals (more experienced and less experienced, or equal in experience), during which the specialist can describe and analyze his work in confidentiality."

It is widely used among psychologists, but why don't you agree with a colleague and revise your work? His fresh perspective and experience will allow you to look at your work from the outside and bring a new stream of enthusiasm to it.

• Psychocharging

Do it as often as possible. The bottom line is that each time you do an exercise (whatever you like best), you say positive statements like “I like everything” or “I am full of energy.” As an option, attend yoga classes: static exercises provide an opportunity to calm the mind, relax and learn to control your mind.

• Keeping a diary

In it, you can, as if in spirit, write all your thoughts about work and life in general, thereby freeing the psyche from overload

• Attending psychological lectures, trainings, webinars,

where you can communicate not only with colleagues, but also with people of other professions

• Morning Meditations

There are no restrictions here. It is ideal if you connect with the Higher beginning of life every morning. From you get energy and inspiration to work. Alternatively, you can use special meditations, one of which you can listen to and conduct right now.

Meditation "Mountain Peak"

And, please, track in yourself how much you are, whether you are motivated enough for your work, whether you are studying something new in order to become more effective in your business, and then you most likely will not need professional burnout prevention.

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Characteristics of professional burnout syndrome

Occupational burnout and the conditions for its occurrence

Symptoms of professional burnout

Prevention of professional burnout

Most of us are convinced in practice that often the performance of production tasks requires such dedication, takes so much strength and energy that in the evenings we are simply not able to deal with other problems as intensively. You can still, perhaps, somehow find some time to dig in the garden or watch TV, and even then not for the sake of hobbies, but simply to switch off.

At the same time, if a person successfully copes with his duties, then, as usual, he is faced with more and more new tasks. Responsibilities and work volumes are increasing. Leaving your office, leaving your workplace, you cannot, unfortunately, throw out of your head all thoughts related to work, “reprogram” them for family life, for organizing another vacation or visiting the theater. Increasingly, we find ourselves wanting to put something off until later. We always postpone something concrete, but, unfortunately, it turns out that it was life itself.

When someone says that he gives all of himself to work, lives only by work, that he simply does not have time for certain hobbies, that in the little free time that he has, he manages to read only special literature, can we we consider him a good worker? There are many leaders who would tear off such workers with their hands. A “tireless workhorse”, be it a man or a woman, who is always in place, always ready to pull out a “cart stuck in manure”, always independent of “external” conditions, and therefore extremely mobile, is a very valuable worker. He only needs to set a task, and she captures him so much that he rushes to solve it with all his energy. Wonderful and commendable, isn't it? If not for one "but".

Translated from Latin, the word "interest" means approximately "to be at the same time." The more interest a person experiences in any business, the closer he becomes to it. The highest degree of interest is achieved when nothing separates a person from the work, he identifies himself with it and completely submits to it. Work becomes a part of his Self, slowly crowding out all other "interests", a person becomes dependent on it, gradually turning into a workaholic.

Can this be considered ideal? Those who hold this opinion will have to think about it. Stomach ulcers, debilitating insomnia, myocardial infarction, various psychosomatic disorders are often the result of the fact that a person does not know how to switch off, cannot “get work out of his head”. “He took everything too close to his heart” - this is often heard about a colleague who was suddenly struck by a heart attack.

How to find such an optimal option so that, on the one hand, a person can work with due dedication, and on the other hand, he is not so absorbed in work-related problems that he does not lose his own view of the world around him?

There is a rule among American managers: do all the important things first, and then the urgent ones. This may raise an objection, seem unrealistic. In many cases, this is even unlikely to succeed.

What is the difference between "important" and "urgent"? Behind the “urgent” there is always someone who hurries and pushes, who sets deadlines and can force you to obey.

“Important” is what matters to the person himself. Unfortunately, "important" is almost never urgent. Everything important without much damage - that's the trick! - up to a certain time, you can again and again transfer to a later date. If a person considers family relationships to be important, but his hands simply do not reach this for everyday urgent matters, one fine day he may suddenly “discover” that the family does fine without him, that she lives her own life and that each of its members goes his own way. And then what?

The recipe here is simple: you should deal with important matters as they do with all urgent matters. If in the first case there is always someone who pushes and sets deadlines, then when solving important matters, a person must rush himself, set deadlines for himself! Only he himself can make the important urgent! If you do not deal with important issues, then they will again be pushed into the background by numerous urgent matters, and ... life will pass by!

But there is another extreme. Surely each of us has heard the phrase: "Burned out at work." Until recently, these words were perceived by everyone as nothing more than a beautiful metaphor. However, studies conducted over the past decades have proven the reality of the existence of this phenomenon, called " burnout syndrome ". In essence, the manifestations of professional burnout are very similar to the state of chronic stress and mental overload, and its core is the emotional exhaustion of wildness.

The attention of psychologists of various directions has long been attracted by the problem of human stress resistance in various professions. Classical studies by Selye, Lazarus, Rosenman, Friedman and other scientists confirmed the fact that prolonged exposure to stress can lead to mental maladjustment and disorganization of human behavior, posing a threat to his mental health. At the same time, social professions, the main content of which is interpersonal interaction (managers, doctors, teachers, lawyers, social workers, salesmen, psychologists, etc.), were initially classified as the most stressful. It was among the representatives of these professional groups that the "syndrome of professional burnout" was discovered. » (This term was introduced into scientific use in the early 70s of the twentieth century by the American psychologist H. Freudenberger).

Professional burnout syndrome is characterized as a state of mental fatigue and disappointment, accompanied by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased performance. This is a professional deformation of the personality, arising under the influence of well-defined external and internal factors. Boyko V.V. identifies the following factors:

1. External factors, related to the characteristics of professional activity:

chronically intense psycho-emotional activity, when an employee has to constantly reinforce with emotions various aspects of his activity, a “difficult” contingent with whom he has to communicate;

Destabilizing organization (environment) of activity, difficult working conditions;

increased responsibility for the functions and operations performed, increased demands on management;

· unfavorable psychological atmosphere of professional activity, which is determined by two main circumstances: conflict “vertically”, i.e. between the boss and subordinates, and conflict "horizontally" - between colleagues.

2. internal factors, associated with the individual characteristics of a person:

tendency to emotional rigidity. Burnout often occurs in those who are less reactive and receptive, more emotionally restrained. In impulsive people with mobile nervous processes, the formation of a burnout symptom occurs more slowly. Increased impressionability and sensitivity can completely block this psychological defense mechanism;

Intensive internalization (people with increased responsibility are more likely to undergo the syndrome);

Weak motivation of emotional return in professional activity (low level of empathy);

moral defects and disorientation of the personality.

According to all authors who study the syndrome of professional burnout, the development of its symptoms is of a phasic nature. However, in the end, the general scheme for the development of the professional burnout syndrome is as follows:

First, significant energy costs are observed as a result of an extremely high positive attitude towards the performance of professional activities;

Then there is a feeling of fatigue;

And, finally, disappointment, a decrease in interest in their work.

At the first stage, as a rule, the employee has a high labor activity, he really wants to achieve his goal, the work gives him joy and satisfaction, a feeling of indispensability appears. A person gradually abandons his other interests that are not related to work. He tries not to notice his failures and miscalculations.

Further more. Deep immersion in professional activity raises the question of professional and personal growth. There is a need to solve more and more serious problems. And this is where the problems begin. On the one hand, some of the people around may not like the professional and personal growth of an employee, and on the other hand, interest in work grows so much that it begins to deform the personality. Much more often there are contradictions between the results obtained and the expectations of a person, his ambitions. In such a situation, the feeling of fatigue will not be long in coming, even if the person is surrounded by the love of customers and the respect of colleagues. Gradually, it is replaced by disappointment and loss of interest in work.

It is easy to notice a change in the perception of colleagues among such employees. If earlier relations with them could only be spoiled by some conflict situations, now colleagues are initially perceived in a negative light. Patterned behavior is becoming more and more common. A person gradually loses the ability to empathize with others, relatives, friends, often shocks with categorical and frankly cynical assessments of the phenomena being discussed. The search for opportunities to evade work begins. The topic of insufficient wages, small bonuses, etc. is constantly discussed. A person with disdain, and sometimes with disgust, begins to relate to those ideals that he recently cherished and that led him to the profession. Attention is concentrated exclusively on the problems of today. There is a feeling that others are using it. Envy arises.

In the emotional sphere, the manifestations of professional burnout can also be very diverse: from depression to aggressive reactions (impatience for other people's opinions, inability to compromise, suspicion, conflict). The mood often changes, groundless fears and guilt arise.

The next stage in the development of the professional burnout syndrome is the phase of destructive behavior. There is a decrease in concentration, inability to perform tasks of increased complexity, lack of imagination and a weakening of abstract thinking. A person is able to act only within the narrow limits of given instructions. In the emotional sphere, the desire to limit communication with others to exclusively formal contacts, the lack of interest in other people, increases. There is a feeling of self-sufficiency, which very quickly turns into a feeling of loneliness.

At the last stage of the development of the syndrome, a person is destroyed both as a person and as a physical body. On the physical plane, we are witnessing the rise of psychosomatic illnesses. At first, they are worried about the inability to relax, a feeling of constant internal tension. Then come insomnia and sexual dysfunction. A person acutely feels the need and quickly becomes addicted to caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Hypertension, gastric ulcer, cardiac arrhythmias, gastrointestinal motility disorders, allergic reactions and immunodeficiency develop. This is where long, but often futile visits to doctors begin.

The destruction of the personality is accompanied by the formation of exclusively negative life attitudes, the emergence of a feeling of helplessness and, ultimately, the loss of the meaning of life.

Naturally, professional burnout occurs with varying degrees of severity of its main features for each person. Nevertheless, all the symptoms that accompany this process can be conditionally divided into three groups:

1. Symptoms associated with a person's physical condition:

Increased fatigue, apathy;

physical malaise, frequent colds, nausea, headache;

pain in the heart, high or low blood pressure;

pain in the abdomen, loss of appetite and diet;

asthma attacks, asthmatic symptoms;

· increase in sweating;

tingling behind the sternum, muscle pain;

sleep disorders, insomnia.

2. Symptoms associated with social relationships, manifested when a person contacts with other people (colleagues, clients, friends, relatives):

the appearance of anxiety in situations where it did not arise before;

irritability and aggressiveness;

unwillingness to work, shifting responsibility;

lack of contact with colleagues and clients, unwillingness to improve the quality of work;

formalism in work, stereotypical behavior, resistance to change, active rejection of any creativity;

cynical attitude to the ideas of a common cause, to one's work;

aversion to food or overeating;

Abuse of mind-altering chemicals (alcohol, smoking, coffee, pills, etc.);

Involvement in gambling (casinos, slot machines, computer games).

3. Intrapersonal symptoms, characterizing the processes occurring inside a person and due to a change in his attitude towards himself, his actions, thoughts and feelings:

An increased sense of self-pity

feeling of own lack of demand;

· guilt;

Anxiety, fear, feeling of being driven away;

· low self-esteem;

Feeling of one's own oppression and the meaninglessness of everything that happens, pessimism;

Destructive self-digging, playing in the head situations associated with strong negative emotions;

mental exhaustion;

Doubt about performance.

For a long time it was believed that the most vulnerable to the syndrome of professional burnout are people who have worked for many years in professions of a social type (“helping” professions). However, subsequent studies have refuted this notion. As it turned out, over time, many of these people perfectly adapt to the profession and develop their own ways to prevent burnout syndrome. But young professionals may be more likely to be classified as a high-risk group.

If the process is not stopped in time, then not only a career, but also health can suffer. From “burnout” at work, families break up, addictions develop, for example, from tobacco or alcohol, and mental disorders occur.

In recent decades, scientists from different countries have been actively investigating the causes of the development of the syndrome of professional emotional burnout. And although the causes and conditions for the development of this problem have not yet been fully studied, a number of studies indicate that the syndrome of professional emotional burnout, as well as chronic fatigue syndrome, are closely related to oxidative stress and an increased level of free radicals in the body.

Professional burnout - a social problem or a disease?

Burnout at work is considered by experts to be a severe mental disorder that has nothing to do with fatigue, depression, or dissatisfaction with life.

For the first time the term "professional burnout" appeared in 1974. Practicing psychologist Herbert Freidenberger (USA) gave an accurate comparison of a “burnt-out” patient with a house after a fire. A burnt building may look intact from the outside. But as soon as you go inside, charred walls, things damaged by fire appear before your eyes, and you feel a sharp and heavy smell of smoke and burning. So is man. He looks calm, remains calm in all circumstances, automatically does his job and can even do it well and conscientiously. But at the same time, he is not emotionally involved in the work. Much of what used to cause excitement is now tiring and annoying.

Today, to identify professional burnout, tests have been developed that are easy to find on the Internet. One of them is the Maslach questionnaire, compiled by qualified psychologists for people of various professions. Of course, the result of an online test cannot be 100% reliable. But if the result indicates problems, then it is advisable to contact a psychologist.

Signs of professional burnout

1. Loss of strength and emotional exhaustion

A person, returning home from work, literally falls exhausted and does not participate in family life. He is not interested in vacations, repairs, the successes of other family members, plans for the future. A person stops paying attention to his personal needs, hobbies, interests, etc.

2. Improper positioning in a company or team

A person does not feel pleasure from completing tasks, does not show enthusiasm in solving problems, he ceases to feel like a full-fledged member of the team. Often, "out of nowhere" misunderstandings and conflicts arise with colleagues and superiors.

3. Feeling inadequate

4. Physical and psychological disorders:

• increased anxiety;
• irritability and depression;
• apathy;
• sleep disturbance (chronic sleep deprivation, light sleep, insomnia);
• decreased concentration and attention;
• memory impairment;
• drop in performance;
• headaches and migraines;
• lack of appetite;
• pain in the muscles, lower back;
• swelling of the extremities, etc.

Causes of professional burnout

Scientists at the California Institute have identified 6 independent factors that provoke professional burnout.

How to avoid professional burnout?

Do you have any of the reasons listed above in your life? Are there signs of professional burnout? Take action!

1. Adjust the workload and use the principles of time management.

2. Take a vacation!

It is yours by law. Therefore, you have every right to spend a few weeks as you like. And although it is believed that changing the type of activity is also a vacation, try not to plan heavy physical exertion for each vacation: repair, or construction, digging up beds, moving.

3. Pay attention to sports.

As they say, a healthy mind in a healthy body. And it's not just that regular exercise strengthens the body and improves metabolism. Exercise is a great way to switch focus and give your brain the rest it needs.

4. Energize your cells.

No, we are not talking about energy drinks, as they force the body to use "reserve" energy reserves, but do not change the situation as a whole. To improve production at the cellular level, provide the body with coenzyme Q10 and antioxidants. No coenzyme Q10 our cellular power plants - mitochondria - will not be able to work. Since the coenzyme Q10 also an antioxidant, too much in large numbers free radicals he is "busy" with their neutralization, and not with participation in the synthesis energy. To restore energy production, excess free radicals must be removed from the body. And only “additional” portions of antioxidants can do this.

Coenzyme Q10 is found in meat. To get the daily norm of this substance, you should eat 800 g of red meat every day.

Antioxidants against burnout!

Prevention of professional burnout begins with recognizing and understanding the essence of the problem. The first step in controlling the burnout process is to take responsibility for your own experience of stress and commit yourself to change. What measures should be taken?

There are no simple or universal solutions. It is important to accept the problem and gradually consider what exactly you need and how to adapt the methods of "stress management" to a specific situation.

People who are victims of burnout are exhausted and demoralized, so before discussing what caused violations, it is necessary to immediately allocate time and space for energy recovery and plan for response. Seek help as soon as possible, and not when it's too late. If you are sick, you should not pretend to be healthy, you should consult your doctor, and do not prescribe medications yourself. It cannot be stressed enough that attending lectures and seminars, as well as reading and talking about burnout, will not replace any action in this direction. Each of us needs to become our own highly trained stress reliever and learn to prioritize or reprioritize and think about lifestyle changes by making changes to our daily routine. This can be a long, complicated and sometimes costly process. The consequences of neglecting one's professional health are usually significant.

What to do if you notice the first signs of burnout? First of all, acknowledge that they exist. Those who help other people tend to deny their own psychological predicament. It's hard to admit to yourself: "I suffer from professional burnout." Moreover, in difficult life situations, unconscious internal defense mechanisms are activated.

Among them are rationalization, repression of traumatic events, "petrification" of feelings and body. People often evaluate these manifestations incorrectly - as a sign of their own "strength". Some defend themselves against their own difficult conditions and problems by getting active, try not to think about them (remember Gone with the Wind's Scarlett with her "I'll think about it tomorrow"?) and give themselves completely to work, helping other people. Helping others can really bring relief for a while. However, only for a while. After all, overactivity is harmful if it diverts attention from the help that you yourself need. Remember: blocking out your feelings and being overactive can slow down your recovery process.

First, your condition can be relieved by physical and emotional support from other people. Don't give up on her. Discuss your situation with those who, having had a similar experience, feel good.

For a professional, it is appropriate and useful to work with a supervisor - a professionally more experienced person who, if necessary, helps a less experienced colleague in professional and personal improvement. During the scheduled period of time, the professional and the supervisor regularly discuss the work done together. In the course of such a discussion, learning and development takes place, which help to get out of burnout.

Secondly, after hours, you need privacy. In order to cope with your feelings, you need to find an opportunity to be alone, without family and close friends.

What not to do when burned out:

don't hide your feelings. Show your emotions and let your friends discuss them with you;

• - Don't avoid talking about what happened. Take every opportunity to review your experience alone or with others;
• - not let your feelings of embarrassment stop you when others give you a chance to speak or offer help;
• - not expect the severe burnout symptoms to go away on their own. If you do not take action, they will visit you for a long time.

What do we have to do:

• - allocate sufficient time for sleep, rest, reflection;
• - express your desires directly, clearly and honestly, talk about them to family, friends and at work;
• - try to keep the normal routine of your life as much as possible.

If you understand that burnout is already happening and has reached deep stages- remember: special work is needed to neutralize the traumatic experience and revive feelings. And do not try to do this work with yourself - such a difficult (and painful) work can only be done together with a professional psychologist-consultant. Real courage lies in admitting that I need professional help. Why? Yes, because the basis of "psychological treatment" is to help a person "come to life" and "re-assemble himself." First comes the hard work, the purpose of which is to "remove the shell of insensitivity" and allow your feelings to come out. This does not entail a loss of self-control, but the suppression of these feelings can lead to neurosis and physical problems. At the same time, special work with destructive "poisonous" feelings (in particular, aggressive ones) is important. The result of this preparatory work is the "clearing" of the internal space, making room for the arrival of a new one, the revival of feelings.

The next stage of professional work is a revision of one's life myths, goals and values, one's ideas and attitudes towards oneself, to other people and to one's work. Here it is important to accept and strengthen your "I", to realize the value of your life; take responsibility for your life and health and take a professional position in your work.

And only after that, step by step, relationships with other people and ways of interacting with them change. There is a rethinking of their professional role and their other life roles and behaviors. The person gains self-confidence. So, he got out of the emotional burnout syndrome and is ready to live and work successfully.

Qualities that help a specialist avoid professional burnout:

• - good health and conscious, purposeful care of one's physical condition (permanent sports, a healthy lifestyle);
• - high self-esteem and confidence in oneself, one's abilities and capabilities;
• - experience of successfully overcoming professional stress;
• - the ability to constructively change in stressful conditions;
• - high mobility;
• - openness;
• - sociability;
• - independence;
• - the desire to rely on their own strengths;
• - the ability to form and maintain in oneself positive, optimistic attitudes and values ​​- both in relation to oneself, and to other people and life in general.

How to avoid professional burnout syndrome?

• 1. Be attentive to yourself: this will help you notice the first symptoms of fatigue in a timely manner.
• 2. Love yourself, or at least try to please yourself.
• 3. Choose a business for yourself: according to your inclinations and capabilities. This will allow you to find yourself, to believe in your strength.
• 4. Stop looking for happiness or salvation in work. It is not a refuge, but an activity that is good in itself.
• 5. Do not try to live for others their lives. Please live yours. Not instead of people, but together with them.
• 6. Find time for yourself, you have the right not only to work, but also to private life.
• 7. Learn to soberly comprehend the events of each day. You can make it a tradition to review events in the evening.
• 8. If you really want to help someone or do their job for them, ask yourself the question: does he really need it? Or maybe he can do it on his own?

most popular burnup measurement method in American psychology, the MBI questionnaire is recognized, but the models are K. Maslach and S. Jackson. The Russian version of this technique is the Professional Burnout Questionnaire, developed by N. E. Vodopyanova and E. S. Starchenkova.