Professional burnout

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#333333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="03cdedc2ddualp.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D"><U><B>Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQs"><U><B>FAQs</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Dr. Silverman"><U><B>About Dr. Silverman</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Great links"><U><B>Great links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Mind Reader© archive"><U><B>The Mind Reader© archive</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="03d64643.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#666633" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D</B></FONT>    |     <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D"><U>home</U></A></FONT></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> Professional burnout</div> <div> <B>Professional Burnout</B></div> <bR> <div> <U>By Wade H. Silverman, Ph.D.</U></div> <div> Are you having problems concentrating on your work? is your mind wandering? Do you toss and turn when you go to sleep at night? Do you find yourself joyless or on edge? If you answered yes to most these questions you may be suffering from professional burnout. </div> <div> Fortunately, burnout is temporary if  you alter your living habits. First, you must understand <I>why</I> you feel the way you do before you can change<I> how</I> you feel. Burnout can be viewed as a form of emotional fatigue. People who drive themselves too hard too often are at risk. Each of us is healthiest when we establish a regular routine of work, leisure, and rest. There are times when events disrupt usual cycles such as tax time for an accountant or trial work for a lawyer. When you make a habit of stretching yourself too thin to meet difficult deadlines, you stress yourself in two ways. First overworking causes physical and psychological fatigue. Second, the disruption of normal sleep and rest patterns in and of itself is a stress producer. </div> <bR> <div> Just as some of us are capable of playing with pain, some of us can produce through fatigue. Eventually, however, we all will become exhausted.  This state will negatively affect our judgement, our personal relationships, and eventually our health. </div> <div> I know that some of you are asked to put in long hours for weeks on end. This requires some creativity in managing your time to avoid burnout.  Invest in your health and well-being.  Join a health club near your office.  Exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes a day, three of four days per week. Meditate or at least recline in a chair or on a couch for a 20 minute period each day. If you cannot leave the office for lunch or dinner at least eat at the same times each day. Plan to reward yourself with a vacation or a present upon completion of a particularly arduous project.  Chronic fatigue can lead to depression.  In this case, your will need to consult with a psychologist.  He/she will assist you with stress reduction exercises and/or time management techniques. </div> <div>      <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Dr. Wade H. Silverman is a clinical psychologist and President of Division of Psychotherapy of the American Psychological Association.  He has a private practice of psychology for adolescents, adults, and families at 1390 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 2222, Coral Gables.  Telephone number: (305) 669-3605.</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>