How to be worthy and responsible but not to burn out
Nowadays, we often hear of a burn-out syndrome. She has got a burn-out, he has burnt out, I am about to burn out… Be honest, who hasn´t heard that recently? Well, burn-out syndrom is quite a common phrase, however, what does that really mean?
Imagine working on one position for a long time – let´s say you are a secretary and you have been working for Black&White for 22 years already. Wow! For some, this could seem unbelievable, but for the others it is just the way they live their lives, so they don´t feel much surprised. On one hand one can say that this is just strange to have done the same for all our life and that the person probably seeks a particular type of security. On the other hand, however, one can honour the endurance of the person, the loyalty, the reliability they prove. So, is it then advisable or not to stay devoted to one activity, person, field, branch or family?
When we take the family into consideration, I guess you tend to get surer of the whole discussion, as families are the rarest what we have and surely we ought not change them like the weather. And – you are completely right! Although some people might have such an opinion that everything gets old and it is needed to be changed, there is not much to it. We can skip from one thing to the other, we can fly like a butterfly from a flower to a blossom and on and on… but – what is going to be the result? An experienced person having seen so much but done nothing more than being not able to decide which place is the right one? Have you ever felt that something has been a waste of time? That some time you spent somewhere with someone was just not worth much? Well, this is possible up to a point, on the contrary do not forget that everything what happens to us or what we experience is a gift – it means it brings us some knowledge we need to get to know and understand and it fits perfectly to our lives. The truth is, however, that we should not give a try to all we fancy. It is quite advisable to set an aim and keep up to it. Aims, goals and targets are usually pretty worthy, they enable us to fulfill our lifelong desires and change them into reality. To get there and to be able to meet the target requires a lot. And the most difficult to overcome are the hurdles which cause burn-out.
With a clear goal, a perfect vision of a happy family with two children, a stable job at Black&White company, a farm full of domestic animals, own business etc. you are ready to start very well, for this is what we can´t miss – a clear intention to achieve something particular. Once we have set this, all what is needed is not to give up and fight. There will always be times of being unsuccessful, irritated or annoyed, but, to be honest, such times will be there even if we decide to change our targets and try a new way. People splitting up with one another saying she has been so lazy, he has never made up our bed, her mum was such a witch etc. will never be satisfied until they realize that it is them who it is all about. They can change all the things happening to them, they can cause a relationship to improve, they can become better salesmen at work, they can wake up with a smile on their face each morning. Nobody else but them.
There is a quote which reads „If you think of changing your job, start working properly and much more precisely than ever in the one you have now – and you will probably end up loving the current one and being much better at it.“ Try it and there will be no more burn-outs.
Exercises
- Conversation – expressing opinions
What does a burn-out mean, in your opinion?
How can one avoid burning out?
Is this a real problem nowadays?
Have you ever experienced a burn-out or do you know anyone who has?
- Finding antonyms
Think of an antonym for these words from the text:
more
better
improve
honest
long
on one hand
everything
possible
