After a tumultuous few years where a lot of people have had to try to act like everything is fine in the midst of a global emergency, it can be understandable to feel some degree of mental burnout that individual therapy can help with.
Recognised as an occupational phenomenon by the World Health Organisation in 2019, burnout is a mental state characterised by the following:
- Mental and physical exhaustion, sometimes manifesting as a lack of energy.
- Increased cynicism and negativity in a job, often linked to an increased feeling of distance from it.
- Reduced productivity and quality of work.
However, one of the strangest aspects of burnout is that the people most likely to suffer from it are those that have people-pleasing aspects to their personalities or outright have traits of dependent personality disorder.
Whilst many people-pleasing traits such as friendliness, selflessness, generosity, kindness and conscientiousness are all traits that help to improve productivity and morale at work, there is a tipping point where it can all collapse.
Being willing to jump in and help out others is a positive trait, but it can also lead to work stacking, which can come at the expense of your own progress and goals as a professional.
Similarly, wanting to please your boss by trying to get work done faster can lead to unrealistic expectations and deadlines.
Being conciliatory and avoiding unnecessary conflict can be good to avoid potential arguments in the office, but not if it leads to disregarding your own feelings and creating a bubbling sense of resentment.
Ultimately, the problem is not necessarily about being kind and helpful to others, but allowing that to come at the expense of yourself in a work environment, especially if it is causing mental and physical stress and duress.
Set firm boundaries, take your holidays, switch off from work and take a full lunch break away from the office if necessary.