UM Surabaya Lecturer: Overwork Triggers Burnout, Here's How to Overcome It

• 20 Jul
• 2022

Ilustrasi burnout (pexels)

UM Surabaya Lecturer: Overwork Triggers Burnout, Here's How to Overcome It

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• By Uswah Sahal
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Everyone will try their best to be able to complete the targets that are their responsibility at work. However, this maximum effort unknowingly often appears in the form of overwork.

Not infrequently, many workers often complain of fatigue, and this situation is usually triggered because work efforts are not appreciated, lack of support from superiors, unfair treatment, unclear roles and task distribution, tight deadlines, to a toxic work environment or management. unhealthy work environment.

Uswatun Hasanah, a lecturer at the UM Surabaya Faculty of Health Sciences (FIK) as well as a Mental Health Expert, explained that if someone often feels tired when dealing with a pile of work, one needs to be aware of the emergence of BOS (Burn Out Syndrome).

"Burnout is a condition of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, caused by prolonged or repeated stress which generally occurs due to problems at work and has not been successfully managed," explained Uswatun.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has included burnout in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as a work phenomenon, as a non-medical condition.

"This burnout condition is generally characterized by three dimensions, namely the emergence of feelings of running out of energy or fatigue, increased mental distance from work or negative and cynical feelings related to work and decreased professional performance," he added.

According to Uswatun, burnout conditions need to be handled properly because it can affect our performance and professionalism at work, decrease motivation and can cause permanent mental health problems.

In simple terms, overcoming burnout can be done with the "3R" approach. Recognize means recognizing or paying attention to the signs and symptoms of fatigue at work. Reverse means turning the situation around by seeking social support and stress management. Reselience means building resilience to stress by maintaining a lifestyle so that physical and mental health is maintained.

Uswatun also shared five ways to prevent burnout. The first is realizing one's limits and having the courage to say "No". A person needs to be aware of the limits of one's ability to work, so that one does not accept all the workload given, including those that are not part of the jobdesk.

"Dare to say "No" is indeed something that is challenging, but there is nothing wrong with us rejecting some work that is not part of our division's responsibilities so that the workload is also reduced," he said.

The second way is to use a priority scale. One of the most effective things in getting work done is to set work priorities to be completed. Someone can compile a work list using a deadline strategy or by completing the work that is considered easiest first.

Third, keep interacting. Interaction with the surrounding environment is one way to distract yourself from the stress you feel at work.

“Fourth is time management. Manage your time well, when it's time to rest, make good use of the rest time, reduce doing personal things while working," he added.

Lastly is stress management. Stress management can be started by identifying stressors and stress symptoms that often arise, developing a healthy lifestyle with nutritious food, adequate sleep and rest.

"When fatigue appears, do a little stretching and relaxation with deep breaths and also distraction which can be done by taking a walk outside the room, enjoying food or interacting with the surrounding environment," he said.