I once saw a sign at work that read: “The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves.”  Sometimes, signs telling us its time to move on are obvious. But most of the time the signs are subtler. We often put up with dysfunctional environments for way too long.  Sometimes it takes years before we finally say, I’ve had enough.”  Many readers took the time to do the Job Burnout Inventory.  The scoring key is summarized below:

0-25 – Doing Fine
26-35 – Watch out you are at risk
36-50 – Candidate for burnout
51-65 – You are burning out
65+ – Burned out!

What can you do if you are burning out and feel stuck in an unfavorable job environment? You can start by getting a reality check. Talk to other coworkers. Are they having the same complaints as you? Is the problem coming from a management team that doesn’t listen to employees? Is it department-wide, company-wide, or reflective of a nation-wide change in the economy? Finally if you can’t do everything, just do something. If you are burning out and you know it, seek professional help from a licensed mental health professional.

About the author of this article:

Kim B. Jones-Fearing, MD is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist in private practice in Burtonsville and Columbia Maryland.