Just a few years ago, the word “burnout” was known only to specialists in the helping professions. It was believed that this was a problem for those who work a lot with people. Now this term has come into common use and is used in a variety of cases. But still, in medicine and psychology, it refers specifically to the consequences of chronic stress at work. This is a kind of adaptation of the psyche to mental and emotional overload. So, what conditions contribute to burnout? Intense communication Monotonous nature of work Constant lack of time Secondary psychological trauma (contact with someone else’s pain) Irregular schedule, overtime. Increased responsibility Implicitly expressed result of work, lack of reward for the result, moral or material. Inconsistency of duties with expectations, values, and character of a person. For example, when an uncommunicative person is forced to actively contact others. The main symptoms of burnout. When to be wary: At the very beginning, there may be a strong immersion in work, while other areas seem to fade into the background. Then emotional fatigue appears, decreased interest in work and communication. Creative activity declines. Memory and attention may be impaired. Communication problems increase: irritability, cynicism, decreased empathy, frequent conflicts appear. Self-esteem falls, a persistent feeling of oneself as an unsuccessful, poor specialist appears. The quality of work suffers, frequent mistakes appear, indifference to one’s responsibilities, violations of professional ethics. Health problems develop: immunity falls, neurotic symptoms develop, impaired sleep A person may begin to abuse alcohol or psychoactive substances. How can burnout be prevented? Burnout is a progressive condition and if nothing is done about it, problems increase. Therefore, prevention and attentiveness to oneself are important. I will not write banal things here: that it is important to have enough rest and live your personal life outside of work, everyone knows this. And unfortunately, in modern realities this is not enough. Preventing burnout is knowing and taking into account your INDIVIDUAL risk factors. They may be related to the nature of the work itself, working conditions and personal characteristics. For example, you understand that the job is not entirely suitable for you, but there is no alternative yet. It makes sense to think in advance: how will you motivate and support yourself? How will you satisfy the need for self-realization? Because constant volitional efforts will eat up energy and will have to be replenished. Or you understand that you are in a team where constant overwork is an unspoken norm. And you need to somehow hold on until you can find a healthier work environment. What in this case will help you defend your right to rest? Or are you a helping specialist, but at the same time you yourself are going through a difficult period? What is important to do so that the quality of work and your condition do not suffer? Or do you lack creative tasks and visible results in your work? Then it’s worth understanding: what efficiency criteria still exist. How can you evaluate the quality of your work? What meaning do you attach to it? To prevent burnout, various methods of self-help may be suitable, everything that helps you personally cope with stress: relaxation techniques, sports, being in nature, hobbies, various leisure activities. For helping specialists, there are special events - supervision, Balint groups, support groups, communication trainings. If you have to communicate a lot with people, it’s good to find a supportive environment in advance where you can openly discuss difficulties and get help. But it happens that prevention is not enough: the load is too great. Or we realized it too late. In general, burnout is present and something needs to be done. Coping strategies: They can be different. And sometimes these are not strategies, but stages of one but thorough work.1. Restoration of strength This is a correction of the condition through relaxation techniques, working with feelings.