My Job Has Me Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Place
Dear Dr. LeCrone:
I am so burned out in my job that I feel like I am about to have a nervous breakdown.
However, because the economy is bad in the area where I live, there are not many jobs available for me to switch to. I don’t want to move to another city at the present time for reasons related to my family, and I can’t afford to quit my job for financial reasons. I am between a rock and a hard place. Please give me some suggestions for dealing with my problem.
-A reader in Florida
Dear Reader:
Without knowing more about your situation, I would suggest that you first attend to the nervous breakdown you referred to as your physical and mental health need to be your highest priority.
Getting a consultation with a mental health professional to determine whether clinical depression is part of your problem is very important because depression can affect your perception of your situation and your ability to cope with things at home and work.
Next, I suggest that you examine how you might improve things at work by talking to your supervisors and co-workers about things that could possibly be changed at work to reduce stress. Sometimes, stepping back from the forest so that you can see the trees can help you view the job from a different perspective with an eye toward possible positive changes.
After this step, you may want to think about how you can change your perspective of the things that you find stressful at work. Are you choosing to let people and things bother you because of your own need for control and perfectionism? Are you trying to please everyone and make them all happy? Do you need to learn how to set more appropriate boundaries with other employees, say no when necessary and not feel guilty, and separate your work from your personal life? Do you have healthy outlets outside your job to help you live by the credo, “I work to live, not live to work?”
Finally, you may need to develop an exit strategy from your job if all else fails.
I have written on the topic of burnout, job stress and other related topics in the past. These articles can be found in the archives of my Web site, www.haplecrone.com.
I hope this information helps you deal with stress related to your work.
