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Previously referred to as burnout syndrome, burnout is now reclassified as professional collapse. Far from a simple temporary fatigue, burn-out appears as an irreversible sentence. However, the consequences of burnout can diminish and offer new possibilities for well-being. It remains to be seen how to bounce back.
Indeed, if taking a break is the best solution in the event of burnout, it cannot be definitive. There comes a time when a return to work is necessary. Both in the process of reconstruction and in his socio-professional life. But how do you get back to work and not go back to work? What tools are deployed to “live well and live better”? Some answers with Florence Le Fouest, an executive in Lyon who experienced a burnout.
In order to avoid falling back into the same spiral of collapse, it is essential to put in place work arrangements, or even to radically change them. But there is also the primary need to understand the past in order to move forward better and not repeat the same mistakes.
Burn-out, a “danger of death” sign
Florence Le Fouest suffered a severe burnout. Like anyone in a state of burnout, she was arrested. And this, fourteen months. Long period in the eyes of all, but short according to health professionals. Since then, she has returned to work as a missionary in another sector in the same company. If the results are now there, it has been a long and winding road. The first trap? Fall back into the same things, the same situation. To fight against this danger, it was necessary to understand the mechanisms of burn-out. Putting words on your experience to accept and move forward.
« Burnout is the body saying stop while the mind wants to continue. It’s the first two months of empty shutdowns, a brain that no longer works, an incessant self-questioning. It is no longer knowing how to add a head, go shopping or read. The worst times. Endless tomorrows. I don’t know what I would have given to get knocked out and stop thinking », Testifies Florence Le Fouest.
Occurring after a long period of exposure to stress and overwork, burnout is both the process of progression and the point of rupture. So, physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted, the body has no choice but to say stop.
« I had to become aware of environmental and organizational factors at work. At first, I only attributed this burnout to myself. But this is wrong “. Understanding that the responsibility for burnout is not to be attributed but to be analyzed is essential. Indeed, the emphasis must be placed on understanding the issues and mechanisms. And not on individual or collective responsibility.
The perfect machine involved
If we identify a typical profile of “burnout”, personality traits are not the only ones responsible for this psychological shock. Indeed, it would be harmful to identify the individual as the only causation. Psychosocial risks (PSR) at work are also significant factors in the emergence of burnout.
« I faced a cycle of misunderstanding, seeking contact with my manager and fatigue. I exhausted myself trying to instill a collective value in work to the point of reducing my work to a matter of conflict. The last straw was a meeting the day before where my manager didn’t take the time to listen to me », Relates Florence Le Fouest. Thus, if no factor can be affirmed as a formal cause of burn-out, all participate in the vicious spiral.
Among the psycho-social risk factors, demands at work contribute to chronic stress. The workload is important, the objectives poorly defined or unrealizable, the work complex… The worker’s experience becomes increasingly thinner as the emotional demands on an audience are strong. Likewise, lack of autonomy, insecurity, poor social relations and conflicts of value prevent good development at work.
Promoting the emergence of burn-out syndrome, certain personality traits are frequently noted. In particular the importance of work for the person. Indeed, the more the person is involved, emotionally involved in the situation, the more the situation will be close to his heart and risk to impact psychologically. Thus, an over-commitment, a conscientious character are premises favorable to the absence of regulation leading to chronic stress and professional exhaustion.
Perceive the signs
« I felt signs of fatigue that I could not explain. Every morning I threw up and felt terrible. My head was in a vise and I lost seven pounds. In short, I was a ghost and I didn’t realize it ».
Thus, stress, work addiction, chronic fatigue and emotional exhaustion are as many signs as they are warnings. Emotionally, the individual can be tense, irritable or hypersensitive. Physically, he may experience trouble sleeping, sudden weight loss or gain, nausea or dizziness. Finally, oversights and errors can creep into his work, which is carried out by difficulty of concentration and memory.
Burnout and recovery: stop adapting and ask
After burnout and sick leave, returning to work can only be considered gradually. No need to immediately resume the same rhythm, the same job if no changes have been made. Indeed, without changes, the risk of relapse is great. Developing a recovery strategy is therefore essential.
« If at the beginning I told myself that I would never return to the company, today I am there. After 14 months off, I resumed with a therapeutic half-time in a different service. My huge need for sleep justified this decision “. Thus, it is necessary to adapt the work to the man and not the man at work, as the Labor Code confides.
Returning to work is also doing work on yourself. So as not to dive again. To stay away from risky situations. ” The important thing is to understand why we have come to this. To question his professional and personal life balance as well as to solve the major criteria of his burn-out. It involves having another center of interest, taking the time, and sometimes even starting from scratch “. If the person must pay attention to these elements, the Human Resources department, occupational medicine and the employer must also ensure that these requirements are met so as not to cause a second rupture.
« Today, I can once again regain pleasure at work. My team is caring. Despite everything, I still have trouble projecting myself into the future », Explains Florence Le Fouest.
Being monitored, the basis of post-burnout reconstruction
No medication can cure burnout. ” There is no cure for burnout. We take care of ourselves, we learn to live differently. I still have a few anxiety attacks, memory lapses and incessant doubts. Sometimes I tell myself that I will never find the me before, and sometimes I think that in the end it may not be necessary “. Thus, support is necessary to find a path of resilience.
Without being a miracle cure, medications can help get your life back on track. However, it is essential to start a long reconstruction process with a health professional. Difficult otherwise to get out. ” Psychotherapy and antidepressants help relieve the most painful moments and overcome this bottoming out. Personally, I also needed a skills assessment in order to rehash deep questions about me ».
If family or friendly help is not enough, it can nevertheless provide significant crutches for the development of a new well-being. Isolation to recover is necessary but socializing is just as important. ” My family was very present, understood and welcomed the fact that I was wrong. It was very precious. Just as the Mieux-être & Travail association allowed me to submit my story and have an outside opinion ».
Find the list of psychiatrists near you on www.conseil-national.medecin.fr
TO KNOW
Before returning to work, a pre-return visit with the occupational physician is strongly recommended. The goal ? Efficiently reintegrate the suffering person into the professional environment. Arrangements, adaptations, reclassification, professional training… All solutions can be tackled. If the individual has been employed and stopped for more than 3 months, this consultation is made compulsory by THE LABOR CODE.
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