How to Break the Cycle of Negative Reinforcement and Prevent Burnout

“I need a vacation.”  

It’s a common saying I’ve heard many times, which could be burnout. Burnout, especially in Applied Behavior Analysis, is prevalent. 

Sometimes, a job that was once fulfilling can become a burden, making it difficult to get through the day. Even when work is going well, it may feel like a chore, and it can be challenging to understand why. While taking a vacation or asking for a raise may provide temporary relief, we may have lost touch with the values that initially attracted us to the role. We might be learning less than we'd like or feel we need to progress more quickly than we'd hoped.

Why is Burnout so Prevalent in the Workplace?

“…we may have lost touch with the values that initially attracted us to the role. We might be learning less than we'd like or feel we need to progress more quickly than we'd hoped.”

Feeling burnout is a shared experience, and many people want to escape it. However, typical solutions like taking a vacation, avoiding challenging tasks, or simply going through the motions only provide temporary relief. If the underlying problem of not aligning with your values persists, the feeling of burnout will come back even stronger. You may have escaped burnout before, which may have felt good, but your mind will likely tell you to do it again.   

This is where behavior analysis can help! In particular, using the acceptance and commitment approach. Identify your values, define how to contact them at work or during your day, and behave towards them. We can change our thoughts and feelings about our job when we behave in accordance with our values.

If things still don't feel right after attempting changes in your behavior, further analysis is necessary, or you need to change direction. Once you align with your values, you'll know when things feel right. 

Determining Core Values is Essential to Alleviating Long-Term Burnout

“…typical solutions like taking a vacation, avoiding challenging tasks, or simply going through the motions only provide temporary relief. If the underlying problem of not aligning with your values persists, the feeling of burnout will come back even stronger.”

Have you ever considered therapy for burnout?   

Behavior Therapy is an effective option for managing burnout. A Behavior Analyst can pinpoint the key issues leading to burnout and provide strategies to alleviate the associated feelings.