So it was recently announced that “Corporate Burnout” has been classified as a mental disability by the World Heath Organization. Corporate Burnout is defined as chronic workplace stress that isn’t properly managed.
I work hard everyday however, and I have to admit, most days I’m just trying to make it through the day so I can live for the weekend. I used to have this idea that once I had my “after college job”, I would instanly make a lot of money and somehow I would be able to afford a benz and penthouse apartment, but WRONG! I’m taking baby steps toward C-suite status, and I’m no where near the “sweet” life. The tough reality about working in corporate America is that no matter how much you studied in college or how prepared you think you are, real life scenarios are always the best lesson.
Characteristics of Corporate Burnout:
1) Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
2) Increased mental distance from one’s job
3) Reduced professional efficacy
Milienials have pushed businesses to implement change in the corporate structure through the modification of policies, ethics standards and more. It’s already a proven fact that Millenials have used their voice and buying power to re-define corporate standards. But is it enough? Is the playing field truly fair when it comes to those that are still emerging in their careers, building a career, and fighting to earn thier worth.
Trying to make it in corporate America is hard!
Nevertheless it makes me wonder… how do milleninals adjust?
The question I ask myself everyday is… how do I stay true to myself and maintain an image in an enviorment where everyone is surrounded in a sea of conformity? ….For me the best way to adapt was to force myself to grow comfortable with being uncomfortable.
I learn and grow each day so I’ll quickly admit I’m a work in progress; patience has been on my New Years resolutions list for the last 3 years and I’m finally getting the hang of it. I’m getting better as I get older but in a corporate enviorment I contstantly remind myself that patience is key. I always have to stop and remember that in the corporate world things don’t move as fast as I think they should, and the last thing any milineial wants to do is perpetuate the lazy and entitiled and milennial sterotypre.
I have to invest in myself by committing to the work at hand and finding meaning to attach to it, even if it’s a minute. Things take time, so have to slow down and take in the moment to actually experience the joy that is the journey I’m on. It’s my job to find my place and adjust to the working in the corporate world. Taking the time to relax allowed me to find a sense of purpose and better appreciate my job. I gained a deeper level of understanding of what commitment and long-term professional investment truly mean to me. I had to evaluate my actions.
Use that PTO
When I start to feel worn out after a long day, I unwind with a glass of wine. However, after a few weeks of never-ending projects, long meetings, and even longer days, I have to take a personal day to keep from going crazy in the office. I think an extra day off is the perfect addition to any weekend, and it gives me the bonus time I need to recoup before I head get back to my daily grind on Monday morning.
Time Management
Working on my time management has been one of the best things I’ve implemented to ease my daily struggles. I’m not at the point in my career where I can afford an assistant to delegate activities, so I’m always multi-tasking to get things done. Once I started changing my habits and keeping my schedule tight, I felt like I was able to find more time for myself. I become more astute and took time to focus and prioritize the tasks that I needed to get done that day. Instead of worrying about a project that can wait another day. I had to make weekly and daily to-do list in order to get things done. The instant gratification of being able to complete a goal makes marking task complete feel like a win.
Work on your pokerface
Working with fake people is probably the biggest obstacle for me in the corporate world. I did’nt realize this as much in college because although I worked with different personalities in group projects, and through organizations it was always either for the length of the project or once a week. When you are in the workplace you see the same people everyday. With so many moving parts in a company, I find myself speaking with multiple departments on a daily basis, this means I have to always be on. It was vital for me to begin learning more about my co-workers’ personalities so that we could succeed as a whole. For me, this meant finding the best way to communicate with different personalties. Most of the time you’re never going to like everyone at your job, so that’s when I had to perfect my poker face.
“The most important step toward growth and change is taking personal responsibility for one’s own life.”
– A Wise Man
Always ON Point!
–> Olivia
onpointolivia.com 