From Striving to Thriving: How Mental Health Providers Can Improve Job Satisfaction and Burnout

are you feeling burnt out at work? Feeling like you have no motivation and are stuck in a rut with your career? You’re not alone - recent studies show that job burnout is a growing problem, with 77% of workers reporting feeling overwhelmed and exhausted in their job roles. However, there is hope for all those feeling stuck in this cycle: psychotherapy or talk therapy has been proven to help people improve their job satisfaction and reduce feelings of burnout through targeted treatments. Therapy can be a major change agent, helping you identify what is important to you and find steps on how to prioritize this. It is no wonder more and more leaders and other high-performers credit psychotherapy with allowing them to reach their goals.

In this article, we will take a look at how mental health and well-being can play an important role when it comes to dealing with this type of stress – providing some practical advice on what to expect when starting therapy and how it could help you in your unique situation

Understanding Job Satisfaction and Burnout

Let's slow things down. Phrases like burnout and job satisfaction can get thrown around on social media or mandated surveys to the point they lose all meaning. Here, we will use them to refer to a state of being fulfilled and content with the state of their work (job satisfaction) and the experience of emotional exhaustion, disconnectedness, and lacking accomplishment or impact (burnout).

But how do we gauge this? An interesting question to ask a person is "why do you come to work each day." You have to be patient with this question but it will often lead you somewhere pretty interesting. For many of us, our first instinct is to say "for the paycheck" or "because otherwise, I could lose my job." While there's no doubt most of us are reliant on our income and too many are limited in opportunities, many of us have made specific choices in our career. We could have accepted another job or chosen another field.

If you ask yourself this question, take note of how many answers had to do with something about the work and not just what you get from it. Outside of paychecks, vacation time, and potential career advancement, what motivates you to continue the grind of your career? Is it the impact? The people you work with? The challenges? If these are missing or have become too rare, it might explain why you may be dealing with low satisfaction in your work.

You might also consider your workload. Another common phrase around wellness and business circles is the "work-life balance." In competitive or high-pressure environments it can be easy to sacrifice our own needs and focus on remaining productive. While we can go into a sort of "overdrive" for short times, if we neglect our personal life (family, friends, hobbies) and our need to rest, we will end up feeling physical and emotional fatigue. Without healthy boundaries around work (even your dream job!) you can begin to show signs of burnout including decreased sense of personal accomplishment in your work, increased anxiety, wondering if you are a "failure," reduced motivation, and feeling like you are isolated and alone. For some of us, it can make us consider leaving our job or our fields completely.

Mental Health and Its Role in Job Satisfaction and Burnout

In looking at reasons some may be more at risk for burnout or low job satisfaction, our mental health may provide some important clues. When our mental state is not optimal, we may find ourselves struggling with daily tasks and feeling overwhelmed, leading to a decrease in satisfaction and greater difficulties with job stress. When you are depressed or anxious, you have limited ability to access the parts of your brain like your prefrontal cortex. This helps you manage complex situations, and plan, and organize your thinking. In addition, it can be harder to see things clearly. We may miss or undervalue important information that tells us our work matters and that we are performing to an appropriate standard. To make matters worse, struggles with mental illness or mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, can prevent us from experiencing the fun or engaging parts of our job, making it feel like we are going through the motions or struggling to survive. If you have had past difficulties with your own mental health, you should consider how this may be showing up when you clock in as well as when you clock out.

How Job Satisfaction and Burnout Impact Our Personal and Professional Lives

For most of us, our job satisfaction will impact essentially every area of our lives. When we are satisfied with our jobs, we tend to feel more engaged, motivated, and fulfilled in our daily tasks. We will be able to think more creatively, take initiative, and enjoy the fruits of our labor long after the workday is done. On the other hand, feeling burned out can leave us feeling exhausted, cynical, and detached from our work. Our productivity and quality of our performance can dip, leading to more problems and job stress. These feelings can spill over into our personal lives, affecting our relationships, hobbies, and overall well-being. It's important to pay attention to these emotions and take action to prevent burnout, whether through self-care practices or seeking support from others, including mental health professionals. By prioritizing job satisfaction and taking steps to prevent burnout, we can thrive in both our personal and professional lives

Improving Burnout and Job Satisfaction with Therapy

So what can we do about all this? In addition to trying to make time for "self-care," connecting with a therapist or another mental health provider be a great asset. Therapy for improving job satisfaction and burnout is all about identifying the underlying causes of stress and dissatisfaction at work and learning new coping skills to deal with them. This can include developing healthier communication and boundary-setting skills, exploring personal and professional values and goals, and finding ways to improve work-life balance. The end goal is not only to alleviate the symptoms of burnout but also to cultivate a deeper sense of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in the workplace.

Through working with trained mental health clinicians, you will work to identify what sort of work creates fulfillment. Through exploring your past career experiences and training as well as your unique character, you will be able to find ways to better align your job role with the lasting, fulfilling career you desire, all while balancing your financial and time considerations.

But what will your therapy look like? This is hard to say. There are many different styles and approaches to mental health practice. Some may spend more time on how you may perceive and behave in a situation while others may be more focused on developing your personal values. A great deal will also depend on your unique needs as a client. Make sure you work with your mental health providers to build a therapy approach that works best for you.

What are the Benefits of Therapy for Improving Job Satisfaction and Burnout? How Will This Impact Me?

If you've ever felt overwhelmed and exhausted at work, you know how easy it is to lose job satisfaction and experience burnout. The good news is that therapy can help. Through therapy, you can explore the root causes of your burnout and learn coping strategies to manage and prevent it from happening again. Even if you discover that your current work role is the issue, therapy can provide you the space and skills to understand what jobs provide meaning and how to put yourself in the position to obtain them. Not only can therapy improve your overall job satisfaction, but it can also have a positive impact on your physical health, interpersonal relationships, and overall well-being. It is no surprise that the impact of our jobs does not end when we clock out. When we are fatigued and exhausted from our work, it leaves us less energy to pursue all the other important areas of our life. Through improving our workday and feelings about our employment, we can have more energy for our family, friends, hobbies, and everything else that gives us meaning in our lives. So if you want to feel more fulfilled in your career and avoid burnout, therapy could be the key to unlocking a happier, healthier you.

What the Research Says About Mental Health Services for Work-related Issues

Many people spend a significant amount of their time at work, which can lead to stress, burnout, and other work-related issues. Therapy can be a helpful resource for addressing these challenges. Research indicates that therapy can improve mental health outcomes, such as reducing anxiety and depression, and can also improve job satisfaction and performance. Some specific interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based therapy, have been shown to be particularly effective in treating work-related issues. Additionally, therapy can provide a safe and confidential space to process work-related stressors and develop coping strategies. Seeking therapy for work-related issues is not only beneficial for individual well-being but can also lead to a more productive and positive work environment.

Reconnect Your Passion with Your Career

Through working with a therapist, we can find more meaning in our work and approach life with more energy and joy, even when times get rough. If you think about how much of our week is spent in the workplace or "on the job," it is likely no surprise how vital our job satisfaction and burnout level are to our overall wellbeing. With a strong therapeutic relationship, you can find ways to meet your challenges and gain the benefits of increased energy levels, better productivity, and engagement with work. If you are feeling dissatisfied at work or suffering from burnout, now is the best time to take action. As we all know, good things don’t come easy so reach out for help if needed– your future self will thank you for it! Take control now and find more meaning in your work through therapy.

How to Find a Therapist or Counselor for Work-Related Issues

Interested in finding out ways to have a more rewarding, sustainable career? Consider a consultation with Grand Prix Psychology. Through an evidence-based, individualized approach, we work with you to work through challenges and realign yourself with what is most important.

Not the right fit? Check out these resources to help find a therapist or other mental health providers (i.e licensed professional counselor, licensed clinical professional counselor, licensed clinical social worker, or other mental health workers)

Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

Therapist Finder: https://www.findatherapist.com/

or Contact your insurance company!