Precisely what I needed to read at a complicated junction in my own working life... One fascinating (albeit frequently aggravating) outcome of my COVID-19 pandemic experience is the way post-COVID syndrome (formerly known as "long COVID") and burn-out appear to go hand in hand. My recently building frustrations with my current job's lack of latitude (and, looming over it all, frustrating lack of impact/purpose) have resulted in a relapse of post-COVID syndrome symptoms, and my current sick leave makes me reflect as much on the particulars of my body as on the specifics of the job in question. Having read your analysis, I feel emboldened in the idea that the "how" of a job is just as crucial to your professional (and private) wellbeing as the "what" of it — and, perhaps for future study (conducted among Millennials only?), the "why" of it all...
Thanks for sharing! Sorry to hear about the relapse. It seems that post-COVID, burn-out, and perhaps chronic fatigue syndrome are all characterized by a feeling of being disconnected to the world, being unable to grasp and control it effectively. This could be exacerbated by low decision latitude in one's job. Physical fatigue could be construed as another example of low decision latitude, except the 'work' here is the activity of one's own body (and one needs to learn to follow the body, rather than trying to will it into action).
The 'why' of work is also interesting: meaning goes hand in hand with engagement, which is often thought of as the opposite of the burn-out symptom of 'emotional distance' to one's job. On the other hand, engaged employees risk overcommitting themselves to unachievable goals, potentially resulting in frustration and increased stress (more on this next week).
Precisely what I needed to read at a complicated junction in my own working life... One fascinating (albeit frequently aggravating) outcome of my COVID-19 pandemic experience is the way post-COVID syndrome (formerly known as "long COVID") and burn-out appear to go hand in hand. My recently building frustrations with my current job's lack of latitude (and, looming over it all, frustrating lack of impact/purpose) have resulted in a relapse of post-COVID syndrome symptoms, and my current sick leave makes me reflect as much on the particulars of my body as on the specifics of the job in question. Having read your analysis, I feel emboldened in the idea that the "how" of a job is just as crucial to your professional (and private) wellbeing as the "what" of it — and, perhaps for future study (conducted among Millennials only?), the "why" of it all...
Thanks for sharing! Sorry to hear about the relapse. It seems that post-COVID, burn-out, and perhaps chronic fatigue syndrome are all characterized by a feeling of being disconnected to the world, being unable to grasp and control it effectively. This could be exacerbated by low decision latitude in one's job. Physical fatigue could be construed as another example of low decision latitude, except the 'work' here is the activity of one's own body (and one needs to learn to follow the body, rather than trying to will it into action).
The 'why' of work is also interesting: meaning goes hand in hand with engagement, which is often thought of as the opposite of the burn-out symptom of 'emotional distance' to one's job. On the other hand, engaged employees risk overcommitting themselves to unachievable goals, potentially resulting in frustration and increased stress (more on this next week).