4 Signs Youre Burned Out to the Point of Needing to Quit, According to Harvard

4 Signs Youre Burned Out to the Point of Needing to Quit, According to Harvard Theres often a seasonality to stress. Perhaps things at work have picked up around a specific project youre working on, or youre struggling to juggle family responsibilities during back-to-school time. Whatever the specific reason, there are periods of heightened pressure that come and go, ultimately allowing you to return to your equilibrium. But what happens when that equilibrium starts to feel inaccessible or maybe it hasnt felt attainable for a long time?When lifes demands go beyond the threshold of what one can reasonably handle, and that transgression is sustained, burnout is often around the corner. According to research has shown that one of the most significant drivers of burnout is peoples jobs. Considering that the American Institute of Stress shows that Americans today work harder and for longer hours on average than previous generations did, and that as many as 40% of workers describe their j obs as very or extremely stressful, this is hardly surprising.Sometimes, you can be brought back from the verge of burnout by a particularly restorative vacation or, even better, by a conversation with your boss about setting mora realistic expectations. Other times, however, the situation may be more dire. Here are the four situations in which the burnout youre facing is severe enough to quit your job over, according to Harvard.1. Your employer doesnt enable you to be the best version of yourself.This is the case whenever, as Valcour writes, an overwhelming workload, conflicting objectives unclear expectations, inadequate resources, or a lack of managerial support is at play.When youre burned out, you provide less value than you would working in conditions that are more conducive to your performance and engagement, she wrote. As my burnout progressed, my motivation plummeted and I had less to offer my employer. Not only was the organization hurting me, I was hurting the organizatio n. lassitudo is like a relationship thats gone bad When the employment relationship is no longer beneficial to either party, and the prospects for reviving it are dim, it may be time to call it quits.2. Your job or employer doesnt align with your values and interests.Feeling that your personal values are reflected and supported by your employer is essential to achieving true job fulfillment, something Valcour was missing from her career.My employers values as revealed by managerial behavior and decision-making practices clashed with my core commitments to authenticity, autonomy, making a positive difference, and facilitating thriving at work, she wrote.3. You cant envision a positive future at the organization.For Valcour, she realized the that the prospect of continuing to rise within her company filled her with dread. She says the fact there were senior colleagues who were clearly diminished by their employment, frequently sick, and consistently negative set off alarm bells, addin g I knew that I didnt want to end up like that.4. Theres a clear personal cost to the stress youre experiencing.Be it the toll it takes on your health, career, mental and emotional well-being, or relationships, burnout doesnt come without its price.In my case, the negative emotions I brought home hurt my marriage and family relationships as well as my peace of mind, Valcour recalled. Sitting in the office of a relationship counselor and hearing my always supportive husband say, I have no more empathy left for you, clarified the costs of burnout on me and my family.If youre unsure about the impact that burnout might be having on you, Valcour advises asking your partner, family members, and close friends for their perspective. And remember youre not stuck in this situation.--