Feeling like your work doesn’t matter? You may be burned out.

“Nothing I do matters.” Our thoughts create our reality, and our thoughts don’t necessarily reflect reality.

If you feel like your work doesn’t matter, here are two important things to know:

1. you’re not the only one with this feeling

2. a decreased sense of accomplishment is an indicator of burnout

This week, we’ve started a deep dive into burnout. We kicked it off with a self-assessment on Monday, and then shared the first two components of burnout: emotional exhaustion (Tuesday) and depersonalization (Wednesday).

Today is about the third component of burnout: a “decreased sense of accomplishment: the unconquerable sense of futility, feeling that nothing you do makes any difference.” The definition comes from Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, by doctors Emily and Amelia Nagoski.

If you’re feeling this way, it may help to talk to a trusted friend or colleague who can give you a different perspective on your work. Your contributions matter, even if it may not feel like it right now.

Next week, we’ll share how to deal with burnout effectively.

How are you experiencing burnout, and have you found ways to manage it?