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Margareta Junghage Margareta Junghage Euro Connect ConsultingEuro Connect Consulting

Thinking patterns of Burned Out People

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Individual Contributor ProfileIndividual Contributor Profile

63 administrators, University of Karlstad

Development Program 12 month, financed by EU

20 % had been long term sick listed for Fatigue Syndrome (Burned Out)

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Fatigue Syndrome - Stress Fatigue Syndrome - Stress related Mental Ill Healthrelated Mental Ill HealthSweden has had a dramatic increase of

mental ill-health last 10 years

Mostly occupations with much contact with and responsibility for other people

Long process with both physical and mental problems, often over several years

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Fatigue Syndrome Fatigue Syndrome

It often starts with tiredness and weakened or painful movement of the neck, back etcetera.

After comes sleep disorders, chest-pain, irregular heartbeat, gastric problems, dizziness, memory and concentration difficulties.

Growing physical and mental fatigue, depression and the feeling of “hitting the wall”

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Why so many stricken?Why so many stricken?

Big changes in working life, reduction in staff support, re-organizations, increasing load of work

The increasing information density

Different rates of resistance to external stress

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The individual elements of The individual elements of meaning are not known yetmeaning are not known yet

Genetic factors can matter

Early developmental environment can matter

In what degree the individual built his/her self esteem on the capability to achieve good working results can matter

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Often it is a highly loyal and hard working person, valuable contributor, who is stricken with Fatigue Syndrome

Source for facts: The National Board of Health and Welfare, Sweden.

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Selection and Target groupSelection and Target group

The total group: 61 women, 2 men I have selected 13 women, who all told me

face to face they had been Burned out, now or earlier

Diagnoses: 11 Fatigue Syndrome, 1 stress-related sickness stomach problems, 1 depression , therapeutic treatment

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AgeAge

Age 36-40 41-45 46-50 51-55 56-60 > 60

Quantity 4 1 4 3 0 1

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High clarity

Low clarityundervaluation overvaluation

5

6

7

4

3

2

1

8

9

10

Outer World Values, Concept

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High clarity

Low clarityundervaluation overvaluation

5

6

7

4

3

2

1

8

9

10

Self Values, Concept

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HypothesisHypothesis Heavy overvaluation, 8 or 9, in Self Concept,

maybe even in Outer Self, added to high self demands, sometimes results in Fatigue Syndrome

Very low values on Inner Self

This is often a loyal and hard working person, as they said in the article

This is correct for half the selected group. I had to dig deeper!

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Percept values - approach in Percept values - approach in the Inner world?the Inner world?

Everyone except two had an approach to value their Self with a strong focus on either their own performance, Outer Self, or the importance to live up to the promises they had given others (Self Concept)

They all placed the bar high and demanded that they jump over it!

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Overvaluations and Overvaluations and TranspositionsTranspositionsOvervaluations have great impact on the

value pattern

When a person places a Transposition statement (not fulfilling the norm) lower than APNI, it is overvaluation, s/he gives it a stronger negative value than the axiological value

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Self values, concept + Value % Self values, concept + Value % positive Transpositionspositive Transpositions

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

IS 2 3 4 3 4 1 2 4 2 3 2 4 3

OS 3 9 4 9 4 7 9 9 4 8 9 8 3

SC 9 9 9 7 4 3 3 8 9 9 2 4 9TranIS 10 0 40 0 30 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 11TranOS 0 71 0 71 33 50 70 50 18 46 100 75 100

TranSC 83 71 100 100 50 40 50 25 100 64 0 56 50

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Transpositions - a piece in the Transpositions - a piece in the pattern?pattern? High values on Transpositions, 50 % >, often

combines with overvaluations, 8 or 9, either in Outer Self or in Self Concept.

All persons with this pattern have red figures in the table!

To confirm high values on Transpositions in the conclusions we have to develop corresponding figures on a control group.

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Attention BalanceAttention Balance

The balance between the Outer World and Inner Self

Figures >1 (1,7-3) : the individual is better at valuing the Outer World compared to his/her valuing of his/her Inner Self

1 person has balance, 1 5 persons have 1,77 persons have 3,0

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Attention balance and Attention balance and Structured ThinkingStructured ThinkingIf we study the five persons who still are

sick listed part time, we can see some similarities between them.

They all have high values on Structured Thinking (7-8) and they all have high figures in Attention Balance (1,7-3)

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Control GroupControl Group

I used the Raw Scores I had in my office

Six persons are from the total target group of 63

Four people are working in other non-administrator tasks.

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Use the theory on control groupUse the theory on control group

Three persons fulfill all the criteria , i.e. High values in Outer Self and/or Self Concept, Low values in Inner Self, Heavy overvaluation of Transpositions, Attention Balance on 1,7 or higher High values on Structured Thinking

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Use the theory on the group of Use the theory on the group of 6363 45 have the value of 8 or 9 in Outer Self and/or

Self Concept If we add low values, 1-3, on Inner Self, the

group dwindles to 30 If we pick away those who do not have high

values in Structured Thinking, the group dwindles to 20

If we had access to Raw Scores on the whole group, we could take away persons with balance in Attention balance and find the group, at high risk to “hit the wall”

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ConclusionsConclusions

Heavy overvaluation in Outer Self and/or Self Concept, combined with low values in Inner Self, with very high self-demands accompanied by the fight to achieve these lofty demands can lead to Fatigue Syndrome

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Conclusions, continuanceConclusions, continuance

Attention Balance is a contributing factor. Outer directed thinkers are more likely to be stricken with Fatigue Syndrome.

Combined with heavy overvaluations on Transpositions in Outer Self and/or Self Concept and high values in Structured Thinking, the risk to be stricken with Fatigue Syndrome is probably even greater!

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How to use the results?How to use the results?

We can use this knowledge and pay attention to persons with this pattern and tell them they have a higher risk to be stricken with Fatigue Syndrome

This should make them more aware so they can listen to early warning signals and get help before it has gone to far!