Are You Experiencing “Rust Out” At Work?

With all the stress we have trying to stay afloat in these turbulent times, there comes a new term that we need to know about called "rust out'. What is rust out? Well, you can probably guess that it has to do with our work lives.

We have heard the term burn out for years, that's when you are just done and have nothing left to give at the office. Burn out comes after awhile at most jobs, sometimes sooner than later. Most of us experience at least once in our lives and know the symptoms.

What are the symptoms of burn out? It's that feeling when you just cannot get excited to get to work no matter how hard you try. Perhaps you are sick of the grind or even the people that you work with. Once you are suffering from burn out, you might as well start looking for a new vocation.

It's a mental condition that is slightly below being straight out burned out. When you start getting the feeling that you are just going through the motions at work and doing it strictly for a pay check. You might even dread going to work because you consider it to be a daily slog, but you don't have any immediate plans to look for a new job. At least, not yet.

Going to work with rust out is something that a lot of us do and can continue to do so for years. Look around your office and you can probably guess your co-workers who are suffering from the condition. They never look fully happy or engaged and tend to do just the bare minimum to keep the paycheck coming. It's a sad condition and if you have it, you're not alone.

A study of 154 teacher educators found an undercurrent of rust out symptoms, despite most enjoying their work. Participants described feeling that the job no longer aligned with their professional aspirations, and did not challenge their expertise. Experts argue that rust out should be recognized as a mental health concern, just as burn out has been, with employers acknowledging the well-being of their employees as integral to organizational success. (StudyFind