Emotional intelligence as an instrument to control occupational stress and Burnout Syndrome

Abstract

Burnout Syndrome consists of a disease, also known as professional burnout syndrome, characterized by a process based on emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and low professional achievement, defined as a chronic psychological phenomenon that occurs in people whose work involves relationships of intense attention and common to people who need assistance and care. The objective was to demonstrate the importance of emotional intelligence as a means of preventing Burnout Syndrome. Methodologically, this is a bibliographical, descriptive and exploratory review of works published between 2015 and 2022, through consultations of scientific articles in the Virtual Health Library network, carried out between July and October 2022. It is possible to verify that we live in an immediatist era, which has been directly reflected in professional practice, mainly among people who occupy leadership positions, and may contribute to the compromise of the mental health of such professionals. It is essential for workers to reflect until what moment it is worth dedicating all their time to their professional life, in this sense, the need for a skill called self-management is latent, which can contribute significantly to improving the quality of life of workers. It was concluded that the main problems arising from mental exhaustion can cause irreversible harm to an individual's health, therefore, the appearance of the syndrome must be avoided from the first signs and symptoms; the most successful professionals are not necessarily those with the highest intelligence, but those with better emotional control, which means they have greater emotional intelligence. The ability of professional self-management is interpreted as breaking the alienation of work by emphasizing that overcoming the division of intellectual and manual labor is the basis for sustaining a society divided into classes and an oppressive structure.