Have you ever experienced burnout at work?
Perhaps you've heard of it, or maybe someone in your circle is familiar with it firsthand. But do you know how to identify burnout in its early stages? How to deal with it and what to do to prevent it? Let's figure it out.
Increased irritability, chronic fatigue, lack of motivation, apathy—these symptoms are the main signs of burnout. According to statistics, 89% of employees have experienced them. Workers in fields such as Healthcare, Top Management, Consulting, and Education often choose "always" or "very often" to describe the frequency of burnout.
In today's article, we will discuss the causes, symptoms, and methods of dealing with burnout.
What is burnout?
Before delving deeper, let's clarify the concept of "burnout." The term "burnout" was first introduced by the American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger in 1974. He described burnout as a combination of exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. This term refers to a state of emotional and physical exhaustion resulting from prolonged workplace stress.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:
- Emotional and physical exhaustion.
- Increased mental distance from one's job.
- Reduced professional efficacy.
In other words, it doesn't matter how you refer to this condition—whether as "professional burnout," "emotional burnout," or simply "burnout"—all these terms will mean the same thing and will always be associated specifically with professional activities.
- 89% of workers in highly-stressed fields like Healthcare, Management, or Education have experienced burnout
- According to the WHO statement, burnout is a syndrome of chronic stress
- Burnout is often linked to professional activities
What are the main causes of burnout?
To better understand the causes, let's consider an employee experiencing professional burnout and break down their path into several stages proposed by Professor Gerald Greenberg of the University of Maryland.
Infatuation with work. At this stage, the employee immerses themselves in the workflow. Filled with enthusiasm, they eagerly take on any task and dedicate themselves fully to it, often without considering overwork. One might think there's nothing wrong with such an approach. However, this leads to wasteful use of the employee's time and efforts, resulting in the neglect of other aspects of life. If the pace is not moderated in time, there is a risk of progressing to the next stage.
Stagnation. It becomes increasingly challenging to cope with assigned tasks, and they no longer bring as much joy. However, the employee ignores these signals and continues to exert disproportionate efforts at work, thus depleting their last reserves of strength.
Chronic symptoms. At this point, constant exhaustion and weakness set in, leading to feelings of depression and a desire to lash out at colleagues or loved ones.
Crisis. At this stage, burnout reaches its peak. The employee no longer sees the positive aspects of their work, and what used to bring joy no longer provides any pleasure.
Final stage. The symptoms mentioned above lead to problems that seem impossible to solve. This accumulation of issues becomes like a snowball rolling downhill, endangering not only the employee's career but also their physical well-being.
Interestingly, burnout begins not with stress, but with an increased infatuation with work. Now that we've looked at the path to burnout step by step, let's outline the reasons that lead to it. These reasons can be divided into two groups: Internal and External.
Internal causes of burnout are related to an individual's characteristics, personality, and ability to cope with stress. These can include:
- Uncompromising perfectionism: The desire to make work perfect, with no tolerance for even the slightest error.
- Inability to say no: Willingness to take on any task, even those outside your area of expertise.
- Time management mistakes: Reluctance to differentiate between personal and work time.
External causes of burnout are related to the environment surrounding the employee. These can include:
- Issues within the workplace: Constant misunderstandings with colleagues and management.
- Unfair compensation: Low income leading to a search for additional work.
- Irrelevant tasks: Responsibilities that are not part of your job description or are not at your level.
- Outside difficulties: Often, these are family problems that increase internal tension and affect work processes.
- Isolation: Inability to discuss work problems.
- Lack of recognition: Feeling that your work is not valued.
All these factors individually or collectively can lead you to burnout. But is it really that serious? Could it all be nonsense that you can ignore?
Spoiler alert: No. Burnout can lead to very unpleasant consequences, such as..
What does burnout lead to?
Burnout is dangerous because it can affect not only your career but also your life as a whole. The World Health Organization considers Burnout Syndrome a factor that negatively impacts a person's health.
First and foremost, burnout can lead to depression or, worse yet, increased stress caused by it can elevate the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Your career is also at risk of being affected by burnout, as it can lead to decreased productivity and quality of work, which, in turn, can impact your career growth and income.
Personal life is not left untouched either. Constant feelings of exhaustion and dissatisfaction with work can affect relationships with loved ones and lead to feelings of alienation and isolation.
Burnout in its advanced stage can negatively impact almost every aspect of your life, so it's important to be able to identify it at an early stage in order to take measures and improve the situation for the better.
- Burnout affects both mental and physical health
- Burnout may negatively impact the quality of your work
- With chronic stress and burnout, it is hard to maintain good relationships with close ones and colleagues
Recognize burnout before it's too late...
Recognizing burnout in time is the first step to overcoming it. Let's consider the main signs to watch out for.
Pay attention! Many of the signs resemble ordinary laziness. The main difference from the signs of burnout is the duration; in the case of burnout, these problems persist for more than a week and show no signs of stopping.
The main signs of burnout include:
- Chronic fatigue: Constantly feeling tired is a warning sign. If you find yourself completing tasks only because you have to, feeling tired from the morning, or longing for Friday on Monday, you should be alert.
- Frequent physical discomfort: For example, constant headaches, back pain, or stomachaches, heightened sensitivity to light.
- Sleep problems: Stress caused by burnout can lead to sleep issues. If you spend more than an hour in bed thinking about work, it could be a sign of burnout.
- Alienation: Distancing yourself from colleagues and losing interest in work tasks can also be precursors to burnout.
- Tension and irritability: Feeling angry and irritable for any reason, even minor setbacks, can affect you deeply.
- Apathy: A complete indifference to all work processes. You no longer see the point of working, let alone any prospects.
These are the main signs by which you can detect burnout, knowing which you can identify the problem. Now, let's figure out what actions to take to avoid professional burnout.
- Some of the main signs of burnout are sleep problems, apathy, chronic fatigue, alienation, irritability, and sometimes even physical pain
- To recognize burnout, there should be several signs of it, not just one
- It is recommended not to diagnose yourself and visit a therapist
How to protect yourself from burnout?
Now that we know about the causes and consequences of this unpleasant phenomenon, let's go through the steps that can help avoid burnout.
Learn to say no
First, you need to learn to say "No." Stick strictly to the tasks outlined in your job description. If you're asked to do something that isn't your responsibility, don't do it! Every organization should have specialized staff for specific tasks, and if not, it's a reason to inform management about the lack of personnel.
Don't hesitate to discuss problems
Almost all psychologists recommend discussing problems with friends! Talk about what doesn't satisfy you in your current job. This will help you get support and encouragement! Besides, they may have faced the same situations as you and can give you sound advice.
Assess your strengths wisely
Clearly define deadlines and do not take on more tasks than you can handle. If you are an experienced employee, base your workload on your previous experience. If you are new to the position, ask your mentor about deadlines or search for answers online.
Don't neglect vacation
You may have heard some employees boast, "I haven't taken a vacation in years. I'm too busy working to take time off." or "Vacations are for people who can't handle the grind. I'm always on my game." This is a fundamentally wrong approach, as such employees are most susceptible to burnout. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average, employees with one year of service receive 10 days of paid vacation, and that number increases with years of service. So, we recommend not neglecting them.
Engage in sports
Doctors always say that even light physical activity increases resilience to stress. Start doing morning exercises, and this will be enough for you to feel the positive effect in just a week!
Hobbies and interests
Try expanding your range of interests, find a hobby, or engage in creativity. With external interests, small setbacks at work will no longer seem like the end of the world. Moreover, this step will allow you to diversify your life and add some color to it!
A healthy mind lives in a healthy body
Don't forget about your health! Any ailment can undermine your work morale, which can turn any task into a challenge. Take vitamin supplements, especially when everyone around starts getting sick.
Be offline during non-working hours
To have a full-fledged rest, it's necessary to completely disconnect from work. At the end of the workday, try turning off notifications in your work chat so that nothing can distract you from personal activities.
- There are several tips on how to prevent burnout
- Value your personal boundaries and don’t be afraid to establish them at work
- Don’t immerse yourself in work, try to turn off in your free time: do sports, develop hobbies and interests, spend enough time with friends and family
Following these tips will help you maintain balance and minimize the risk of professional burnout. However, what should you do if you are already burnt out?
What to do if you are already burnt out?
So, you've encountered this problem. It's tough, but not hopeless! Perhaps the situation isn't as dire as it seems, and you can still turn things around. Try taking these actions.
Reduce your workload
To start with, try to separate your work and household tasks. At work, ask for more time to complete assignments or request help from colleagues. Perhaps this step will help change the situation.
Lower your level of responsibility
Ask your colleagues to back you up or request your superiors to take off some tasks from you. It's important that the full responsibility is not solely on you and is distributed among several people.
Give yourself a break
Most likely, burnout has occurred due to a lack of proper rest. After finishing work, try to switch off and engage in activities that won't remind you of work.
Take a vacation
As mentioned earlier, vacation is very important. If you haven't used up your vacation days yet, it's time to do so! Request time off from your boss for the nearest available dates. The main thing to remember is that during your vacation, you should rest and completely disconnect from work processes.
Consider changing jobs
This step is the most radical and should only be considered if nothing else works. Make a list of the pros and cons of your current job and add to it over the course of several days. Look at job openings for your position and explore opportunities at other companies. Weigh the pros and cons and take action. Regardless of your decision, this exercise can be helpful. You may either improve your current work conditions or realize that the advantages at your job outweigh the disadvantages.
- If you already feel burnt out, try to follow some simple rules
- Separate yourself from work as much as possible: get enough rest, take more breaks during the day, or go on vacation
- Consider starting therapy if things are too difficult
- If you understand that there is no way out, think about changing jobs
Be kind to yourself, maintain a balance between work and personal life, and you will be able to achieve much greater heights!