Burnout is the feeling of ‘giving up’, feeling like you cannot carry on doing your daily tasks, or daily tasks feeling a lot harder than normal. Despite the commonality of burnout, research on it is poorly understood. But from what we know, burnout often means that we are physically, mentally, and emotionally drained and exhausted, often from overworking; an excessive workload and an unremitting pace (McCormack & Cotter, 2013). This burnout usually leads to excess stress, feelings of being overwhelmed and feelings of being unable to cope with everyday demands in life amongst other things. Symptoms of burnout are often similar to that of depression.
How do you know if you are experiencing burnout?
Burnout can affect many things: sleep, job performance, appetite, physical health and this exhaustion cannot be fixed by a good night’s sleep, for example, or a holiday. It is much more than that. The use of the term “burnout” for everyday stress is common but it is wrong, it medicalises the problem and reduces the seriousness of real burnout. People who are burnt-out can suffer from things as serious as depression, cardiovascular problems, impairment of functioning, memory loss or alcohol abuse.
It’s not always about how hard you’re working, it’s to do with the workload and time spent working, with the feeling of it never ending. Lack of efficacy (feeling incapable of making an impact) can often be one of the main causes of burnout as not being able to tell whether you are making a difference in your job means that you will never stop trying to make this difference.
There are different types of burnout developed from research by Farber in the Journal of Clinical Psychology
- Frenetic: This could be classed as workaholics. It is people who are involved with their work and have a tendency to overload their activities and projects. Not achieving may cause guilt which can lead to worry and anxiety. Maybe they feel unable to ask for help or delegating work
- Under-challenged: People can feel under-challenged by their workload. If they are not being developed or challenges then people can feel unmotivated or disengaged. The lack of motivation can lead people to withdraw and not get involved or seek opportunities.
- Worn-out: people feel that they have little or no control over the results of their work. They feel like they are not appreciated, or their work is not acknowledged
A recent survey noted that although 87% people said they had a passion for their current job, 64% of professionals said they frequently felt stressed and frustrated at their current job. As burnout is such a common problem, it is important we know how to address and manage it.
What’s next…
Overcoming burnout may not necessarily be less work, but more meaning. Finding something in your life, something aside from your job, or on top of your job. Something that you can invest your time and commitment into that reconnects you to your purpose in life. Often this can work for finding your passion once again and allowing you to enjoy your work and remember why you do it.
One of the challenges with burnout is that people sometimes don’t have the emotional energy to deal with it, and can lash out, or withdraw from those who they need support from. Consider how easy this is to do when working in isolation at home. Do reach out for support and help if needed.
Managing Burnout
Celebrate small wins. This reminds you of your self-efficacy and that you can make progress where you want to. These small wins can often mean helping others and this impact on others can make individuals feel energised rather than exhausted, tackling the burnout. We don’t suggest working more hours or harder, we just suggest finding meaning to your work so that you feel like you are progressing and making a difference. Small wins are not hard to find if you look for them.
Workplaces should address burnout and help its employees tackle it together. It is not something we should have to conquer alone. If workplaces are where the problem can originate, they should be where the problem can be “fixed”. Burnout can often be contagious and can pass on to other colleagues therefore this organisational problem needs to be addressed. However, this is not solely the blame of an organisation, something that can be done individually to tackle burnout is a “detox” from screens. Taking a break from emails and social media and work/personal devices can allow time to spend doing other things, things you are passionate about and things you may have otherwise lost the time to do. This can re-energise you and boost morale as well as giving you a much-needed break.
Meditation can also help, scientists have found. Simple breathing exercises can bring us back to our self and our surroundings and can relax our muscles as well as lowering our blood pressure. Apps such as BoxBreathing or Calm are a great help in aiding these breathing exercises.
Delegate tasks where you can. Consider what tasks you could pass on to someone else at work or at home. This should not be viewed as shirking your responsibilities; delegation can be a great way to create development opportunities for your team.
Tips on managing burnout
- Recognise your signs. Do you feel different than usual? Are you feeling overwhelmed – try and reflect on why you might be experiencing burnout.
- What are the areas that you need to let go from your work/life? Think about what you are expected to do and what you feel you can deliver?
- If you are feeling overwhelmed or depressed because of stress then do check in with your GP.
- Ask for help. Reach out to peers or friends and share what you are feeling
- Check in with others that you think might be experiencing burnout. Ask them how they really are and listen.
- Plan your work week. Schedule what you must do and what you can fit into your diary. Doing this will help you recognise what is achievable. Whatever cannot be fitted into your week will need delegated or rescheduled. Try and think positively about delegation. Most people are happy to help if they can, and for some, it can be a great opportunity to develop their skills.
- Say no! It’s ok sometimes to say no. You don’t have to always justify the no either.
- If you are in a leadership position, consider your impact. Are you ‘walking the walk’ in terms of wellbeing? By demonstrating boundaries rework and home can set the example for others
- Balance your week and make time for yourself away from work. Make sure you have time for exercise, friends, relaxing time etc
- Do what helps you relax. It might be a walk, or a hobby or it might be just chilling with a good movie. Don’t feel you have to be doing everything and don’t feel guilty for not doing it all!
- Try and create some ‘non-meeting’ time so you and your colleagues have some space to clear work. Google have a ‘non-meeting week’ to allow employees to have time for focused work
- Book some time off that you can recharge. If you have the authority, can you allow some extra well-being days? A lot of companies are allowing a few extra days this year in recognition of the stress people have been under.
Some further reading
- Google’s Remote Work Policy Has 9 Great Tips You Should Definitely Steal Today
- When executives burn out
- Job burnout: How to spot it and take action
- How to manage pandemic-induced burnout
- How to tell if you’re close to burning out
- Employee Burnout, Part 1: The 5 Main Causes
- Top 10 tips for students: mental wellbeing during lockdown 2.0
