How to spot the major signs of burnout

Major signs of burnout

Career-related burnout is a specific type of work-related stress. Experts define job burnout as ”a state of emotional or physical exhaustion that features a reduced sense of personal identity and accomplishment.”

Psychologist Herbert Freudenberger first coined the term burnout. He identified burnout as ”the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.”

Job burnout

As it stands, job burnout is not a medical or psychiatric diagnosis. However, some mental health experts believe that other health factors could be behind burnout, such as depression and anxiety.

Studies on job burnout also show that other variables could be at play, such as:

  • Family life
  • Personality traits
  • Social influences

Signs and symptoms

If you find yourself wondering whether you or someone you know might be suffering from burnout – there are several critical symptoms of burnout. These include:

  • Lacking energy and struggling to be productive.
  • Being unsatisfied with job results and achievements.
  • Using drugs, alcohol or food to feel better or to numb out any unpleasant feelings and emotions.
  • Having to drag yourself to work and experiencing issues with concentration and ”getting started.”
  • Getting (or feeling) irritated at colleagues and customers.
  • A disturbance in sleep habits.
  • Emotional exhaustion and chronic fatigue.
  • Suffering from unexplained health problems such as headaches, stomach aches, bowel issues or any other physical complaints.
  • Becoming pessimistic or cynical at work.

Medical advice diagnosis

According to the Mayo clinic, if people find themselves saying ”yes” to any of the above burnout symptoms – there is a chance they might be experiencing burnout.

It’s essential that people with burnout symptoms consider talking to a mental health professional or their doctor as symptoms of burnout may also be signs of another mental health condition such as depression.

Those at risk of burnout

Many conditions put people at increased risk of stress and burnout. They include:

  • Being in a stressful work environment like healthcare
  • Having little to no control over your workload
  • Struggling with work-life balance
  • Working long hours and dealing with a heavy workload
Causes of workplace burnout

Causes of workplace burnout

Studies show that burnout and work-related stress can get brought on for many reasons, and all this is dependent on the individual and the job itself.

Typically, though, some of the common causes of burnout include:

  • Dysfunctional working environments: This may include feeling debased by colleagues or those in management (such as being micromanaged by your boss). People may also encounter an office bully, all of which contributes to work stress.
  • Activities at the extreme: The monotony (or chaos) of a job can lead to stress since both require constant energy to remain focused – all this can lead to emotional exhaustion and can even produce physical symptoms of burnout (such as migraines and stomach complaints).
  • Not having an amazing social support group: this can cause overwhelm since the ability to ”let off steam” is imperative in combating job burnout. Satisfying social experiences release ”happy hormones” all of which lead to a reduction of stress.
  • Not having any control: This may include an inability to make decisions about your workload, projects or schedule, all of which could lead to burnout. All this consists of a lack of resources and compassion from those in management positions.

Implications

There are many implications for a person experiencing job burnout, and this may consist of being irritable with co-workers, family and friends.

Physical and mental health

People who experience burnout are also at risk of more severe consequences when it comes to their physical and psychological health – this includes:

  • Anger, hostility and sadness (this may get directed at family members, partners and work colleagues)
  • Alcohol or substance abuse issues
  • Insomnia
  • Fatigue
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Being vulnerable to other health conditions (due to increased stressors)

Statistics

A survey conducted on up to 1,500 people by Flexjobs and Mental Health America reported that up to 75% of Americans feel burned out at work, with 40% reporting significant burnout symptoms during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Work environment and Covid-19

Other studies illustrated that comments related to job burnout doubled from March 2020 (pre-lock-down) to April 2020 ( during lock-down), increasing from 2.7% to 5.4%. Equally, in the U.S., up to 83% of full time-professionals say that job burnout negatively impacts their relationships. 

In addition, an incredible 70% of employees say their employers do not do enough to prevent them from burning out.

Managing burnout

Managing burnout

People experiencing long-term burnout must take action to increase their chances of getting better.

All this may include getting enough sleep, sticking to a regular exercise routine, and taking care of themselves to improve their physical and emotional well-being.

Burnout recovery

Other helpful actions include:

  • Assessing your options: This might involve discussing your worries with your manager and creating a plan of action for the future – this may consist of a reduction in workload, hours and discussing any expectations and demands. The goal is to work towards reaching a compromise or resolution. A good rule of thumb is to try and set goals for the future that both parties can accommodate.
  • Taking part in self-care activities: Meditation and deep-breathing exercises are fantastic stress-busters. These exercises help people to feel more emotionally attuned by focusing on the self and learning to stay present at the moment. Other relaxation exercises such as yoga and tai-chi are also incredibly beneficial when it comes to stress reduction.
  • Seeking support: Getting the right help from family and friends decreases the risk of burnout and is useful when experiencing burnout. Stress often causes intense feelings of depression and anxiety but having a good support network can help reduce isolation and overwhelm.
  • Mindfulness: Mindfulness practice has been around for centuries and is often a ”go to” treatment for those dealing with high-stress levels, particularly in the workplace. Mindfulness focuses on breath flow and being present and aware of what you’re sensing and feeling at any moment without judgement or interpretation. Within a workplace setting, this means confronting situations with openness, compassion and understanding.

Looking towards the future

One of the main features of treating burnout is to know the signs. 

In addition, people must strive to cultivate a positive relationship with their co-workers so that they feel safe to open up and discuss any worries and concerns during times of great stress and burnout.

Since the average employee spends 30% (about one-third) of their life at work, people must begin to balance their personal and professional lives.

Performance success

Being successful is not synonymous with being exhausted or burned out – it’s quite the opposite – fulfilment and happiness is the ultimate goal that leads to long-term success.

If you think you are experiencing symptoms of burnout – get in touch with a specialist at Centres for Health and Healing today and find out how we can help.

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