Burnout: How to Spot it and What to Do About It
Do you ever dread going into work in the morning? Do you feel like you’re dragging through the day with little to no energy (both emotionally and physically)? Are you starting to feel like you are no longer efficient at your job, losing focus throughout the day? If you answered yes, you might be heading towards burnout.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a result of chronic stress that has not been successfully managed, and leads to exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. Burnout commonly refers to workplace stress, but can also show up in relationships, caregiver situations, and as compassion fatigue.
According to the American Psychological Association’s 2021 Work and Well-being Survey , burnout is at an all-time high across professions. 79% of employees have experienced work-related stress in the month prior to their survey and nearly 3 in 5 employees reported negative impact of work-related stress, including lack of interest, motivation, or energy and lack of effort at work. Additionally, 36% reported cognitive weariness, 32% reported emotional exhaustion, and 44% reported physical fatigue.
Are burnout and stress the same thing ?
Not quite. Burnout is a form of stress, but there is a distinction. Bryan Robinson, author of #Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn On Your Life , writes: “ You can recover from stress with certain management techniques, but burnout is a totally different animal resulting from cumulative stress that hasn’t been managed. Once burnout gets it’s hooks into you, you can’t cure it by taking a long vacation, slowing down, or working fewer hours.”
Think the stress you’re experiencing has turned to burnout? Here are some signs:
- Exhaustion is the physical and emotional response of stress. Emotions associated with exhaustion include feeling overextended by work demands and depleted of emotional and physical resources that support replenishment and recovery.
- Cynicism represents the interpersonal aspect of burnout and refers to a negative, callous, or excessively detached response to various aspects of the job, usually resulting in a negative reaction to people, loss of idealism, and the dehumanization of others.
- Inefficacy refers to feelings of incompetence and a lack of achievement and productivity in work and represents the self-evaluation aspect of burnout.
What causes burnout?
There are many factors that turn stress into burnout, including a lack of self-care, unclear or unrealistic expectations, ongoing and unrelenting stressors, and individual personality characteristics. As mentioned above, burnout is caused when stress has not been managed.
What can you do?
- Set boundaries. Be firm about setting realistic boundaries and holding yourself accountable to them.
- Lean on your community. This can look different for every person. This could mean reaching out to a friend, family member or co-worker when you need help taking something off your plate. Or you may need to prioritize socializing and relying on your community as a way to have more balance in your life.
- Establish routines. One way to combat burnout is to start your day with a routine that helps you focus and get energized. This could include be stretching or exercising, yoga, journaling, meditation or praying, making your bed, etc.
- Be honest. Speak up when needed and be honest with those around you about what you need. Maybe that means telling your boss that you have too much on your plate or that you need a different project to increase your motivation. Whatever it might be, be honest with yourself and those around you.
- Prioritize self-healing. Talk to a counselor or a therapist who can help you learn new strategies to manage your stress.
If you think you might be ready to take the next step and work with a counselor to deal with your burnout and stress, reach out today. You can contact us by phone or email, or schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation. We’d love to hear from you!
Sources:
Robinson, Bryan.
#Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn on Your Lif
e.
American Psychological Association,
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-burnout-stress
.
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