What is burnout?
Millennials have made burnout a buzzy word, but the phenomenon is hardly new. The pandemic has also brought it to the front of society’s mind as we watched front line workers doing their jobs for insanely long hours and without an end in sight. With changes in attitudes towards mental health struggles, people started to come forward and talk about their burnout.
But what is a burnout? According to the Mayo Clinic:
Job burnout is a special type of work-related stress — a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.
Burnout can result from feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet the demands of one’s job or personal life. It can also lead to a decreased sense of accomplishment, feelings of cynicism or detachment, and a reduced sense of personal efficacy or effectiveness. Burnout can have serious consequences for your health, well-being, and ability to function effectively in their personal and professional lives.
Main symptoms to look out for include:
- Chronic fatigue
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating
- Having problems sleeping
- Physical illness
- Reduced job performance
What causes burnout?
Since we are all individuals and our situations differ, our road to burnout differs as well. Most of the time, you will read research about workplace, but that doesn’t mean our employment is the only thing that can burn you out – caring for an ailing parent or a small child or any number of things in personal life can do an equally great job at it.
Here are some of the most common causes:
Workload
Obviously, workload comes in as #1, since this is the cause that we see most often and it’s easy to spot. A couple of years of long hours in a fast-paced environment is a well-knows highway to burnout. Just think of those zombies in suits that work 70-80 hours a week…
However, that’s not the only workload that matters. As I mentioned previously, it applies equally to other aspects of your life. You may have a relatively easy job with strict 9-5 hours, but if you come home to another full-time job and never get respite from that, you can burn out just as much as that lawyer or Wall Street banker.
Lack of Control
Do you ever feel like you have no control over your work, surroundings and your life? This feeling of powerlessness or helplessness can contribute to burning out. Many people who see themselves as just cogs in a machine get frustrated and exhausted over time. You may not think that somebody’s job is that tiring – but if they think it’s all their life will ever be, they can feel depressed and, over time, burned out on their monotonous life.
Insufficient rewards
Do you know that horrible feeling you get when you’ve been working hard, but you realize all you’re getting out of it is peanuts?
This is the key to why so many people do pursue those careers in high-burnout industries and persevere through some trying times – the carrot that is being dangled in front of them is big enough for them to stay motivated and be ok. It fuels them sufficiently to fight back the negative feelings stemming from long hours and difficult tasks.
Workplace culture
Have you ever worked in a toxic office or company? If you haven’t: wow, you’re one lucky person! Most of us have.
Being surrounded by negativity, unsupportive coworkers and bosses, or lack of clear rules can all make you miserable at work and, in due time, lead to burnout.
Personal factors
Yes, it can also be just you. Some people simply have a lower threshold for burning out – I should know, I have met a few of them. Even workloads that other people consider normal lead them to feeling overwhelmed and fatigued pretty quickly. Perfectionists burn out faster. You can also be all alone dealing with all the stuff in your life, making you more prone to burnout. Something I have noticed (and research confirmed): some people also approach work in a way that makes them head for burnout pretty much every time. They just dive in head first, without checking how deep the water is and keep swimming at full pace, no matter what. To a new boss, they seem like a great employee: dedicated, self-motivated, up for any challenge. But it’s like with going for a run: how long can you go full speed? Even professional athletes have their limits. It’s definitely a personality type and it puts you at high risk for burning out.
How to avoid burnout?
Good news! There are things that you can do to help stave off the burnout. Here are some strategies:
Set realistic goals and expectations
TV and film may have sped up our way to burnout… We start jobs with these lofty expectations, anticipate constant promotions and accolades, while in reality, we are stuck all day in a cubicle staring at a screen and pounding on the keyboard.
Set yourself up for success: do your research ahead of time to know what you are getting yourself into. Set small, achievable goals that will serve as stepping stones to your big goals – this will help mitigate feeling overwhelmed and stressed out.
Prioritize self-care
Make sure you are giving yourself a fighting chance! Eat well, exercise regularly and get some sleep. World is a lot darker place when you are tired. Making sure you are your priority will help you stay away from downward thought spiral leading to depression and burnout.
Establish healthy boundaries
Make sure to establish and maintain healthy boundaries with what causes your burnout. Since work is the most common culprit, let’s focus on that. How many hours a week are you willing to work? Are there times when you are completely unreachable? Being on call 24/7 is not a healthy setup and will drain you.
Speaking on setting boundaries around your work hours: when is the last time you went on real vacation? I mean one where you’re not checking your emails on the phone or ‘just wrapping up this one thing’? You may need one…
Make sure you have times when you are unplugged and take breaks. Your coworkers and supervisors should be aware of these boundaries, too and respect them. If they can’t – that’s a company culture issue and needs to be addressed ASAP.
Seek support
Did you know that people who have friends at work are happier there and less likely to leave?
Having family, friends and colleagues who will support you in your journey will help you avoid burning out. Sometimes it’s just a kind word, but it also may come in form of real help, such as occasionally babysitting, so you can take a proper break or intercepting your boss when you are almost ready to head home and the boss wants to ask you to work over the weekend. Whatever it is, having allies helps.
Another thing that helps: having somebody who can help with zero skin in the game and professional knowledge: a therapist or a counselor. We often get wrapped up in our problems and having somebody to talk it out with may help. You may also learn that one of the reasons you keep burning out is that you keep jumping in head first and going full throttle until you burn out. In this case, professional help may be truly indispensable!
Engage in enjoyable activities
Find joy in your life! No, really. Burnout is all about misery, so seeking out happy moments will help you keep it at bay. Come to think of it, majority of people suffering from burnout that I know have not been able to find little moments of joy on a regular basis. You know what helps you relax and bring a smile to your face – a hike, a good book, a dinner with your friends? Whatever it is: remember to slow down and smell the roses!
Practice stress-management techniques
Stress management is a big subject of its own and I will definitely devote an entire post to it in the near future. In the meantime: to avoid burnout, work on managing your stress levels.