Slowly Boiling the Frog: Burnout

Define Burnout

Chronic workplace stress that is left untreated can lead to burnout. Often the term burnout is used interchangeably for stress, but it is different. The World Health Organization, and burnout researchers such as Professor Gordon Parker, list 3 aspects that characterise true burnout:

1.       Energy depletion and exhaustion.

2.       Increased mental disturbance from one’s job, or feeling of negativism and cynicism related to one’s job.

3.       A sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.

Burnout in this form is related to occupational contexts and not other areas of life, even though other forms of burnout are possible and should be investigated if identified.

How widespread is workplace burnout?

(REF Spill) It is reported that 43% of workers from around 100 developed countries have reported experiencing workplace burnout.

79% of workers in the UK claim to have experienced at least one of the three aspects of burnout and 35% of employees report extreme levels of workplace burnout.

Possible symptoms of burnout

(Mayo) Burnout at work will have effects on both your physical and mental health; those effects are likely to be extreme and deeply affect the individual. The following list gives possible, but not exhaustive, symptoms.

·       You question the value of your work.

·       You feel that you are dragging yourself to work.

·       You struggle to get started with your work.

·       You feel a distance between you and your work and your colleagues.

·       You often have very little patience with those you work with, including clients, customers and co-workers.

·       You rarely have the energy to give to your work.

·       Focusing on your work is difficult.

·       You no longer get satisfaction from the work that you do.

·       You can feel let down by your employer.

·       You start to doubt your abilities at work.

·       You use food, drugs or alcohol to numb how you are feeling.

·       Your sleep habits have altered.

·       You often get stomach pain, headaches, and other physical conditions that seem to have no explanation.

What causes burnout?

Unmanaged chronic stress will eventually lead to burnout, but what lies behind that chronic stress? Clearly, everyone will be different when looking at the triggers and reasons for their burnout, but we’ll look at the most commonly reported reasons that people have reported as being possible reasons for their burnout:

The top three reasons given for burnout are increased workload, increased pressure to meet work deadlines and increased mental health challenges, both at work and at home.

Often, employees feel that they have reduced control at work with the level of work taken on and the timelines given to complete that work. Uncertainty is also a significant factor; if you are uncertain of the expectations of your role or your work, this can increase the pressure felt on a daily basis. Our colleagues can also add to the difficulties experienced at work; if we have a toxic work environment, if we experience bullying or you are micromanaged, the levels of stress can mount quickly.

Recognising burnout

It would seem logical that we would understand if we have reached a level of burnout, but here we visit the Boiling Frog. A frog placed in boiling water will immediately jump out, but a frog placed in cold water where the temperature is raised slowly will barely feel the change until it’s too late.

If your boss comes along and plonks a huge pile of 100 pages of additional work on your desk, you will notice it. However, if your boss only adds one page to your desk each few days, you will barely notice it, you adapt, you build up resilience and you make room for it… until it’s too late – until burnout.  

There are tools online to help you to see if you are experiencing elements of burnout; remember, there are no tools online that will give you a diagnosis, but they can help you identify if you need to seek additional help if your scores are high for burnout.

Maslach’s Burnout Inventory is a well-regarded measure of burnout but may need to be purchased; however, MindTools offer a quick questionnaire that will give you a good indication of how near to burnout you may be.

So, how do I manage burnout?

Depending on the time that you have been experiencing burnout, you will have to potentially manage it in different ways.

1.       If you feel that you are starting to experience burnout, or have been experiencing burnout for a short period of time then it is still a good idea to talk with your GP. You will also potentially benefit from interventions such as Coaching.

2.       If you have been in the state of burnout for a significant amount of time, then a visit to your GP is highly recommended. The treatment for long-term burnout is more likely to involve therapy (such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – CBT) or counselling rather than coaching. If you are unsure of which option may be best for you, again, speak with your GP.

Burnout’s Impact on Businesses

Most businesses understand the cost of stress on the bottom line and also the effect it can have on the wider workforce, so image that but multiply it many times over.

Loss of working hours, reduction in productivity, loss of profits, reduction in workforce morale are the usual headlines given over to the impact of stress. Burnout includes the aspect of a worker losing interest in their work and feeling no satisfaction with what they are doing; this can lead to negativity and that can spread! Within a workforce, repeated negativity can lead to a growing level of unhappiness, so it is in the interest of a company to look after the wellbeing of their employees and be actively looking for signs of stress and burnout.

What companies can do to spot the signs of stress and burnout

Companies that actively look after the wellbeing of their employees gain the benefits of lower absenteeism, greater output, a happier workforce, staff retention and workers who will go above and beyond when needed.

Companies should be looking for the following aspects to be part of the fabric of the workplace:

1.       Ingrain a level of regular measurement of welfare and wellbeing within the workplace; this could be via surveys or questionnaires; work in partnership with a company that can interpret the information and put remedial measures in place.

2.       Regularly check in with employees to assess workload and its impact on wellbeing. Encourage people to use their annual leave throughout the year.

3.       Take a critical look at the company, its values, its ethos and its practices to ensure that the company is not ignoring stress in the workplace nor adding unnecessarily to the workload of its employees. Ensure that resources are in place to manage stress in the short-term and to offer open channels of communication for employees to voice any concerns.

Preventing Burnout

Work-life balance is a phrase that we hear a lot of these days, but how many people make it a goal? Remember that a goal without a plan is just a dream. Nothing here will be new, you may even roll your eyes with how commonplace these suggestions are, but that’s because they work – especially when you find the right approach and combination for you!

·       Set healthy boundaries at home and at work.

·       Eat a variety of foods.

·       Find a method of moving your body that works for you; it could be a walk, a run, dancing or hitting the gym.

·       Establish a sleep routine if you are struggling to get enough sleep.

·       Take breaks – it’s not lazy or slacking off to take a break!

·       Learn more about stress and burnout to better spot the early signs.

·       Make use of annual leave – having a period at home is sometimes better for some than going away on holiday.

·       Talk to someone – simply talking about an issue can reduce its impact in our minds. If you don’t have anyone that you are happy to talk with, then journal – writing down your thoughts is just as powerful as talking to someone.

·       Connect with others, even if it’s just chatting to the person at the checkout.

·       Putting you first isn’t selfish – if you don’t look after yourself, you will find it difficult to be there for others in your life.

·       See if meditation or mindfulness works for you. Mindfulness can be as simple as doing something your love but focusing more on what you are doing, e.g. gardening.

Where to go for help

Burnout can be devastating so don’t ignore it. If you have been in a state of burnout for a prolonged period, it can take years to truly heal from it, so learn the signs early and seek out help.

·       Your GP is a great place to start.

·       In the early stages of burnout, a coach who specialises in burnout recovery can be a great resource.

·       If you have long-term, or chronic, burnout then talking to your GP about therapies or counselling available is a good strategy. Check with your employer if there are any resources available through your workplace.

If you feel that you are more in the realm of stress than burnout, then take a look at last month’s blog that has ideas and contacts to help better deal with the issues creating your stress.

Thanks for reading

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“Self-care is your fuel…Whatever the road ahead or the path you’ve taken, self-care is what keeps your motor running and your wheels turning.”― Melissa Steginus

“In dealing with those who are undergoing great suffering, if you feel “burnout” setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself. The point is to have a long-term perspective.” — Dalai Lama XIV

“Learn to say no to demands, requests, invitations, and activities that leave you with no time for yourself. Until I learned to say no, and mean it, I was always overloaded by stress.”― Holly Mosier