On average, a work week can take up to thirty-four hours. And in an effort to excel and climb up the corporate ladder it is easy to stretch yourself thin. The term ‘burnout’ was coined in 1974 by a psychologist named Herbert J. Freudenberger who used the term to describe his colleagues state of wellbeing after tending to patients in a free health clinic. He noticed that many of the doctors, nurses and social workers became lethargic, less motivated and didn’t do a good job overall even though they deeply cared about their work.[1] Even if you like your job, it’s not unusual to feel burned out. In this article, we’ll look at some of the causes and symptoms of burnout and how you can manage them.
CAUSES OF BURNOUT
Before we can talk about the symptoms of burnout, it is important to first look at a few of its main causes so that you can clearly understand what you’re dealing with. And maybe even prevent yourself from dealing with burnout by avoiding some of these situations.
- UNCLEAR JOB EXPECTATIONS
Understandably, one of the causes of burnout is working in a job with unclear expectations. Where you’re really unsure of what you’re supposed to be doing. Where you go into work and are constantly wondering what you’re expected to be working on; What are your work goals or what does your employer expect from you. Having these thoughts daily can be very taxing and can greatly increase your stress levels.[2]
- HIGH AND UNREASONABLE JOB EXPECTATIONS
Sometimes, employees are expected to go over and above their limits to produce great results in their work. The burden of these high expectations then results in employees overworking themselves and wearing themselves out in an effort to attain these unreasonable standards.
- NO TIME OFF
If you find that you’re working all day and then proceed to take your work home with you, you’re headed straight for burnout. Constantly working, dealing with phone calls, emails and, failing to have a distinct boundary between you and your work, will make you too accessible and will eventually blur the line between who you are as a person and who you are as an employee. Living this way can be extremely depleting and draining.[3]
SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT
After dealing with these high stress situations and others, how can you tell you’re not just overwhelmed but burned out?
- EXHAUSTION
Feeling extremely tired and drained is one of the symptoms of burnout. Essentially, after giving your all for a while you don’t have much left to give. When you’re exhausted you generally don’t have enough energy to carry out various activities throughout the day. This is then accompanied by mental exhaustion where you lack the fortitude to actively participate in the present moment. You’ll notice that your mind keeps wandering off and you find it difficult to focus on specific tasks.[4]
- DECENTRALISATION AND CYNICISM
This happens when you detach yourself from your work and your colleagues and have a negative attitude towards everything. You lose interest in your work and may even begin to get existential about it and ask questions like “What’s the point of it all?”. You also notice that you can’t focus or concentrate on your work and what was once a source of meaning and purpose now becomes an agonising drag.[5]
- A SENSE OF LACK OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
At this point, you begin to doubt that you are doing your job well and are dissatisfied with your work. You become more self-critical and this can eventually lead to depression. Feelings of hopelessness may begin to creep in and lead you to a downward spiral.[6]
- WEAKENED IMMUNITY
When you’re burned out, you generally forget to take care of your wellbeing. This means that you’re not getting enough sleep and you’re also not eating well. This weakens your immunity and makes your body susceptible to a host of illnesses such as the common cold. Lack of sleep also results in headaches and heightened anxiety.[7]
MANAGING AND AVOIDING BURNOUT
- EAT WELL AND GET SOME SLEEP
In order to ensure that your mind is able to deal with the demands of your work you must begin by taking care of yourself. Eating the right foods and getting enough sleep is important for your physical and mental health. Sometimes you’ll find yourself in a bind and you’ll have to skip the occasional healthy meal or pull an all-nighter. Be sure to make up for this as soon as you can.
- TAKE SOME TIME OFF
After a while, the routine of your work can get a bit boring. Take some time off to recharge and reset. Even the greatest artists take time off to gather new and fresh ideas and inspiration. Make use of your leave days to mentally recover from the stress and completely detach from your work environment.
- TALK TO SOMEONE
Another way to relieve a little pressure is to share your problems, thoughts, and concerns with someone who genuinely cares about your well-being. It could be a spouse, your best friend, a neighbour, or a trusted co-worker to release some of that bottled-up frustration and despair. Believe it or not, a therapist would be the best person to listen and guide you through your struggles. Lose the misconception that professional help is shameful or for ‘professional problems’. Just like you fuel yourself with healthy food and exercise your body, your mind needs maintenance too. At the end of the day, you are not Atlas [Greek Titan who held the sky up] and you cannot carry the weight of the world on your shoulders all by yourself.
You can visit https://www.mindgarden.com/117-maslach-burnout-inventory to take the Maslach Burnout Inventory and find out whether you’re suffering from burnout.
Burnout happens because we’re not often aware of where our boundaries and limits are until we’ve surpassed them. We often let things go on too long while the stress piles up and leaves us feeling crushed under all the pressure. No matter what kind of job you have and how much you love and enjoy it, without a pit stop you are likely to suffer from burnout. Take time to rest and unwind. Recharge your batteries by doing something that calms you down and brings you joy and you’ll find that your stress and exhaustion will slowly become a thing of the past.
Mshimba Michelle
[1] https://www.wilmarschaufeli.nl/publications/Schaufeli/481.pdf
[2] https://www.verywellmind.com/job-factors-that-contribute-to-employee-burnout-3144512
[3] https://www.wgu.edu/blog/workplace-burnout-causes-effects-solutions1906.html
[4] https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-burnout-symptoms-and-causes-3144516
[5] https://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2013/04/01/10-signs-youre-burning-out-and-what-to-do-about-it/#7514855d625b
[6] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201311/the-tell-tale-signs-burnout-do-you-have-them
