Many employees today are concerned about workplace burnout. It's usually caused by stress on the job, though lifestyle, relationships, and personality can also be factors. Learn what burnout is and get tips for a healthy recovery.
Everyone deals with stress, but too much of it without the proper coping mechanisms can lead to burnout. Stress at work is often a leading cause, but school, family, and lifestyle can also contribute.
If you choose not to address burnout, it could affect your ability to handle day-to-day tasks. It could even lead to more serious mental and physical issues. Thankfully, you can take several steps to recover from burnout. Start by identifying your stressors and making the necessary lifestyle changes that address those mental burdens. Continue reading to look at what burnout is, what causes it, and what you can do to avoid it.
WebMD defines burnout as a form of extreme exhaustion brought on by stress that interferes with your ability to perform day-to-day tasks [1]. According to the World Health Organisation, burnout is an official medical diagnosis [2]. If you don’t address it, burnout can lead to mental and physical health problems.
Anything that causes stress can cause burnout, but work-related stress is usually one of the main culprits. In a 2023 survey conducted by McKinsey Health Institute, respondents from India reported the highest burnout symptoms at 59 percent [3]. Teachers, health care workers, and social workers are more prone to burnout, but it can occur in any field.
You can categorise burnout into three groups: neglect burnout, overload burnout, and under-challenged burnout. Neglect burnout is when you feel helpless or doubt your abilities and talents. Overload burnout is when you work so hard to achieve your goals that it affects other aspects of your life. Under-challenged burnout is when you grow bored with your job and feel it doesn't improve your life.
Burnout can cause mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. It can leave you feeling out of control and overwhelmed. If you aren't sure if this is something you're experiencing, take a look at some typical signs:
Forgetfulness
Frustration
Irritability
Trouble concentrating
Loss of pride and interest in work
Losing sight of goals and the bigger picture
Trouble that spills into relationships outside of work
Negativity towards work
Inability to cope
Inability to accomplish minor tasks
However, burnout can cause more than just symptoms that affect you mentally. It can also cause physical symptoms like:
Feeling tired all the time
Trouble sleeping
Changes in appetite
Headaches and muscle pain
Stomach aches and digestive problems
Frequent illnesses
Developing problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease
You might even see negative changes in your behaviour. These could include:
Procrastinating or avoiding responsibilities at work and home
Isolating yourself from other people
Taking out anger and frustration on other people
Skipping work
Turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms, like drugs or alcohol
Stress is the leading cause of burnout, but experiencing stress at work and suffering from burnout is not the same. When you're stressed, you can still cope. You can handle it by taking a day off or going home and enjoying a relaxed evening. Burnout runs much deeper and requires more than just a quick fix. The first step is understanding what causes it. Below are some possible causes of burnout:
You have a workload that is unmanageable or feels unmanageable
You feel like you're being treated unfairly by your boss
You're confused about or don't understand parts of your job
You're on tight deadlines
You feel like your bosses and employees don't communicate well or support you
You feel underappreciated or bored at work, or you lack adequate challenges
You feel incompetent
Something outside of your professional life can cause burnout at work. Your lifestyle and personality can contribute to workplace burnout. It might be that you:
Battle to get enough sleep
Work too much and don't make time for relaxing or socialising
Lack of supportive people in your life who can help you cope with workplace stress
Take on too much without allowing others to help you
Are a perfectionist
Struggle to relinquish control of specific tasks
Are a pessimist
If you know the common causes of burnout and think you suffer from it, it’s essential to identify your specific stressors. That can be more difficult than it sounds. The best place to start is by evaluating your job. Which aspect of it is making you feel the way you do? What one thing would you change if you could? Talking through things with a trusted friend or family member may be helpful.
You may also want to examine your life beyond your career. Are you also in school with a demanding schedule? Are you overloaded with responsibility at home? Maybe you're a single parent, or you're caring for a parent who has a disability or illness. Take a look at your relationships, too. All of these outside factors can contribute to workplace burnout.
The best way to handle burnout is to prevent it in the first place. If you find that you're stressed out more often, take steps to reduce it. That might mean forcing yourself to take time off, asking for help, or even considering a new job or position.
Making lifestyle changes can help, too. Make sure you're exercising, eating a healthy diet, and getting plenty of sleep. Surround yourself with loved ones who are supportive and willing to listen when you have a problem.
Every case of workplace burnout is different, and you won’t find just one right or wrong way to address it. The good news is that you have options and won't have to deal with this forever. The sooner you work towards recovery, the quicker you’ll be back to feeling like yourself.
If you're already suffering from burnout and you've identified the cause, it's time to take action. Consider taking some time off. A vacation doesn't cure everything, especially if you're returning to the same environment. However, time away from your workplace can help you see things more clearly and gain perspective. While you're away, think about why you chose your job in the first place and whether or not it's time to move on.
If you want to stay where you are and fix your situation, you'll need to take time to understand your limits and that it's okay to say "no" on occasion.
Daily, several small tasks can help with your burnout or even prevent future burnout. These can be especially helpful if you have a job that will always have a heavy workload:
Keep your workspace organised.
Take little mental breaks throughout the workday.
Set aside time every day to focus on something fun.
Try turning your mind off work tasks when you're not at work.
Prioritise your work tasks.
Delegate the things you can't do.
Set boundaries with your boss and coworkers.
Change your scenery by working outdoors or spending some time working from home.
Communicate with your boss or HR if your frustration feels beyond your control.
If you feel like your burnout is out of control and nothing you do will help your mental health, consider seeing a professional therapist or counsellor. Your employer doesn't have to know why you're there or even that you're there. Sometimes, a third party can help you by offering unbiased insight.
If you decide to keep your job and make some changes, communication will be critical going forward, or you'll likely end up right back in the same situation. If you can talk to your boss directly, that's great. If not, consider going to HR. As mentioned, burnout has become quite common in the workplace, and they may even have a way to address it.
Either way, make sure you have a plan. Decide what you want to say before heading into the meeting. That means you'll need to pinpoint what's causing your burnout and maybe even brainstorm solutions. Options could include taking time off, working from home, or stepping back from a particular project or duty. Doing this proves you are taking your situation seriously and are willing to do what it takes to be the best possible employee.
Burnout can have serious repercussions in your personal and professional life. Left untreated, it can progress and increase your challenges and stress levels. A new career might be in order if you suffer from burnout at work, especially under-challenged burnout. Visit Coursera today to look at some of the degrees and courses offered by some of the top educational institutions in the world. You never know where they might take you.
WebMD. “Burnout: 3 Signs to Look For, https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/burnout-symptoms-signs." Accessed 8 June 2024.
World Health Organisation. “Burnout, https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en#/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/129180281." Accessed 8 June 2024
McKinsey Health Institute. “Reframing employee health: Moving beyond burnout to holistic health, https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/reframing-employee-health-moving-beyond-burnout-to-holistic-health.” Accessed 8 June 2024.
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