(it’s a life problem.)
And it’s time we started treating it that way.
Imagine waking up one day and realising you’ve lost your spark.
Your passion.
Your drive.
That’s burnout. And it’s more common than you think.
A recent Gallup study found that 76% of employees experience burnout on the job.
Burnout can result from more than just working too hard.
It’s a sneaky beast. It creeps up on you. Slowly. Silently.
Burnout goes beyond simple work-related stress.
It’s a complex psychological condition that can stem from both work and non-work sources. It’s not just about long hours or heavy workloads. It’s about feeling disconnected, undervalued, and lost.
Think about Sarah, a dedicated teacher who loved her job. She started feeling drained, not just physically but emotionally. The joy she once found in teaching began to fade. She felt detached from her students, colleagues, and even her family. Sarah was experiencing burnout, but she didn’t recognise it at first.
Burnout is a silent epidemic affecting millions worldwide. It impacts our work lives and seeps into our personal lives, relationships, and health.
The Many Faces of Burnout
Burnout looks different for everyone. It’s as unique as you are.
Here are some factors that contribute to burnout:
- Feeling like you have no control over your work
- Unclear expectations that leave you guessing
- A mismatch between your values and your job
- Lack of support from colleagues or managers
- A work-life imbalance that leaves you drained
- Personality traits like perfectionism that push you too hard
- Non-work stressors like financial worries or family issues
But it doesn’t stop there. Job stress, a lack of growth opportunities, and insecurity in daily life can all contribute to burnout in various professions.
Burnout is complex. It’s multifaceted. It affects every area of your life.
To truly tackle burnout, we need a holistic approach. We must consider all aspects of the problem, including work-related issues and personal coping skills.
Burnout isn’t just about your job; it affects every part of your life.
It’s time we start looking at the whole picture when dealing with burnout.
The 3 Dimensions of Burnout
Burnout is more easily understood as having three parts.
These parts, based on Maslach’s Burnout Inventory (MBI), help us understand and measure burnout in both work and non-work settings.
Let’s look at each part:
1. Emotional Exhaustion
Emotional exhaustion is the main sign of burnout, which is feeling emotionally drained and used up.
For example, a social worker who has been dealing with challenging cases for months might start dreading work. They might feel tired before the day begins, have difficulty caring for clients, and need more energy. They might avoid friends and family at home, feeling too tired to talk.
2. Cynicism
Cynicism is about how burnout affects relationships at work and home.
It means responding to work or people in a hostile or uncaring way.
For instance, a teacher who used to love teaching might start seeing students as burdens. They might become impatient with students, avoid extra help sessions, or stop caring about lesson planning. At home, this same person might snap at family members, lose interest in their favourite hobby, or constantly complain about how tired they are. These changes in behaviour, both at work and in personal life, illustrate how burnout can affect multiple aspects of a person’s life.
3. Reduced Personal Accomplishment
Burnout affects how you see yourself. Reduced personal achievement means feeling like you’re not good at your job or not achieving much.
For example, a software developer who used to enjoy solving complicated problems might start doubting their skills. They might avoid demanding projects, think they’re inferior to their coworkers, or feel their work doesn’t matter. They might find it hard to feel proud of what they do outside work.
While feeling emotionally exhausted is often seen as the central part of burnout, research shows that feeling cynical might be a more potent sign of severe burnout.
For example, nurses might feel tired after a long shift but still care about their work. However, if they start seeing patients as “just another case” instead of people who need care, that shows more profound burnout.
Understanding burnout in these three ways is complicated and requires a holistic approach to prevention and treatment. It’s not just about working less or taking time off.
As an example, a company might offer a more rounded approach with:
- flexible hours to help with exhaustion,
- mentoring to fight cynicism and
- chances to learn new skills to help people feel accomplished.
This approach makes work feel meaningful and engaging, addressing all three burnout parts together.
Identifying Burnout Through the Six Stages
Understanding how burnout develops can help us spot it early and take action. While not part of Maslach’s original work, some experts describe six stages of burnout:
- Honeymoon Phase: You’re excited about your job and full of energy. For example, a new teacher might be thrilled about decorating their classroom and meeting students.
- Onset of Stress: You start noticing more stressful days. That new teacher might begin feeling overwhelmed by lesson planning and grading.
- Chronic Stress: Stress becomes a regular part of your day. Our teacher might start losing sleep and worrying about work, even on weekends.
- Burnout: You start to doubt yourself and feel helpless. The teacher might question their career choice and struggle to find joy in teaching.
- Habitual Burnout: Feeling burnt out becomes your new normal. The teacher might call in sick more often or stop attending school events.
- Crisis: Your physical or mental health might break down. Our teacher could experience severe anxiety or depression, possibly needing to take extended leave.
It’s important to remember that everyone experiences burnout differently.
You might only go through some of these stages, or they might happen in a different order.
The key is to recognise the signs early and take action before reaching a crisis point.
If, for instance, our teacher notices they’re losing sleep over work in the “Chronic Stress” stage, they could talk to their principal about reducing their workload or seek help from a counsellor.
Taking steps early can prevent burnout from getting worse.
Critical Strategies for Addressing Burnout
To deal with burnout, we must look at personal and work-related issues. Here are some simple ways to prevent and manage burnout:
Individual Strategies:
- Set Boundaries: Establishing clear boundaries between work and personal life is crucial. A remote worker created a dedicated office space in their home and established strict “office hours,” helping them mentally separate work and personal time.
- Practice Self-Care: Regular physical exercise, maintaining a healthy diet, and ensuring adequate sleep are essential for managing stress and preventing burnout. A busy executive started a morning routine of 30 minutes of yoga and meditation before work, reporting improved focus and reduced stress levels.
- Cultivate Mindfulness: Practices like meditation or mindfulness can help manage stress and improve emotional regulation. A teacher introduced a 5-minute mindfulness exercise at the start of each class, benefiting students and herself in managing daily stressors.
- Seek Social Support: Building and maintaining strong social connections inside and outside work can provide emotional support and help manage stress. An IT professional joined a local hiking group, providing regular outdoor exercise and social interaction outside work.
- Engage in Meaningful Activities: Pursuing hobbies and interests outside work can provide fulfilment and balance. A lawyer started volunteering at a local animal shelter on weekends, finding it a rewarding break from the pressures of their legal career.
- Time Management: Improving time management skills can help reduce feelings of overwhelm. A project manager started using the Pomodoro Technique, working in focused 25-minute intervals followed by short breaks, which increased productivity and reduced stress.
- Seek Professional Help: If burnout symptoms persist, consulting a mental health professional can provide additional coping strategies and support. An entrepreneur experiencing persistent anxiety and sleep issues consulted a therapist, who helped them develop personalised stress management techniques.
Organisational Strategies:
- Workload Management: Organisations should ensure reasonable workloads and provide adequate resources to complete tasks. A software company noticed its developers worked long hours to meet tight deadlines. They implemented a new project management system that better distributes tasks and hired additional staff, reducing individual workloads and stress levels.
- Enhance Job Control: Increasing employee autonomy and decision-making power can reduce burnout. A marketing firm allowed team members to choose which projects they wanted to work on and set their deadlines within reason: this increased job satisfaction and reduced feeling overwhelmed.
- Promote Work-Life Balance: Policies supporting work-life balance can help prevent burnout. A large corporation introduced a “No Email Fridays” policy, encouraging face-to-face communication and allowing employees to focus on deep work without constant interruptions.
- Foster a Supportive Work Environment: Encouraging positive colleague relationships and providing managerial support can buffer against burnout. A healthcare facility implemented a peer support program where nurses could discuss challenging cases and emotional experiences with trained colleagues, reducing feelings of isolation and stress.
- Recognise and Reward Efforts: Implementing fair reward systems and acknowledging employee contributions can enhance job satisfaction and reduce burnout risk. A retail chain introduced a points-based reward system where employees could earn points for exceptional customer service, which could be redeemed for extra time off or gift cards.
- Provide Professional Development Opportunities: Offering training and career advancement opportunities can increase job engagement and reduce feelings of stagnation. An accounting firm offered employees a yearly learning stipend to attend conferences or take courses related to their field, improving job satisfaction and skill development.
It’s important to note that addressing burnout is not solely the individual’s responsibility. Maslach emphasises that burnout is often more about the organisation than its people. Therefore, the most effective approaches to preventing and managing burnout involve organisational changes and individual strategies.
Rekindling Your Spark: The Path Forward
Now that you know burnout is more than feeling tired after a long day, the good news is that understanding burnout is the first step to beating it!
Remember, tackling burnout isn’t a solo mission.
Using the strategies we’ve discussed—like setting clear boundaries—you’re paving a path forward to thrive.
Your Burnout-Busting Toolkit: Simple Steps to Start Today
Ready to reclaim your energy and passion?
Here’s how to kick things off:
- Do a quick check-in: How are you feeling right now? Are you tired, cynical, or unsure of your skills? Spotting these signs early is vital.
- Pick one small change: Maybe it’s a 10-minute walk during lunch or setting a “no work emails after 7 pm” rule. Start small, but start today.
- Spread the word: If you’re a team leader, share one idea from our list to make your workplace healthier. Your team will thank you!
- Reach out if needed: Talking to a professional isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a decisive move. Don’t hesitate to seek help if you’re struggling.
Remember, beating burnout takes time, care, and consistent effort.
But with each small step, you’re planting the seeds for a happier, healthier you.
References
Gallup (2022) ‘Employee Burnout: Causes and Cures’, Gallup Workplace, Available at: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/237059/employee-burnout-part-main-causes.aspx (Accessed: 19 August 2024).
Maslach, C., Jackson, S.E. and Leiter, M.P. (2018) Maslach Burnout Inventory Manual. 4th edn. Menlo Park, CA: Mind Garden.
World Health Organization (2023) ‘Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases’, WHO, Available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases (Accessed: 19 August 2024).
Schaufeli, W.B., Leiter, M.P. and Maslach, C. (2009) ‘Burnout: 35 years of research and practice’, Career Development International, 14(3), pp. 204-220.
American Psychological Association (2023) ‘Burnout and stress’, APA, Available at: https://www.apa.org/topics/burnout-stress (Accessed: 19 August 2024).
Leiter, M.P. and Maslach, C. (2016) ‘Latent burnout profiles: A new approach to understanding the burnout experience’, Burnout Research, 3(4), pp. 89-100.
Salvagioni, D.A.J. et al. (2017) ‘Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies’, PLoS ONE, 12(10), e0185781.
Bakker, A.B. and Demerouti, E. (2017) ‘Job demands–resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward’, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), pp. 273-285.
