BURNOUT

WHAT IS BURNOUT?

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.

Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.

The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of life—including your home, work, and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.

Stages of burnout

Researchers have used several models to chart the development of burnout symptoms. For example, one model follows 12 stages, starting with a desire to prove oneself in a specific task and then advancing to unhealthier behaviors, such as neglecting self-care. Eventually, this leads toward the later stages, including feelings of emptiness and depression.

Another model simplifies burnout progression to five stages:

5 stages of burnout

Stage 1 (Honeymoon Phase): You feel committed to an endeavor, whether you’ve just gotten a new job, a promotion, enrolled in a class, or started parenting or caregiving. You’re ready to accept new responsibilities and eager to prove yourself. You may feel creative, productive, and energized.

Stage 2 (Stress Onset): As the stress of your new responsibilities begins to take its toll, you start to neglect your self-care needs. Your sleep quality diminishes. Anxiety shows up more often, along with irritability, headaches, and fatigue. You become less productive, have a harder time focusing, and try to avoid making decisions.

Stage 3 (Chronic Stress): You’re consistently tired and feel cynical or apathetic. Social issues can also crop up. You may withdraw from coworkers or feel resentful toward your loved ones. You might frequently procrastinate or use drugs or alcohol to self-medicate, even as you deny the problem.

Stage 4 (Burnout): At this point, you feel pessimistic about the future and obsessed with any problems that crop up. You’re neglecting your personal health, and that comes with physical problems like gastrointestinal issues and chronic headaches. You’re plagued by self-doubt and look to socially isolate yourself.

Stage 5 (Habitual Burnout): Your sense of well-being reaches a low. You’re always sad and mentally and physically fatigued. Depression may develop here.

TYPES OF BURNOUT

• Overload burnout: This happens when you work harder and harder, becoming frantic in your pursuit of success. If you experience this, you may be willing to risk your health and personal life to feel successful.

• Under-challenged burnout: This happens when you feel underappreciated and bored. Maybe your job doesn’t provide learning opportunities or have room for professional growth. If you feel under-challenged, you may distance yourself, become cynical, and avoid responsibilities.

• Neglect burnout: This happens when you feel helpless. If things aren’t going right, you may believe you’re incompetent or unable to keep up with your responsibilities. Such burnout can be closely connected to imposter syndrome, a psychological pattern in which you doubt your abilities, talents, or accomplishments.

• Habitual burnout: The most serious phase of burnout, habitual burnout happens when your physical and mental fatigue is chronic. You feel sad and your behavior changes. Sometimes, you can cross over into depression and suicidal thoughts. It’s crucial to seek help at this stage.

Causes of burnout

• Burnout often stems from your job. But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout, from the hardworking office worker who hasn’t had a vacation in years, to the frazzled stay-at-home mom tending to kids, housework, and an aging parent.
• But burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many responsibilities. Other factors contribute to burnout, including your lifestyle and personality traits. In fact, what you do in your downtime and how you look at the world can play just as big of a role in causing overwhelming stress as work or home demands.

Work-related causes of burnout

• Feeling like you have little or no control over your work.
• Lack of recognition or reward for good work.
• Unclear or overly demanding job expectations.
• Doing work that’s monotonous or unchallenging.
• Working in a chaotic or high-pressure environment.

Lifestyle causes of burnout

• Working too much, without enough time for socializing or relaxing.
• Lack of close, supportive relationships.
• Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others.
• Not getting enough sleep.

Personality traits can contribute to burnout

• Perfectionistic tendencies; nothing is ever good enough.
• Pessimistic view of yourself and the world.
• The need to be in control; reluctance to delegate to others.
• High-achieving, Type A personality.

Signs and symptoms of burnout

Burnout develops over time, and it’s hard to realize at first.

• An urgent need to prove yourself.In this earliest phase of burnout, you want to do well to the point of perfectionism for fear of not fulfilling demands.
• Working harder.You feel the need to do everything yourself and complete tasks as soon as possible.
• Neglecting your needs.You think the stress of work or activities, such as caregiving, is normal. You neglect your social life and look down on others who pursue one. You begin to make small mistakes.
• More interpersonal conflicts.You have conflicts with co-workers, friends, or your partner. You don’t sleep well, have other physical complaints, or become forgetful.
• Revision of values.You see things differently and begin to seem insensitive to others around you. Friends and family become secondary to your goals.
• Bitterness and cynicism creep in, and you begin to cut yourself off from others, becoming impatient, intolerant, and angry. Your performance suffers, and you feel physical discomfort.
• Dealing with others feels like a burden. You get angry if someone criticizes you, and you may feel disoriented or helpless. You may try to self-medicate with alcohol or illegal substances.
• Behavioral changes.Apathy sets in and nothing matters. You avoid additional responsibilities.
• You lose your sense of identity, seeing yourself only as the vessel through which work and responsibilities are completed. Your life feels meaningless, and you begin to neglect your health.
• Feeling empty.Exhaustion, anxiety, and panic set in.
• You may have feelings of self-hatred or depression coupled with suicidal thoughts.
• Total burnout. This last phase of mental and emotional collapse requires immediate care.

Most of us have days when we feel helpless, overloaded, or unappreciated—when dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. If you feel like this most of the time, however, you may be burned out.

Burnout is a gradual process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can creep up on you. The signs and symptoms are subtle at first but become worse as time goes on. Think of the early symptoms as red flags that something is wrong that needs to be addressed. If you pay attention and actively reduce your stress, you can prevent a major breakdown. If you ignore them, you’ll eventually burn out.

Physical signs and symptoms of burnout

• Feeling tired and drained most of the time.
• Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses.
• Frequent headaches or muscle pain.
• Change in appetite or sleep habits.

Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout

• Sense of failure and self-doubt.
• Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.
• Detachment, feeling alone in the world.
• Loss of motivation. Increasingly cynical and negative outlook.
• Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.

Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout

• Withdrawing from responsibilities.
• Isolating from others.
• Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done.
• Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope.
• Taking frustrations out on others.
• Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early.

The difference between stress and burnout

Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn’t the same as too much stress. Stress, by and large, involves too much: too many pressures that demand too much of you physically and mentally. However, stressed people can still imagine that if they can just get everything under control, they’ll feel better.

Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough. Being burned out means feeling empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress feels like you’re drowning in responsibilities, burnout is a sense of being all dried up. And while you’re usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens.

Burnout vs. depression

Burnout and depression can also be difficult to tell apart, and some of the symptoms can overlap. For example, whether you’re depressed or burned out, you might feel exhausted or have a hard time focusing. Burnout can also be a risk factor for depression. However, the two conditions have important differences.

Are you on the road to burnout?

You may be on the road to burnout if:

• Every day is a bad day.
• Caring about your work or home life seems like a total waste of energy.
• You’re exhausted all the time.
• The majority of your day is spent on tasks you find either mind-numbingly dull or overwhelming.
• You feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated.

How to deal with burnout

• Whether you recognize the warning signs of impending burnout or you’re already past the breaking point, trying to push through the exhaustion and continuing as you have been will only cause further emotional and physical damage. Now is the time to pause and change direction by learning how you can help yourself overcome burnout and feel healthy and positive again.
• Dealing with burnout requires the “Three R” approach:
  • Watch for the warning signs of burnout.
  • Undo the damage by seeking support and managing stress.
  • Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and emotional health.

• The following tips for preventing or dealing with burnout can help you cope with symptoms and regain your energy, focus, and sense of well-being.

Burnout Treatment

Burnout builds over time. It’s caused by stress at work or in other parts of your life, making it difficult to manage your job and other responsibilities. Once you’ve identified your burnout signs, there are ways to tackle your stress:

• Talk with your supervisor: If you are in an environment where this is possible, try to explain how you’re feeling and discuss a more manageable workload. Communication is important for creating a healthy work environment.
• Get enough sleep: Sleep is vital for good physical and mental health. If you aren’t getting enough because of anxiety over your job, it’s likely to lead to burnout. Prioritize getting enough sleep.
• Try a relaxing activity: Yoga, meditation, or tai chi can be great ways to release stress. Burnout symptoms can appear physically, as you can hold onto stress in your body. Practicing these activities can help you release the tension.
• Be mindful: This gets you to focus on yourself internally and know how you’re feeling in the moment. Mindfulness can help you identify when you’re feeling overwhelmed and let you take stock of your emotional well-being. It can also help you manage the challenges of life and work.
• Find support: The support of trusted coworkers, friends, and family is important. Their support can help you deal with the stressors of your job. Finding a therapist is also a great way to discuss your feelings and get support.

Risk Factors for Burnout

Burnout is a chronic state. Workers with burnout are more likely to take sick days or wind up in the emergency room. These feelings of stress and despair can result in long-term impacts on your physical and mental health.

Health care workers are at high risk for burnout. Even before the overwhelming stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, burnout among health professionals was high, with over 54% of nurses and doctors and about 60% of medical students and residents reporting burnout. Chronic job stress among these workers can mean impaired judgment and physical ailments such as heart disease and diabetes, sleep and relationship problems, anxiety, depression, and the possibility of substance misuse. Teaching and law enforcement are other professions with a high risk of burnout.

Other risk factors for burnout include:

• Difficulty maintaining work-life balance
• Having a “Type A” personality (being hyperfocused on work and achievement)
• Competitive workplaces with lots of high-performers
• High-pressure social and work environments
• Cultural expectations

Effects of Untreated Burnout

If left untreated. burnout can affect your career and relationships, as well as your physical and mental health. Unchecked burnout may lead to depression or anxiety.

In the workplace, prolonged burnout can lead to chronic absence and job dissatisfaction.

Physically, burnout may cause:

• Weight gain
• Headaches
• High cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
• Stomach and gastrointestinal problems
• Muscle and joint pain
• Breathing issues
• Injuries, and even early death

Burnout Prevention

If you’re experiencing burnout, don’t try to keep going. It will only make things worse. Instead, take a break to help yourself recognize the signs of burnout and work to lessen it.

Burnout FAQs

What are the five symptoms of burnout?

You might have burnout if you constantly feel:

• Exhausted or drained of energy
• Hopeless and unmotivated
• Detachment
• Cynical and negative
• A sense of failure

What exactly is burnout?

• Burnout is an ongoing state of feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, and emotionally drained due to consistent stress in your work, family, or social life.

How do you overcome burnout?

• Make changes in whatever is causing you stress. Take care of your health, seek out positive relationships, and leave or adjust stressful conditions.

How long does it take to recover from burnout?

• There isn’t a firm timeline for recovery from burnout. The sooner you reduce your stress by asking for help, practicing self-care, and changing or leaving your situation, the better you’ll become.

REFERENCES

1) https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/burnout-symptoms-signs