Mentally Exhausted? You might be suffering from burnout
Most people have demanding work and personal lives. We have lots to accomplish, but little time to get through the to-do list. Therefore, we should all be wary of the potential for burnout.
In this article:
Burnt Out Meaning
Burnout refers to a state of mental and physical depletion. Unlike many medical illnesses (e.g., heart disease), there is no definite diagnosis or test for burnout. Identification of burnout can therefore be a tricky task.
However, burnout is a big problem. We should all have a basic understanding of the signs, causes, and interventions for this issue.
There are widely-agreed indicators of this condition:
Exhaustion
Problems with concentration and other cognitive functions (e.g., attention, memory)
Negative emotions and attitudes towards work
Reduced productivity (e.g., procrastination, don't feel like doing anything) and effectiveness
While these are key signs, there may be others. For instance, some people may experience headaches, sleep disturbance, indecisiveness, and self-doubt (1). Burnout can also develop at different rates (2).
Regardless of how burnout manifests, be alert for difficulties that persist and cause significant problems and/or distress.
Burnout Syndromes
Burnout is not an official diagnosis in the two major classification systems (DSM 5 and ICD-11). However, the condition has gained formal recognition in several countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also recognised burnout as an occupational phenomenon. Some of the reasons for the lack of formal status include persistent diagnostic ambiguity and difficulties separating burnout from other problems (e.g., stress).
Burnout vs Depression
It is vital to distinguish burnout from related conditions. One alternative possibility is depression. There has been confusion about the distinction between burnout and depression (3). But, burnout tends to feature exhaustion as the primary indicator. Furthermore, mood often improves through enjoyable (non-work) activities. Depression involves persistent low mood and/or loss of enjoyment.
Other conditions to distinguish from burnout include:
Chronic fatigue
Anxiety
Difficulties adjusting to major life events/changes
Some people experience physical illness alongside burnout. This is partly due to suppressed immune function (4).
Burnout at Work
Burnout can happen outside of work (e.g., carers). However, we often focus on a person's job. Burnout rates vary considerably between professions. Some of the highest burnout rates are amongst healthcare workers (5).
Several workplace factors contribute to burnout. Some of these include:
Physical environment issues (e.g., excessive noise)
Long work hours
Unclear and unreasonable job expectations
Lack of control or autonomy
Lack of fair reward and acknowledgement
Lack of social support
Workplace factors are not the only causes of burnout. Certain individual factors leave people vulnerable to this problem (see below).
How to Recover from Burnout
Both organisational and individual factors require attention when dealing with burnout. Furthermore, most people need support to alleviate burnout successfully. This will often include help from colleagues. Some people also require input from an appropriate professional (e.g., psychologist).
Work Environment
Many work-related factors are out of the individual's control. Having said this, burnout management at the organisational level should cover prevention and intervention:
Prevention: Good job design, adequate support, acknowledgement of efforts and performance, positive work culture
Intervention: Should feel comfortable raising issues with a supportive manager. You may need to consider external support (e.g., a union rep) and even leaving a job when work factors don't change.
Stress Management
People report the following actions as valuable strategies for burnout:
Exercise
Time away from work (or quitting)
Maintaining boundaries around work hours
Seeking support from friends, family and/or professionals
Meditation and mindfulness
Most importantly, you should try several strategies to identify what works best for you.
Individual Factors
Certain personal factors increase vulnerability to burnout. Those at greater risk include (2):
Gender- Women
Age- Younger workers
Relationship status- single
High education levels
Some of these factors cannot be changed. However, issues like perfectionism can be addressed. I use any of the following strategies with clients:
Notice and name burnout
Address perfectionism
Assertiveness and communication strategies
Workload management
Addressing unhelpful thinking patterns
Plan to manage cognitive difficulties, such as mind blanking
Most people need an individually tailored intervention program when burnout levels are high. However, progress is still possible by trying the strategies recommended in this article.
Burnout Quotes
I did not die, yet nothing of life remained. Dante
Time spent in nature is the most cost-effective and powerful way to counteract the burnout.... we feel when we sit in front of a computer all day. Richard Louv
Creating the culture of burnout is opposite to creating a culture of sustainable creativity. This is something that needs to be taught in business schools. This mentality needs to be introduced as a leadership and performance-enhancing tool. Arianna Huffington
We are Coaching & Clinical Psychologists with extensive experience helping people conquer a range of wellbeing and performance issues at home and in the workplace. We can also help with burnout. Read more about our work, watch practical skills videos or browse other articles. Get in touch anytime.
References
(1) https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/
(2) Parker, G. et al. (2021). Burnout: A guide to identifying burnout and pathways to recovery. Allen & Unwin.
(3) Bianchi, R. et al. (2015). Burnout-depression overlap: A review. Clinical Psychology Review, 36, 28-41. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2015.01.004
(4) Mommersteeg, P. M., Heijnen, C. J., Kavelaars, A., & van Doornen, L. J. (2006). Immune and endocrine function in burnout syndrome. Psychosomatic medicine, 68(6), 879–886. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000239247.47581.0c
(5) Dubale, B.W., Friedman, L.E., Chemali, Z. et al. Systematic review of burnout among healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa. BMC Public Health 19, 1247 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7566-7
