Have you been noticing a difference in your work performance? Are you feeling a sense of dread when you have to start your workday? Is stress becoming a normal part of your daily routine? If you said yes to any of these questions, you could be experiencing burnout.
Burnout can affect your life outside of work to the point where you begin to experience negative consequences due to stress. Here’s how to avoid and overcome burnout.
What is Burnout?
Burnout refers to a prolonged state of mental, emotional, and sometimes physical fatigue. This is usually caused by repetitive stress invoked by outside circumstances, particularly work-related.
However, burnout isn’t limited to career-related stressors. Left unchecked, burnout can negatively affect one’s mental and physical health.
Burnout is often characterized by a lack of motivation and a sense of inefficacy. It’s usually the result of several different factors. In fact, at the beginning stages of burnout, people often feel like their work is moving positively.
It’s only when they feel excessive stress, depression, and exhaustion that the person realizes they’re experiencing burnout.
Symptoms of Burnout
There are several warning signs of burnout that can negatively affect your mental, emotional, and physical health. A person experiencing the early symptoms of burnout may feel a sense of dread about their career, irritability, and decreased compassion. Even if they’ve been performing well, the person may feel like they’re not doing their job correctly.
If you’ve been exhibiting the following symptoms, you may be experiencing burnout:
- Trouble starting work
- Increased cynicism at work
- Decreased productivity due to fatigue
- Anger, frustration, and irritability
- Reduced concentration
- Substance abuse to cope with feelings of burnout
- Poor sleep hygiene
- Uncomfortable physical symptoms (i.e., headaches, stomach cramps, e.t.c.)
Causes of Burnout
Work-Related Burnout
As mentioned above, burnout is commonly associated with work-related stress. This can happen due to long hours, loss of control, and a reduced work-life balance.
Team members experiencing burnout may feel like their job has unclear expectations or don’t have the support they need to perform their tasks. Professionals in high-stress positions such as healthcare and law enforcement are highly susceptible to burnout.
Parenting Burnout
Working individuals aren’t the only people affected by burnout. Parenting requires a lot of time and energy, which can eventually affect a person’s emotional wellbeing.
There’s a very harmful stigma that only “bad parents” experience burnout, but this is an incorrect judgment. In reality, parenting is also a job, just like any other position.
When a job doesn’t come with breaks, support, or social interaction outside of work, this leads to parenting burnout. It’s essential to understand parents experiencing burnout and find ways to be supportive.
Relationship Burnout
Burnout can also apply to personal relationships, both romantic and platonic. If you’re becoming increasingly irritable towards your partner or becoming cynical about your relationship, it may be a sign of relationship burnout.
When you have to devote specific time to your partner, this can lead to feelings of exhaustion and frustration. If you’re beginning to feel intense burnout as a result of your relationship, it may be time to have an honest conversation about the status of your partnership.
The Five Stages of Burnout
1. Honeymoon Stage
This is the stage of your career where you may mistake early signs of burnout with feelings of accomplishment. This can commonly occur after a new job, especially as you improve your position.
You may make early mistakes of skipping lunches or working extra hours due to your feelings of excitement. In reality, new team members should consider establishing healthy routines right away to prevent themselves from falling into the later stages of burnout.
2. Balancing Act
The everyday excitement of your career begins to trickle away as you get used to your workday routine. You start to notice yourself enjoying the position less and less, but it’s not enough to make you feel displeased about your job.
You’ll have a strong balance between good days and bad, but it’s the negative experiences you begin focusing on. This is where early signs of stress begin to creep into your workplace routine.
3. Chronic Stress Symptoms
Stress is becoming an everyday occurrence, negatively impacting your work performance. You may feel irritable and resentful about the simplest of tasks at work and home.
You may use substances like caffeine or energy drinks to keep you motivated, only to feel more cynical about your job performance. Depression, apathy, and fatigue are beginning to overpower your life.
4. Burnout
You’ve officially become burnt out. Clear warning signs are beginning to show up in your work performance, leading to negative consequences at your workplace.
You may procrastinate a lot more, to the point where you skip work altogether. You begin to miss important deadlines or fantasize about quitting your job. Your main goal is to get out and eliminate the negative feelings associated with work.
6. Enmeshment
Burnout has become your new normal. You may not remember when you didn’t feel negative about work. This is where you may be diagnosed with an official mental health diagnosis contributing to your burnout.
In a severe case of burnout, it may have cost you your job. Chronic stress’s mental, emotional, and physical symptoms affect you daily.
Overcoming Burnout
Acknowledge Your Feelings
Emotions can act as warning signs that something is wrong. Even in the early stages of burnout, it’s essential to recognize your feelings and realize what they may be telling you.
For example, notice yourself becoming more irritable towards your co-workers and/or family members. That may be an early sign of burnout. If you acknowledge your burnout, that’s the first step to developing a recovery plan.
Analyze Your Choices
A common sign of burnout is a feeling of inefficacy. Your perception of your job performance may not reflect your actual workplace execution. Instead of jumping to conclusions and falling deeper into burnout, discuss this with your supervisor.
They may be able to help you come up with solutions and/or compromises that help you stay motivated and pleased with your place at work. Prioritize your most important work needs and set aside anything that can wait.
Set Boundaries
It’s important to remember that “no” is a complete sentence, even at work. Burnout can happen when you agree to take on too many responsibilities, leading to overwhelming work you don’t have time for.
Workplace boundaries should also include strict time off regulations. For example, telling your co-workers that you won’t answer emails over the weekends or after you clock out is okay. This helps you maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Reach Out for Help
If you’re experiencing burnout because of negative workplace culture, you’re probably not the only person feeling that way. Never be ashamed to reach out for help.
This can include your friends, family, or even co-workers. Support and collaboration from loved ones can help you feel less alone and focus on completing your tasks.
If you feel your burnout may be a side effect of a mental illness, never be afraid to approach licensed mental health professional. Finally, speak candidly about your concerns if it’s an issue with the leadership team.
Participate in Activities Outside of Work
Make sure you separate yourself from your job when you’re not physically working. When you’re not working, avoid performing tasks related to your career, even if they’re small.
That means avoiding emails, phone calls, or other work-related collaboration sites like Slack. Instead, establish a routine that includes an entirely different activity. This can consist of a hobby, a local club/organization, or favorite physical activity.
Try Relaxation Techniques
If stress can be avoided at all times, that is an ideal scenario. However, stress may be an unavoidable aspect of your job, especially if you work in a demanding career like healthcare.
If you become overwhelmed by work-related stress, try to develop positive coping strategies before these issues arise. Try breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation to prevent chronic stress symptoms and burnout.
Move Your Body
Exercise is a natural stress management solution that can also be fun at the same time. Exercising can help take your mind off work and refresh you after a long day. Granted, you don’t need to go for a 10-mile run if you don’t want to.
Instead, figure out an exercise routine that’s accessible and comfortable for you. For example, relaxation exercises like yoga can work as physical activity and meditative practice.
Make Friends at Work
If you don’t feel a sense of community at work, you won’t feel as motivated to complete your tasks. Knowing your fellow team members gives you a sense of belonging, support, and collaborative teamwork.
If you start to feel burnt out, they can be there to support you until you’re back on your feet. They can also provide valuable advice or levity after a stressful day.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness refers to the everyday practice of understanding yourself in the present moment. You can establish this in your daily work routine, even if it’s only for five minutes.
Set a timer where you temporarily put all your workplace duties away to focus on breathing solely. Avoid looking at your phone during this time and pay close attention to what you’re feeling at the moment without judgment.
Take Care of Yourself
Self-care is an essential part of preventing burnout. If you’re noticing yourself skipping meals, getting dehydrated, or withdrawing from positive social interactions, it may be time to reevaluate your work-life balance.
To prevent your burnout from worsening, do whatever you can to ignore workplace duties when you’re off the clock. This includes turning off work-related apps on your phone, setting workplace boundaries, and setting timers to prevent working overtime. Here’s more on job related burnout and how to overcome it.
