Beat Burnout: Signs, Causes & Recovery Strategies

“Yaar…….. it’s Monday again.” “I don’t want to go in today.” I am feeling so disconnected from work.” “I can’t take this anymore.” “I want to quit.”

We are all accustomed to these fleeting thoughts. Have you ever experienced them on a loop?
I have.

I was feeling emotionally drained. My empathy had reduced. I was becoming judgmental. I was experiencing constant irritation and outburst. I was getting worked up on trivial things. Letting go of things was becoming difficult. I disliked everything around me in all the settings. My appetite altered, I was eating more. I didn’t feel like getting up in the morning. I was feeling detached from everyone. I was permanently exhausted. I lost hope.

I am a mental health professional. Key skills to succeed in this profession are empathy and non judgmental approach. I was losing them both. I knew theoretically what was happening with me but I was scared to admit it. My inner dialogue was dominated by judgment and ridicule for self. How can this happen? I just started working. This can’t be happening.

My body and mind were telling me to take a break. I wasn’t listening. I just couldn’t accept it! By the end of last year, it became impossible for me to function. But even then I wasn’t ready to give up. I was pushing. I pushed until a few weeks till I broke. I had a breakdown. People who have experienced something like this will know what I am getting at. I was denying burnout.

According to WHO, Occupational burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic work-related stress, with symptoms characterized by "feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy".

Burnout is not a novel concept. It has been brewing since the 1800’s. it was in 1869 when it was considered as an issue in any form. The concept has been popping in and out of literature ever since. It was only in 2015 when WHO officially identified Burnout as a global issue.

How would you know that you are on the brink of exploding?

Burnout is not simply a result of working long hours or juggling too many tasks, though those both play a role. Persistent exhaustion, cynicism and decreased self evaluation of output combined are three unprecedented pillars of burnout (Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter, 1996; World Health Organization, 2019.) Your exhaustion or fatigue is chronic and unshakable.

You are evaluating yourself and your work very harshly and pessimistically. You appear to be unmotivated, disinterested, or uncommitted. Consequently, your work is severely affected. You are constantly irritated and are cynical about trivial matters. These are all signs of burnout.

Identifying signs that you can notice in your employee,

They may seem disorganized, struggle to pay attention, and appear forgetful. They may come across as irritable, anxious, or depressed.
You might see them smoking, drinking more.
They may turn to medications to help them cope.
They might also experience physiological symptoms because of over pounding stress, such as headaches, stomach problems, or cardiovascular problems such as a racing heart.

How symptoms manifest can differ from one person to the next. For example, men reported to experience more cardiovascular issues where women reported more body and muscle pain (Ahola, 2007).

What is causing this exhaustion ?

Stress is the underlying culprit. When stress is long lived and cannot be ameliorated, it converts to burnout. Maslach, Schaufeli and Leiter identified six risk factors for burnout in 2001 which are,

mismatch in workload
mismatch in control
lack of appropriate awards
loss of a sense of positive connection with others in the workplace
perceived lack of fairness and
conflict between values.

How is it affecting me?

Burnout affects all facets of an individual’s life. Several researchers have revealed a link between burnout, clinical depression and anxiety.

If you are burned out,

You withdraw yourself from everyone and everything.
You are more agitated. Hence you get triggered easily, jeopardizing your personal life and relationships.
According to Hoobler & Brass (2006) people who work in an abusive environment, adopt hostile behaviors at home.
Chronic burnout is also associated with cognitive impairments in memory and attention.
Men experiencing burnout tend to depersonalize at a higher rate whereas women complain of emotional exhaustion.

Burnout uproots your life slowly but deeply. It not only reduces your professional efficacy but marks a hole in your other relations as well.

How do I deal with all this ?

While some work environments may be especially grinding - such as the medical or mental health professions or law enforcement. Burnout rates are higher for these. Anyone who’s running out of gas can pause and can take some steps to alleviate the deleterious effects of burnout. If necessary, as it was in my case, re-evaluate their work life.

Quitting seems like the only available option but it is not. The three R’s of help,

Realize - The hardest part is identification. We are so caught up in topping the ladder that we ignore the rolling stones. Watch for the warning signs of burnout.
Reverse - When you’re burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care, let alone take action to help yourself. Talk to others, take a break or set boundaries. You have a lot more control over stress than you may think. There are positive habits you can inculcate to reverse the damage.
Resilience - Stick to it. Give it time. Be persistent. Start prioritizing your emotional, physical and mental health. Begin to be resilient.

There is a buffet available to manage stress and burnout. Shop around to see what suits you the best.

I was in denial. Therefore , it took me time to recover. You might not experience the same signs and symptoms but do not be fooled. Diagnosing burnout is not easy. Burnout is a serious condition which in extreme cases can be fatal. If you or someone you know is experiencing the above mentioned symptoms, ask for help.

Let’s transform, happily!