What is Burnout?
According to Maslach, Jackson, and Leiter’s study done in the year 1996; Burnout was defined as ‘A state of exhaustion in which one is cynical about the value of one’s occupation and doubtful of one’s capacity to perform.’ Burnout is a type of fatigue produced by feeling perpetually overworked. It is the outcome of prolonged and excessively emotional, physical, and mental stress. Burnout is frequently linked to one’s employment.
Burnout occurs when you are overworked, emotionally exhausted, and unable to keep up with life’s never-ending demands. Burnout makes it difficult to be productive. It affects your energy and leaves you feeling helpless, cynical, and resentful. Burnout can have a negative impact on your home, job, and social life. Long-term exhaustion can make you more susceptible to colds and flu.
Burnout also causes physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, and intestinal issues. Other common signs of Burnout are Feeling alienated from work-related activities i.e. individuals experiencing Burnout may feel extremely cynical towards their work and the people they work with, hence they may distance themselves from their work; individuals may also experience emotional exhaustion, they may feel extremely tired, drained and unable to cope with everyday work-life. Burnout may also impact on the individual’s job performance and the ability to complete daily tasks.
Causes of Job-Burnout
1. Difficult deadlines
Employees who have more accommodating deadlines for their work are 70% less likely to experience burnout as compared to individuals who work in high-pressure jobs.
2. Lack of support system from the manager and colleagues
Employees who work in a supportive environment and have a manager who is empathic towards them can perform better and handle daily stressors better.
3. Unclear role responsibilities
Many employees are usually unaware of clear goals and responsibilities and that results in a lot of stress as they are unaware of what they are expected to do, especially when they are burdened with different types of responsibilities.
4. Extreme workload
If the employees experience extreme workload, they may feel that they are unable to manage it, in times like these even the most productive and motivated employees could feel hopeless.
5. Biased treatment
If the employee feels that he has been treated unfairly as compared to his co-workers, they will then experience higher stress and feelings of low self-worth resulting into experiencing Burnout.
What can you do if you are experiencing Burnout?
1. Talk to someone
Contact those with whom a close bond is shared, such as a partner, family, and friends. People usually feel that they will become a burden to others if they share what they are going through. But, the reality is they will be really glad and might be able to make you feel better as well.
2. Practice self-care activities
Engage in activities that can help you feel more connected with yourself and your environment as well. For E.g. Self-soothing practices like taking a long bath, emotional expression activities like Journaling, and social activities like engaging in one’s community and connecting to friends.
3. Change the way you look at your work
Employees who are experiencing Burnout or extreme stress may feel their work is extremely boring and mundane. It is important to find value in your work activities. For E.g. If I complete this billing process, the shipment will reach on time.
4. Add meaning to your life
Adding more meaning to your life could look like engaging in a hobby or engaging in social work. Having a purpose external to the job can make the individual feel more motivated towards their everyday life, as there will be more to experience in life than just the job.
5. Seek professional help
It is extremely crucial to seek professional help from the best psychologists and psychiatrists especially when it becomes extremely difficult for the individual to manage and cope with their daily life activities. Counselling from professionals can help the individual in managing and coping with the stress and the burnout.
The individual can also take a sabbatical from work and join a voluntary luxury rehab such as Veda Wellness and Rehabilitation where they can focus on themselves and come back to their daily life when they are ready to face the challenges of their daily life.
Janhavi Mehta
Psychologist
Veda Wellness and Rehabilitation