Burnout is a huge topic these days not only in the workplace but also within our personal lives. A buzzword that has been touted as one of the “cures” to this extreme exhaustion is self-care. Today I want to dig deeper into the idea of burnout to help you determine whether or not it is something that could be impacting your life. We will also discuss some countermeasures to help prevent burnout.
Burnout Defined
A demanding work and/or home environment can detrimentally affect mental health, leading to stress and burnout. Stress is a response to individuals’ perceptions that their life’s demands exceed their ability to cope. When this becomes a chronic state or is not adequately coped with, stress can adversely affect people, organizations and societies—this is what leads to burnout. Originally defined as a syndrome encompassing emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased personal accomplishment, nowadays the popular view is that only the first two dimensions are required to recognize and measure burnout. Burned-out individuals suffer from numerous physical and psychological conditions, commit more errors at work, and can “infect” others with their burnout. Determining the prevalence of stress and burnout is difficult and few countries recognize burnout as a legitimate medical diagnosis. Thus, the distinction between burnout and conditions with similar symptoms like fatigue, depression, and anxiety is often difficult to make, and can lead to classifying burnout as another condition.
So… is it burnout or stress?
Stress can be categorized as excess: excessive pressure or demand. Alternatively, burnout is defined as not enough—not enough energy, motivation or ability to care. We all have bad days no matter what our walk in life looks like. If you are on the road to burnout, every day is a bad day. You may also experience exhaustion all the time and feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated—or that caring about your work or home life seems like a waste of energy. Additionally, those suffering from burnout may feel like the majority of their day is spent on tasks that are either completely overwhelming or extremely dull and boring. Burnout is a gradual process and can manifest in many ways for different individuals including physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms.
Ok, so I may be on the road to burnout. How do I deal?
Research shows that stress can be reduced through enhancing psychological resources, in particular, self-efficacy (belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task) and perceived social support (help will be available when needed). These psychological resources can operate either individually or sequentially: self-efficacy precedes and cultivates perceived social support, or perceived social support comes first and enables self-efficacy. Focusing on the three P’s (partnerships, purpose, and priorities) can help better manage stress and burnout.
Partnerships
Enhance your partnerships within your circle of family and friends. Also, consider becoming involved in a meaningful community organization to make new connections and give to a meaningful cause—not only does this help by increasing social interactions, but giving back to others in a way that is valuable to you will improve your mood and general outlook. Limit your interactions with negative people or things as much as possible and explore new friendships to expand your social network.
Purpose
While it can be difficult to escape the pressure and stress in the workplace, finding a renewed purpose in your work can help deter burnout. Focus on how your job serves others and provides meaningful products or services to your customers. Try to create a work-life balance that allows you to partake in the more enjoyable parts of your life. Maintain positive relationships with your coworkers to help alleviate stress during the workday and if all else fails, take some time off—nothing like a good mental health day or two to recharge your batteries and get you back on track.
Priorities
This is where self-care comes into the conversation. Make your mental and physical wellbeing a priority. Set aside time for prayer and meditation—there are actually several apps that help with this. Set boundaries and learn when to say “no” before you overextend yourself. Get plenty of rest and take breaks from social media and technology daily and get plenty of sleep. Prioritize your health by increasing physical activity and a healthy diet.
About the Vitamin C(andiceAvery) Series
One of my goals on the journey to my purpose is to combine my three E’s–Employment, Experience, & Education, to help others as much as I can. You can read more about my background here. With that, I will be featuring information on this blog that is healthcare related as well as topics relating to mental health. Please keep in mind that information contained here does not substitute for professional medical opinions. If you feel that you suffer from unmanageable symptoms of burnout, please see your licensed physician for treatment.
Smoktunowicz, E., Lesnierowska, M., Cieslak, R., Carlbring, P., & Andersson, G. (2019). Efficacy of an Internet-based intervention for job stress and burnout among medical professionals: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials,20(1), 338. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3401-9