Burnout
What is Burnout?
Burnout is an occupational phenomenon that describes employees experiencing emotional, physical and mental exhaustion. These symptoms reportedly result in decrease in job satisfaction and productivity levels and can have serious consequences for the individual, if not successfully managed.
Initially, burnout was only recognised in healthcare professions. However, it has become acknowledged in all occupational fields. It is also important to note that burnout does not only occur in an occupational industry. Parents, partners and non-professional caregivers are also likely to experience overwhelming exhaustion from their roles.
Causes of Burnout
The causes of burnout often differ at an individual level; however, the most common causes include not having enough support in your working role, feeling isolated from co-workers and team, being understaffed and overworked, experiencing micromanagement from superior roles, unclear instructions and lack of guidance, and most commonly having unrealistic expectations placed upon you (time pressure, workload and deadlines).
The 5 Stages of Burnout
- Honeymoon Phase: This particularly occurs when beginning a new job and there is an attempt to please your employer. It is common to neglect immediate stressors or issues in this phase as there is a focus on needing everything to be perfect. This means going above and beyond your expected role. Unfortunately, sometimes in this stage we are unable to recognise the stress we are placing on ourselves and miss an opportunity for early intervention.
- Stress Onset: Stress can begin to become prevalent in this stage of burnout. General neglect of personal self-care becomes apparent, however is often dismissed as feeling the pressures of a working role. You may begin to become irritable at others, and experience feelings of anxiety. Your productivity levels may begin to decrease due to overworking and pushing yourself beyond your limits.
- Chronic Stress: In this stage you may begin to struggle meeting deadlines, feeling overwhelmed with the workload, and find yourself procrastinating on time specific tasks. We can enter a cycle of avoidance in this stage, where we avoid doing work due to the stress it instils, however the avoidance only adds to the stress of trying to meet these deadlines and satisfy the work role. Physical symptoms may start to set in, including headaches and fatigue. It is common for people in this stage to turn to alcohol and food to comfort themselves.
- Burnout: An overwhelming sense of dread about work occurs at this stage. Often self-care has been neglected, and personal needs are not being met. There are no clear boundaries between work and life, and often social isolation has begun to occur. Physical symptoms may worsen, and there may be an increase in calling in sick for work. There is a lack of motivation towards work, and those in the workplace may begin to notice difficulty maintaining work expectations.
- Habitual Burnout: This is when burnout becomes an inherent part of your life. The impact on career, work life, personal relationships and overall health and wellbeing is significant. Chronic low moods, anxiety symptoms, chronic workplace stress and fatigue are all prominent symptoms in this stage. Often, the individual has resorted to complete avoidance and become isolating themselves from social situations. This stage of burnout can cause long term issues, and it is recommended the individual seek professional support as soon as possible.
Symptoms of Burnout
- Exhaustion
- Insomnia
- Changes in appetite
- Anxiety and depression symptoms
- Anger and irritability
- Physical symptoms (stomach-aches, cardiovascular issues, headaches, fatigue, nausea)
- Increased drug and alcohol use
- Sense of dread about going to work
- Reduced compassion and empathy
- Neglect of personal needs and self-care
What to do if you start to notice signs of Burnout
- Evaluate your work/life balance. What are you prioritising currently, and how can you begin to implement clear boundaries?
- Ensure you have a discussion with your employer to determine a realistic workload.
- Be open with your employer about your struggles and see if there are any measures that can be implemented in the workplace to support you.
- Attend to your own needs.
- Develop a sense of purpose in the job. This will assist in increasing levels of motivation and improve productivity.
- Seek support, whether it be from a professional or simply leaning on those around you in your own network.
- Prioritise self-care practices on the daily. These could include mindfulness exercises, physical exercise, having rest days or even making time for a pamper session.
If you are starting to recognise signs of burnout within yourself or someone else, contact Progressive Psychology on 0477 798 932. We have Psychologists who are here to help!
Bianca is a Psychologist at Progressive Psychology