Workplace Burnout

Defining Burnout

Burnout is a term that is used to describe the feelings people experience when they feel overworked, not appreciated, and start losing interest or motivation in their jobs. The progression of this process can take place over an extended period and noticing the earlier signs of burnout can be beneficial in helping to move away from experiencing burnout. When someone hits the point of burnout, which is defined by extreme fatigue, a sense of doubt, and disengagement towards work, it can lead to feeling unproductive at work (Albedry, et al., 2024). The beginning signs of burnout may be connected to more minor indicators of these symptoms, or a few of these symptoms showing up.

What Leads to Burnout?

There are various reasons that individuals will experience burn out and some of that can be connected to a lack of work-life balance that leads people to not enjoy time outside of their jobs. When there is an increase in time that is dedicated towards work-related tasks and not a lot of time that is dedicated towards pleasure tasks, work can start to feel like it is taking over one’s life, and the negative feelings that are associated with that start to come up. Specifically, when individuals are working in environments where they are given tasks with high demands and not the necessary resources to complete those tasks that can lead to an increase in feeling burnt out (Albedry, et al., 2024). The repetition of continuing to have an increase workload, without that being balanced with self-care and activities that allow an individual to unwind and recharge can increase the chances of burnout in an individual.

What are the Impacts of Burnout Both Personally and for Employers?

Personally

            Taking care of our mental wellness and mental health is something that always needs to be prioritized. When people experience burnout they will often experience a lack of accomplishment, which can impact individuals both at home and at work (Collins & Cassill, 2022). Some of the early warning indicators might be connected to a lack of care related to work tasks regularly, and feeling a constant sense of overwhelm related to all work tasks. As we know work consumes a large part of our life and enjoying the time that we spend working is critical for general happiness. Establishing that detachment from work allows everyone to recharge and take time away from feeling the constant mental pull towards thinking about work. A lack of care or feeling a lack of concern connected to both personal tasks and work-related tasks tends to be the repercussions of burnout. The lack of motivation can then turn into feelings of depression and not having the motivation to complete necessary tasks. As well as an increase in anxiety when there is an attempt to self-motivate to get things accomplished. If you are interested in tips for managing anxiety and depression check out these other blog posts.

From an Employee’s Perspective

Burnout is not only something that negatively impacts the individual, but it is also something that can impact the employer and the workplace in general due to the employee’s mental perspective, mental health, and how it impacts productivity (Albedry, et al., 2024). It can also be an issue for employers as it will often result in employees taking forced time off work, and having to limit or suspend their workplace duties (Collins & Cassill, 2022). This can lead to issues for a company as a whole, and means that putting time and effort into ensuring that employees are receiving the support that they need to complete tasks, and ensuring employees are taking their holidays, can prevent potential concerns connected to burnout.

Way to Avoid Burnout?

Taking care of your mental wellness is always a better idea than taking care of your mental illness. Starting by being able to recognize the initial indicators that you might be starting to experience burnout and adjust how you are engaging in activities. Creating a strong work-life balance is the main way to avoid workplace burnout, a key part of this can be ensuring that physical activity is part of your daily routine (Albedry, et al., 2024). Self-care is another key factor in avoiding workplace burnout as that is what is part of the work-life balance as it enables you to have recharge time (Collins & Cassill, 2022). The general theme is that being able to separate work and pleasure activities, as well as ensuring that you have enough time outside of work to disconnect and recharge, can decrease the chances of workplace burnout. Other ways to avoid burnout, is to ensure that you have a social support network, that you are identifying times of overwhelm at work and reaching out for support before things escalate and start to feel out of control (Collins & Cassill, 2022). Always remember that you can not pour from an empty cup so making sure that you are filling your cup with what you need is critical, as it is important for you and necessary to show up in the best way possible both in your personal life and in your professional life.

If you are feeling negatively impacted by burnout, reach out to get connected with a counsellor at Virtual Connect today. Book Now!

References

Albedry, B. , Marenus, M. & Chen, W. (2024). The Relationship Between Employee Physical Activity Intensity and Workplace Burnout. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 66 (4), 316-320. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003043.

Collins, M. H., & Cassill, C. K. (2022). Psychological wellness and self-care: an ethical and professional imperative. Ethics & Behavior, 32(7), 634–646. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2021.1971526