A person’s brain and body can only handle the effects of overworking and constant stress for so long. What happens if it finally reaches its limits? In 2023, 65% of employees in the US suffer from work burnout. More workers are experiencing burnout from their jobs, massively affecting their personal and professional lives. In this Bold guide, learn how to recognize, understand, and cope with the relentless work stress that pushes you into a debilitating state.
(Curious about Pilates? Check out this Project Bold Life explainer.)
What is Burnout and What Causes It?
Workplace burnout is a form of extreme chronic stress that manifests differently for each person. In addition, it affects one’s physical and mental well-being in their personal and professional lives. During this time, people can find themselves feeling less motivated and unproductive because nothing they do seems worth the effort.
In a 2022 study on workplace burnout, researchers highlighted three burnout subtypes, noting that this syndrome doesn’t develop the same way for every person. There are variations in how burnout progresses, and they depend on the worker’s dedication to their job.
The frenetic subtype of burnout is all about overload and doing intense work until exhaustion. People working split shifts, temporary contracts, and most jobs requiring workers to be more involved to keep their jobs often develop the frenetic subtype. Under this subtype, workers show greater dedication, high involvement, and the need to obtain important achievements quickly. Due to this, it has the highest level of burnout with increasing abandonment of personal life and health for work success.
The under-challenged subtype focuses on monotonous and unstimulating work. It often refers to jobs with repetitive, mechanical, and routine tasks that don’t provide satisfaction or rewards to the workers. Due to this, burnout develops by showing indifference, boredom, and lack of self-improvement. In addition, this subtype relates to high levels of cynicism, distraction, and cognitive avoidance because of the lack of identification with work.
The final subtype, characterized by hopelessness and lack of control over the results and their achievements at work, is worn out. Unlike the other subtypes, this can develop in any profession. Due to the negative feelings workers develop under this subtype, their response to any difficulty is neglect and abandonment. They have a strong sense of incompetence and high guilt from their perceived inefficiency at work.
“Work environments with excessive work schedules and high levels of demands, as well as the need to prove that one is worthy of a certain position, leave workers emotionally drained, cynical about work, and with a low sense of personal accomplishment. Moreover, the pressure does not end with the end of the workday; new technologies, mobile devices, and the lack of boundaries prevent disconnection and the necessary recovery from work.” – Sergio Edú-Valsania, Ph.D., Work and Organizational Psychologist, Professor, Universidad Nebrija.
Common Signs of Burnout
Understanding the common symptoms of high stress can help you recognize whether someone is experiencing burnout. Although everyone experiences stress differently, these signs commonly manifest as burnout develops.
Emotional Exhaustion
Emotional exhaustion, or extreme emotional depletion, is the first sign people should check when identifying burnout. In addition, a person experiencing work burnout also exhibits the following traits from continuous stress.
- Lack of motivation
- Cynicism
- Difficulty concentrating
- Isolation
- Irrational irritability
- Decreased productivity
- Absenteeism
- Feeling undervalued
Many people don’t think of it, but working and interacting with others every day for nine to twelve hours takes high emotional energy. During work, employees not only deal with work but stay on top of delegating tasks, controlling conflict, and maintaining socialization.
Physical Symptoms
One notable manifestation of burnout in the body is in the form of physical symptoms. Prolonged stress increases the cortisol or stress hormones, which triggers different symptoms such as the following.
- Recurring headaches
- Gastrointestinal problems
- High blood pressure
- Poor immune function
- Fatigue
- Muscle tension
Some people experiencing burnout also frequently lose their appetite and lack sleep. These two often cause the physical symptoms to worsen.
3 Ways to Deal with Burnout
What makes burnout difficult is that people only know about them once they start manifesting. It takes months or years to progress and develop, but as the signs and symptoms worsen, the longer it takes for anyone experiencing it to recover. Recognizing the common symptoms of burnout is the first step in recovering and reversing the effects of workplace stress in your life. Although the path to full recovery takes time, doing these three things will help you beat burnout and prevent it from coming back.
1. Identify the Source and What You Can Change
Most people have difficulty changing because they can’t pinpoint the direct source of their burnout. Although burnout often relates to one’s job, knowing what subtype of burnout you’re experiencing. Identifying these things will make it easier to funnel what stresses you out the most and which routine or actions you can immediately change.
Separate which concerns are manageable and easy to change that would help you over time. One example would be your working hours. Changing your working hours might take a while as some might need approval from their management, but changes in their usual routine can relieve the monotony that one’s used to bit by bit.
Start by adding little breaks to your time for meditation or breathing exercises. During long breaks, make a point to leave your workstation and take a walk. Add going to the gym or doing any recreational activity that you would look forward to doing after work. These little changes can break your routine and add something interesting to your schedule.
2. Have Someone to Talk To
Burnout can be overwhelming, and not everyone can handle sorting things out alone. Having someone to talk to about your current situation can help alleviate the anxiety that comes from change. In addition, it comforts the person, knowing that there are people that they can count on when things become too much.
Confronting that you’re experiencing burnout can also be difficult for some people. Denying what they’re feeling stops them from recognizing the problem and halts their path to recovery. Talking with a therapist can provide professional guidance in identifying the causes of their burnout, possible coping methods to use, and how they can get back control of their lives.
3. Take Back Control
The worst thing about burnout is that it completely removes a person’s control over their lives. The emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion makes them feel small, insignificant, and unworthy to make the right decisions for themselves. Although this step takes a long time, taking back control will speed up recovery and prevent future burnout.
Start by prioritizing what you need to do. Focus on which tasks require immediate attention and set aside the others for another time. You also need to understand that you can’t always do things alone. Practice delegating tasks and asking people you trust for help.
Although it could be difficult, learn how to balance life and work. Remind yourself that there’s time for your job and career and a time for self-care, family, friends, and other interests. But most of all, be firm about your needs. Communicate with everyone and let them know what you’re going through. Explain your need for support to get your health and productivity back on track.
Don’t forget the book that lays out the principles of goal-achievement and attaining a Bold Life!
