BURN OUT
Okay, I knew I would get your attention with this one. As I was thinking about this newsletter title, I realized just how fortunate I am to work for myself. Otherwise, I could imagine finding myself in my “manager’s” office as a result of my pithy and profound newsletter titles :-). Ahh the joys of solopreneurship.
As you may have surmised, I am not talking about body odor, however what I am talking about, if you are experiencing it, is likely even more offensive and downright dangerous. It is the experience of being just plain burned out. Frankly, burnout is not attractive and nor is it a respecter of credentials. It is a serious state of emotional exhaustion and loss of motivation. Unless you have experienced this state personally, you may not fully comprehend how critical it is to meet its challenge before you progress into a collapse into depression, addiction, or physical illness.
Burnout is a relatively new term, coined in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger in his book, “Burnout: The High Cost of Achievement.” He originally defined it as “the extinction or motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.”
It’s important to note that burnout is not recognized as a clinical psychiatric or psychological disorder. However, it does have similar features to diagnosable conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, or mood disorders (burnout is much more common). It is also less severe, more temporary in duration, and clearly caused by situational stressors rather than a biologically mandated chemical imbalance.
Are you at risk for burnout?
You may be more likely to experience job burnout if:
- You identify so strongly with work that you lack a reasonable balance between your work life and your home life.
- You are an automatic yes machine. You try to be everything to everyone.
- You work in a helping profession such as healthcare, law, or teaching.
- You feel you have little or no control over your work.
- You are in constant chaos or monotony in your job.
Symptoms of Burnout:
- Bleak Outlook-When you are experiencing burnout, it’s harder to get excited about life, expect the best, let things roll off your back, and to be positive. Because optimism is a great buffer for stress, those suffering from burnout find it harder to pull out of their rut than they normally would.
- Depleted Physical Energy-If you are experiencing prolonged stress it can be physically draining. You may feel tired much of the time, no longer having the energy you once had. Getting out of bed to face another day of the same gets harder and harder.
- Difficulties at Work-When you are experiencing job burnout, it gets more difficult just to get out of bed in the morning to face more of what has been overwhelming you. This may be an unconscious defense against burnout, but those who are experiencing it tend to be less effective overall and stay home from work more often (which could also be due to the increased incidence of illness associated with burnout). This it why it makes sense to take time off before you feel burned out and why it makes sense for employers to be mindful about overtaxing their employees.
- Emotional Exhaustion-You feel impatient, moody, and just plain irritable. You may get frustrated more easily than you normally would. You feel like you can’t deal with life as easily as you once could.
- Lower Immunity to Illness-When stress levels are high for a prolonged period, you immune system suffers. People who are suffering from burnout usually get a message from their bodies that something needs to change. How does that message show up? It usually shows up in the form of illness due to decreases in immunity.
- Interpersonal Relationship Issues-Sometimes withdrawal from interpersonal relationships is another sign of burnout. You may feel you have less to give, less interest in having fun, or just less patience with people. Make no mistake, burnout can show up in your relationships.
Burnout can be caused by many things and they fall into the main categories relating to job structure, lifestyle features, and individual personality characteristics.
With respect to job structure, there is a higher rate of burnout in some industries. Law, medicine, and social work tend to see a higher percentage of burnout than other industries.
Burnout can be linked to your dislike of your business or job, but with a few tweaks, it can sometimes be avoided altogether.
Here are some work-related things that cause more stress and take a toll:
- Dysfunctional workplace dynamics-Perhaps you work with an office bully, you feel undermined by colleagues, or your boss micromanages your work. These dynamics can greatly contribute to burnout.
- Poor Leadership-Company leaders can do a great deal to prevent burnout. For example, depending upon the company and its leaders, they can take steps to do things like making sure that job expectations are reasonable and communicated clearly, recognizing employees for their achievements, providing support for them when they have difficulties, and engaging in things to promote a general sense of appreciation for their efforts. Burnout often occurs in employees who feel unappreciated, unrecognized, and unfairly treated.
- Unclear Requirements-When it is not clear to workers how to succeed, it’s harder for them to be confident, to enjoy their work, and to feel that they are doing a great job. If the job description lacks clarity about things like the degree of authority or the ever changing requirements, it can make workers uncomfortable and frustrated.
- Impossible Requirements-If a job’s deliverables are too difficult to meet, it will translate into constant effort and little or no success. For example, if the responsibilities within a role exceed the amount of time or appropriate resources given to complete them, the employee may constantly feel frustrated.
- Extremes of Activity-When a job is consistently either monotonous or chaotic, you need constant energy to stay focused, which can lead to fatigue, frustration, and job burnout. While many jobs & industries have “crunch time” where workers must work longer and harder to meet a more intense workload for a time (i.e. retail at Christmas), it starts to become a problem when it occurs constantly with no break or end in sight. The bottom-line is that workers need time to recover.
- Major Consequences for Failure-When failure on the job can be catastrophic (like the risk of death, lawsuit, etc.) the overall work experience becomes more stressful and the risk of burnout skyrockets!
- Lack of Control-Often a lack of control or influence over decisions that affect your job can lead to burnout. Workers who lack the freedom to do what needs to be done and creatively handle problems that arise often feel restricted and unable to exercise personal control over their environment.
- Lack of Recognition-It’s difficult to work hard and never be recognized for accomplishments. Tokens of appreciation and recognition of accomplishments help keep employee engagement high. When recognition and appreciation are scarce, burnout is a risk.
- Values Mismatch-If your values are different from the way your employer does
business or handles grievances, the conflicts may eventually take a toll. - Poor Communication-Poor communication can be the root cause of some of the issues that contribute to burnout. Critical things that do not get communicated can cause an innumerable amount of difficulties in key relationships both inside and outside the organization.
- Poor Job Fit-If your job doesn’t fit your interests and skills, it may become
increasingly stressful over time. - Low Compensation-Stress can be part of any job. However, some occupations are wrought with pressure. When the compensation is high enough, it can represent an acceptable tradeoff. However, when pressure is high and compensation is low, workers might find themselves thinking, “I don’t get paid enough to deal with this!”, which results in a higher risk of burnout.
Consequences of Job Burnout
If ignored or unaddressed, job burnout can have significant consequences including:
- Excessive stress
- Errors in your job
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- A ripple effect into personal relationships and home life
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Alcohol and/or drug abuse
If you think you may be experiencing job burnout, it’s time to take action.
Addressing Burnout
Once you have determined that you are experiencing job burnout, here are some ways to address it:
- Manage the contributing stressors-Now that you know that burnout is what you are experiencing; it’s time to make a plan to address the issue or issues surrounding it. Your plan may be to make a few tweaks to what your doing or embark upon a major career overhaul. The best time to start is NOW.
- Evaluate your options-Discuss specific concerns with your colleague or supervisor. Perhaps you can work together to change expectations or reach compromises and solutions. Perhaps it’s time to hire a life coach! Is job sharing an option? What about flextime or telecommuting? How about establishing a mentor relationship or engaging in continuing education or professional development?
- Attitude Adjustment-It may be time to find ways to improve your outlook. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Rediscover enjoyable aspects of your work by asking yourself questions like, “What attracted me to this role in the first place?” Recognize co-workers for valuable contributions or a job well done. Take short breaks throughout the day and schedule time off to do things that you enjoy.
- Seek Support-Whether you reach out to co-workers, friends, a life-coach, loved ones, or others, you may find help with coping with your job stress and feelings of burnout. If you have access to an employee assistance program, take advantage!
- Assess your interests, skills, and passions-Once you do this, it may help you decide between making a few tweaks where you are or a major career overhaul. You may gain clarity on whether improving skills such as boundary setting and/or better time management will make all the difference for you in your current role. You may also find that your role is a complete mismatch and finding another role that better matches your interests and core values is in order. The bottom-line here is that keeping an open mind when you consider the options will benefit you. I have had many clients who have come to me thinking they needed a major career overhaul and found that better time management and boundary setting in made all the difference. On the flipside, you don’t want to let a demanding and unrewarding job undermine your health.
Job Burnout Quiz
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Have you become cynical or critical at work?
2. Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started once you arrive?
3. Have you become irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers, or clients?
4. Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?
5. Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?
6. Do you feel disillusioned about your job?
7. Are you using food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better or simply not to feel?
8. Have your sleep habits or appetite changed?
9. Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, backaches, or other physical
complaints?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be experiencing job burnout. Be sure to consult your doctor or a mental health provider. Some of these symptoms can also indicate certain health conditions, such as a thyroid disorder or depression.
Have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!