Identify Burnout And Find Help in San Francisco

Facts/Tips for Burnout

In this day and age, you have undoubtedly heard the term “burnout.” Perhaps you have even referred to yourself as “completely burned out.” Far from being just a modern day catchphrase, burnout is a very real condition that most often affects those in very stressful and/or caregiving professions. Left unaddressed, burnout can detrimentally impact your physical and mental health, your relationships and can ultimately destroy your career.

What is Burnout?

Burnout consists of three key dimensions:

Overwhelming physical, mental and emotional exhaustion.
Feelings of cynicism and detachment from one’s profession/ responsibilities.
A sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment and productivity.

(Maslach & Leiter, 2016). You do not suddenly wake up one day and discover that you are burned out; rather, this extended state of chronic stress creeps up on you little by little. You are so consumed with your work/responsibilities, however, you do not even realize how off-kilter aspects of your life have become.

It is important to note what burnout is not. Burnout is not a personal or professional failing. It is not an emotional response to the demands of one’s job. In my experience, those afflicted by this condition are often among the most eager to take on new assignments and solve difficult problems, and are among the most successful and dedicated in their fields.

Some Signs That You Are Burned Out

You are working harder and harder, but getting less done. Inefficiency has set in and you are just managing to accomplish the bare minimum.
Adrenalin no longer supplies you with the energy and focus you need.
Enthusiasm and excitement about what you are doing has waned.
You scream (internally) when you are given a new assignment/responsibility and may even look for ways to avoid work altogether.
You feel as if you are at the end of your rope and cannot see the light at the end of the work tunnel. Overwhelmed and exhausted, it is not uncommon to hear those who are burned out state that they “just can’t do this anymore.”

You are getting sick more frequently.

You are cynical, irritable, angry, and have difficulty concentrating.

You have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and you never feel rested even when you are able to sleep.

You disengage from friends, family and colleagues.

You can barely recall hobbies or interests that you once enjoyed.
You are using substances (or food) as a way to deal with your stress.
You are consumed with thoughts of your next vacation - assuming you even take vacation.

What Causes Burnout?

Drs. Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter point to six factors that make work burnout more likely:

Work Overload. Too many demands but not enough resources (internal and/or external) is a common cause of burnout. The more you work to meet deadlines (particularly unrealistic ones), the more exhausted you become, leaving you with less energy and focus to tackle what is already on your plate. The cycle ensues as you fail to recharge.

Lack of Control/Autonomy. When one is able to influence decisions and control when and how they work, the risk of burnout decreases.

Lack of Meaningful Rewards. We all need to feel valued and appreciated (through recognition and/or compensation). Burnout becomes more likely when this element is missing - especially when one is required to take on additional responsibilities, which happens frequently in today’s workplace and in more traditional caregiving roles where others and/or funding are not available.

Lack of Community.  Those who have support systems at work (with supervisors, mentors, colleagues) fare better than those who do not. One cannot thrive in a working environment filled with unsupportive, unreasonable, critical, and back-stabbing colleagues.

Conflicting Values.  Chances of becoming burned out increase if your core values conflict with the values of the organization, the role you are given, or the people for/with whom you work.

Sense of Injustice.   When one perceives one’s work environment/decisions made at work as fair and equitable, the threat of burnout lessens.

What Happens When You are Burned Out and What Can You Do

The consequences of burnout are very real and include:

Physical symptoms - gastrointestinal disorders, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pains, headaches, muscle tension, crippling fatigue.
Cognitive symptoms - difficulty with decision-making, problem solving, focusing, and concentrating.
Psychological symptoms - loss of confidence, lack of motivation, moodiness, intensifying anger and negativity, depression, anxiety.
Professional ramifications - decreased job performance, productivity and satisfaction.

While there is no overall panacea for this condition, recognizing that you in the throes of becoming or are already burned out will go a long way. Burnout does not eventually just “go away”; you will need to make some changes in your life.

Some suggestions include:

Learn to identify what factors are leading you to burnout. The sooner you recognize that things are out-of-sync, the sooner you can address the problem.
Know your limits and learn how to set better boundaries. The inability to say “no” to every request leads to an unbearable workload, which leads to significant stress, less focus, less sleep, and ultimately less productivity. To be sure, saying “no” can be very challenging, but not impossible. There are diplomatic and strategic ways to say “no” that do not come across as if you are simply rejecting an assignment/responsibility. You may need to start with small steps and know that it will take practice.
Get in touch with why you believe you must always please others and handle everything. This behavior likely has deeper roots.
Where possible, learn to delegate and do it. Procure additional resources when possible. No one expects you to do everything and often, no one but you really notices when you do.
Try to let go of some of your perfectionistic tendencies. While the margin for error in many fields is extremely low, you might ask yourself whether every task needs that degree of precision.
Determine if your values are misaligned with the work you are doing and the people with whom you are working. It is hard to feel enthusiasm when you have to put your values aside on a daily basis.
Take a proper vacation. Seriously, take your vacation. And when you take a day off, take the day off.

Add more control to your schedule. Reserving just 10-15 minutes every morning to accomplish a few personal goals, or to simply spend time as you wish, can help those whose schedules are at the mercy of their jobs feel a little more sense of control and autonomy.
Take frequent breaks. Some studies show that humans cannot really focus more than approximately 90 minutes without becoming inefficient. Focus on breathing for 5 minutes when you feel particularly overwhelmed. When done correctly, this helps reduce and manage stress.
Make time to connect with friends, family and hobbies that once gave you pleasure. We all need to decompress, de-stress and recharge from work and we all need to connect with other people.
Make sleep, exercise and a healthy diet a priority. As much as possible, avoid CATS (caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and sugar). Try to make the time to exercise - even if just 20 minutes a day. And, do not get into bed with a phone or computer!
Recognize that there are choices to be made as to how you are living your life. There are other options. They may not be ideal options, but you may need to explore them.
Talk to someone - a trusted mentor, family member, friend, or counselor - who can help you strategize about your situation. There is no shame in a condition that is truly born of good intentions. And, sometimes, just expressing how you are feeling and having someone listen without judgment, can be very helpful.

References:

Bakker, A.B., & Costa, P.L. (2014). Chronic job burnout and daily functioning: A theoretical analysis. Burnout Research, 1(3), 112-119.

Maslach, C., & Leiter, M.P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103-111.

Maslach, C., & Leiter M.P. (2008). Early predictors of job burnout and engagement. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(3), 498-512.