Burnout: what it is and how to spot it
Burnout is becoming an increasingly common occupational hazard for many professionals. Since most of us spend the majority of our time working, an overwhelming and satisfactionless job can quickly impact our wellbeing, motivation, and performance. If left unaddressed, burnout can make it very difficult to function personally and professionally as well as reduce our quality of life. With this in mind, in order to recognise burnout and address it in its early stages, it’s important to know what to look out for.
Firstly, what is burnout?
According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), burnout results “from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed” and it can lead to:
Emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion
Detachment and a cynical outlook on things
Feelings of reduced ability and lack of motivation
Burnout occurs when there is a mismatch between our resources, such as our resilience, coping strategies, and support network, and the pressures and demands of our work. Over time, this can result in a number of physiological and psychological symptoms which can significantly impact our wellbeing and ability to function.
How does burnout differ from being stressed?
When someone is stressed, while they might struggle to cope with the pressures they face they still feel like there is an end in sight. This usually drives people to do more in an attempt to try to stay on top of things.
In contrast, burnout occurs when a person has been chronically stressed for so long that their body is no longer able to mobilise energy. As a result, they become emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted and feel hopeless and completely demotivated. Burnout not only makes it impossible to continue at the same pace as before but even the smallest of tasks becomes draining. Essentially it grinds you to a complete halt. Therefore, while stress and burnout have a lot of overlapping symptoms, there are some key differences:
Signs that you may be experiencing burnout.
Burnout does not happen overnight. It usually creeps up on us slowly which makes it harder to recognise and often it is only when people are in the thick of a burnout that they become aware that something is fundamentally wrong. However, our minds and bodies are amazing because they give us warning signals when we are facing burnout, so if we know what signs to look out for we are better able to turn things around. Although each of us will show slightly different signs, these are 12 common ones that are associated with burnout:
1) Chronic fatigue
One of the main signs of burnout is feeling tired all the time and lacking the energy to get things done. The exhaustion can be emotional, mental, and/or physical, and can impact even the smallest of daily tasks, such as getting dressed or buying groceries.
2) Not taking care of yourself
When you are suffering from chronic stress and burnout, you can find yourself struggling to care for your needs and engaging in unhealthy behaviours, such as drinking too much alcohol or coffee, smoking, leading a sedentary lifestyle, not prioritising sleep, eating a lot of junk food or not eating enough. In the short term, these unhealthy coping strategies might provide some relief, such as numbing feelings, but in the long run, they can intensify the burnout and negatively impact your health.
3) Physical symptoms
These can include headaches, general aches and pains, gut issues, shortness of breath, cardiovascular problems (such as chest pain or heart palpitations), and increased susceptibility to colds, flu, and infections. However, as these symptoms can also be the result of other health conditions, they should be assessed by a medical professional.
4) Sleep problems
Initially, sleep problems might manifest as occasionally having trouble falling or staying asleep. With time this can turn into insomnia, where sleep becomes a regular nightmare despite being exhausted.
5) Cognitive difficulties
Ongoing stress and exhaustion can impact your cognitive performance, resulting in difficulties concentrating, solving problems, making decisions and remembering things. In addition, when you are stressed and in a state of “fight or flight”, your attention narrows to focus on the things that you perceive as a threat which can make it hard to focus on other things.
6) Reduction in performance and productivity
Do you feel like no matter what you do or how many hours you work? That that you are drowning under a pile of things to do? This might be because the exhaustion and cognitive difficulties prevent you from being as productive and effective as you once were.
7) Increased irritability
This can be a consequence of feeling useless, ineffective, tired, or frustrated. If left addressed it can precipitate into anger and intense emotional reactions.
8) Interpersonal problems
Relationships take a lot of work and energy, so it’s unsurprising that when you are feeling exhausted you do not have the energy required to sustain healthy interactions. This can present either as an increased conflict in relationships, such as bickering, arguments, and angry outbursts, or withdrawing and isolating yourself from others.
9) Detachment
As your job and responsibilities feel increasingly stressful and frustrating, it can lead you to feel disconnected and emotionally numb about work. As a result, you might find yourself distancing yourself from work by not answering calls or returning emails, taking more sick days, and cancelling plans. Sometimes detachment can take the form of an “escapist mentality” where you just want to run away from your environment and responsibilities.
10) Cynicism and pessimism
Does the glass always seem half empty nowadays? Burnout can leave you questioning “what is the point?”, feeling disillusioned and thinking that nothing matters. It can also make you cynical about your job, working conditions, and colleagues.
11) Loss of satisfaction and enjoyment
Initially, chronic stress might leave you feeling less satisfied and stuck in your career. However, in the latter stages, this may turn into a loss of enjoyment in many or all areas of your life.
12) Low mood
Research has shown that burnout and depression are linked and that job strain can lead to depression via burnout. Signs of low mood can include feelings of sadness, emptiness and frustration, low self-esteem, and negative self-talk. We all experience low mood from time to time but if it persists it can be a sign of depression. If you think you might be depressed, seek support from your GP and/or mental health professional.
The Takeaway
If you found yourself nodding to some or many of the signs above, now is a good time to pause and reflect. What are your stress levels like? What impact are they having on you? What are these signs trying to tell you? Becoming aware and acknowledging that there is a problem is the first step in tackling it, for example, by slowing down, re-evaluating your work-life balance and priorities and seeking professional support.
References & Resources
Mindtools Burnout Self-Test is a short online assessment that can give you an indication of whether you are at risk for burnout.
Bauer, J., Häfner, S., Kächele, H., Wirsching, M., & Dahlbender, R. W. (2003). The burn-out syndrome and restoring mental health at the working place. Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, medizinische Psychologie, 53(5), 213-222.
Freudenberger, H. J. (1975). The staff burn-out syndrome in alternative institutions. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 12(1), 73.
Kahill, S. (1988). Symptoms of professional burnout: A review of the empirical evidence. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 29(3), 284.
Shirom, A. (2003). Job-related burnout: A review.
Weber, A., & Jaekel-Reinhard, A. (2000). Burnout syndrome: a disease of modern societies?. Occupational medicine, 50(7), 512-517.