Burnout At Work – 3 Steps To Beating It

Burnout, which is now known as a potentially physical, mental and emotional illness, only came into existence as a concept in the 1970’s. In that short time frame, it’s impact has become far-reaching; research has shown that 77% of professionals have experienced burnout [1].

But what is burnout exactly?

Burnout At Work: Defined

Herbert Freudenberger coined the term Burnout in 1974 [2], describing it as “the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results”. More recently, the World Health Organization defined burnout as “a state of vital exhaustion” (REF). 

Generally speaking, the American Psychological Association’s definition is well accepted: a state of physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes outward oneself and others (REF). 

Burnout at work is characterized by three main symptoms:

• Lack of motivation.
• Lack of pleasure in your job.
• Lack of belief in your ability to complete tasks (a sense of inefficacy).

If you identify with these definitions and characteristics, you may be experiencing burnout. 

But how can you beat it? 

Step 1 – Know The Symptoms

The Symptoms Of Burnout At Work

Without knowing the symptoms of burnout, you cannot be expected to beat it. Therefore, we’ve put together a list of common symptoms that may signal you are experiencing burnout.

10 signs of burnout at work:

1. Experiencing a lack of motivation.

2. Feeling irritable and a negative attitude.

3. Having difficulty concentrating.

4. Feeling exhausted (which may lead to an increased no. of sick days).

5. An inability to find pleasure in your work.

6. Some physical symptoms (aches and pains).

7. Potential changes in eating, sleeping and exercise.

8. Making an increased number of mistakes/errors.

9. A noticeable change in your self-belief/self-esteem.

10. Disconnection and isolation.

Risk factors of burnout at work

As well as the signs, it’s also helpful to understand what the risk factors are. Generally speaking, we can divide the risk factors into the following two categories for individuals:

Personality traits

• Often comparing yourself to others.
• Being very competitive.
• Finding it difficult to ask for help.
• Seeing your work/job as the most important part of who you are.
• Striving for perfectionism.

Lifestyle factors

• Overworking (two, three + jobs).
• Being the primary caretaker/caregiver for a loved one.
• Experiencing sudden illness yourself (or a family member or friend).
• Lack of time for non-work experiences.

Step 2  – Understand What Stage Of Burnout You’re At

The 12 Stages Of Burnout

Some of the above signs may start showing at a much earlier stage of burnout than you realize. In fact, there is a 12 stages of burnout at work framework we can use to understand what stage we’re at: 

1. The compulsion to prove oneself.
2. Working harder.
3. Neglecting personal needs.
4. Displacement of conflict.
5. Revision of values (work to the exclusion of all else).
6. Denial of emerging problems.
7. Withdrawal (typically accompanied by self-medicating).
8. Odd behavioral changes.
9. Depersonalization (unable to connect with others or one’s own needs).
10. Inner emptiness.
11. Depression.
12. Burnout syndrome.

It’s important to remember that burnout is not something that just happens overnight, often it is possible to prevent experiencing burnout by being aware of the risk factors, symptoms and stages. 

Workplace Attachment Assessment

To assess which stage of burnout you are at, you can take the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) (REF). This is a self-report questionnaire that measures burnout and was developed because the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) has been shown to have a number of conceptual, technical and practical imperfections (REF). 

We’ve included the BAT in our Workplace Attachment Assessment, along with other measures of well-being like self-esteem, emotional regulation and resilience.

Step 3 – Invest In Yourself & Prevent Relapse

At this point, you’ve already covered the signs of burnout, risk factors for burnout and where you are in terms of the stages of burnout. 

Now, you can choose to invest in your health and yourself by committing to beating burnout. 

Depending on the intensity of the burnout someone is experiencing, it may be advisable to seek professional help (e.g. speaking to your local doctor, or going to a psychologist), but for many people it’s possible to already start making some changes. 

We are aware that these changes are not instant, nor are they always simple, but the long-term benefits of making such changes have been shown to help prevent (or beat) burnout. 

Ask yourself:

1. Do I know (and enforce) my boundaries?

Often a busy lifestyle, along with an intense workload, can result in boundaries being crossed. Understanding what you can say “yes” or “no” to is vital in preventing or beating burnout – if you say “yes” too many times, you may lose control over your time and resources, ultimately experiencing exhaustion.

Tip: try to establish clear boundaries for yourself when it comes to keeping work, at work. Make non-work tasks a priority at times when you are not expected to be working.

2. Am I maintaining my interests outside of work?

A varied and active lifestyle generally results in a healthier one. How we spend our time outside of work directly impacts our experience of work itself. That’s why it’s important to invest and maintain non-work activities, as these often provide an avenue for stress relief, even if that’s just sharing your experience with a trusted friend.

Tip: if you find it difficult to make or maintain friendships outside of work (which can happen, as we spend so much time at work), you can also consider building the relationships you have with colleagues, but outside of work. A lack of community has been cited as one of the risk factors for burnout, and developing these relationships, and more broadly speaking a community, provides you with a sense of belonging. You may not even realize this!

3. Speak with your manager

If you are experiencing burnout at your workplace, you may not be the only one. So far in this article, we’ve focused on what you as an individual can do to beat burnout, but your manager and wider leadership team can also make a difference. The first step of making a change is to inform the people who can influence your workload or role of your experience, wishes or needs.

Tip: share our Assessment At Work – For Business (LINK) with your manager. This provides a free report detailing your team’s attachment, psychological well-being and dynamics.

Conclusion: Burnout At Work – 3 Steps To Beating It

Burnout is becoming an increasingly common experience for many employees. To beat burnout, we suggest understanding the symptoms and risk factors, assessing which stage you are at, and then investing in yourself.

As part of our Attachment At Work assessment, we are thrilled to offer a reliable and valuable tool like the Burnout Assessment Tool in measuring your psychological well-being. This will allow you to identify risk factors, implement intervention strategies and hopefully prevent potentially long-term impacts of psychological and emotional burnout.