Mentally Exhausted? You might be suffering from burnout

Most people have demanding work and personal lives. We have lots to accomplish, but little time to get through the to-do list. Therefore, we should all be wary of the potential for burnout.

In this article:

• Defining burnout
• Burnout at work
• Dealing with burnout

Burnt Out Meaning

Burnout refers to a state of mental and physical depletion. Unlike many medical illnesses (e.g., heart disease), there is no definite diagnosis or test for burnout. Identification of burnout can therefore be a tricky task.

However, burnout is a big problem. We should all have a basic understanding of the signs, causes, and interventions for this issue.

There are widely-agreed indicators of this condition:

• Exhaustion
• Problems with concentration and other cognitive functions (e.g., attention, memory)
• Negative emotions and attitudes towards work
• Reduced productivity and effectiveness

While these are key signs, there may be others. For instance, some people may experience headaches, sleep disturbance, indecisiveness, and self-doubt (1). Burnout can also develop at different rates (2).

Regardless of how burnout manifests, be alert for difficulties that persist and cause significant problems and/or distress.

Burnout is primarily characterised by exhaustion

Burnout Syndromes

Burnout is not an official diagnosis in the two major classification systems (DSM 5 and ICD-11). However, the condition has gained formal recognition in several countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also recognised burnout as an occupational phenomenon. Some of the reasons for the lack of formal status include persistent diagnostic ambiguity and difficulties separating burnout from other problems (e.g., stress).

Burnout vs Depression

It is vital to distinguish burnout from related conditions. One alternative possibility is depression. There has been confusion about the distinction between burnout and depression (3). But, burnout tends to feature exhaustion as the primary indicator. Furthermore, mood often improves through enjoyable (non-work) activities. Depression involves persistent low mood and/or loss of enjoyment.

Other conditions to distinguish from burnout include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Anxiety
• Difficulties adjusting to major life events/changes

Some people experience physical illness alongside burnout. This is partly due to suppressed immune function (4).

Burnout at Work

Burnout can happen outside of work (e.g., carers). However, we often focus on a person’s job. Burnout rates vary considerably between professions. Some of the highest burnout rates are amongst healthcare workers (5).

Several workplace factors contribute to burnout. Some of these include:

• Physical environment issues (e.g., excessive noise)
• Long work hours
• Unclear and unreasonable job expectations
• Lack of control or autonomy
• Lack of fair reward and acknowledgement
• Lack of social support

Workplace factors are not the only causes of burnout. Certain individual factors leave people vulnerable to this problem (see below).

How to Recover from Burnout

Both organisational and individual factors require attention when dealing with burnout. Furthermore, most people need support to alleviate burnout successfully. This will often include help from colleagues. Some people also require input from an appropriate professional (e.g., psychologist).

Work Environment

Many work-related factors are out of the individual’s control. Having said this, burnout management at the organisational level should cover prevention and intervention:

• Prevention: Good job design, adequate support, acknowledgement of efforts and performance, positive work culture
• Intervention: Should feel comfortable raising issues with a supportive manager. You may need to consider external support (e.g., a union rep) and even leaving a job when work factors don’t change.

Burnout needs to be tackled on multiple levels

Stress Management

People report the following actions as valuable strategies for burnout:

• Exercise
• Time away from work (or quitting)
• Maintaining boundaries around work hours
• Seeking support from friends, family and/or professionals
• Meditation and mindfulness

Most importantly, you should try several strategies to identify what works best for you.

Individual Factors

Certain personal factors increase vulnerability to burnout. Those at greater risk include (2):

• Gender- Women
• Age- Younger workers
• Relationship status- single
• High education levels
• Introverts
• Perfectionists

Some of these factors cannot be changed. However, issues like perfectionism can be addressed. I use any of the following strategies with clients:

• Notice and name burnout
• Address perfectionism
• Assertiveness and communication strategies
• Workload management
• Addressing unhelpful thinking patterns
• Plan to manage cognitive difficulties, such as mind blanking

Most people need an individually tailored intervention program when burnout levels are high. However, progress is still possible by trying the strategies recommended in this article.

References

(1) https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/

(2) Parker, G. et al. (2021). Burnout: A guide to identifying burnout and pathways to recovery. Allen & Unwin.

(3) Bianchi, R. et al. (2015). Burnout-depression overlap: A review. Clinical Psychology Review, 36, 28–41. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2015.01.004

(4) Mommersteeg, P. M., Heijnen, C. J., Kavelaars, A., & van Doornen, L. J. (2006). Immune and endocrine function in burnout syndrome. Psychosomatic medicine, 68(6), 879–886. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000239247.47581.0c

(5) Dubale, B.W., Friedman, L.E., Chemali, Z. et al. Systematic review of burnout among healthcare providers in sub-Saharan Africa. BMC Public Health 19, 1247 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7566-7