How to avoid burnout at work
Burnout at work has become a hot topic in recent years, which is no great surprise when you think about the state of the economy and the knock-on effect that’s having on businesses and, subsequently, employees.
In fact, data from Google shows that people searching for things related to burnout at work have increased by as much as 60% in the last 5 years alone, which is pretty staggering.
Sadly, a report from Mental Health UK found that 39% of 18-24 year olds had taken time off work due to sustained stress and pressure from work, showing that the problem is having a tangible impact on people’s lives.
To help, we’ve assembled this useful guide that covers the root causes of workplace burnout, what the symptoms look like, and tips for avoiding it.
What causes burnout at work?
Looking out for the symptoms of burnout at work and helping with recovery is great, but first we need to understand the root causes of the problem.
As you can imagine, there are quite a few things that can contribute to workplace burnout, but the most common ones we encounter when talking to guests of our puppy therapy events include:
Poor work-life balance
Around two thirds of workers in the UK find it difficult to switch off from work or maintain a healthy balance between work and their personal life.
Preventing work from bleeding into an employee’s personal life is a must for safeguarding their mental wellbeing and, in a lot of cases, actually helps with productivity.
Unmanageable workloads
This one probably goes without saying, but excessive workloads are a common contributor to burnout at work. Sadly, this issue is becoming more frequent because tightening corporate budgets means there are fewer resources available to workers, causing them to become spread thin. This cause is commonly shared with poor work-life balance, as employees do their best to make up the difference.
Lack of reward or recognition
Reward and recognition are a huge part of making someone feel like a valued member of the team and business, which has a noticeable impact on retention rates, team morale and productivity. We’ve noticed that this has become more of a conversation in recent years as corporate budgets get smaller due to the challenging economic climate, especially when it’s paired with bigger workloads.
Poor workplace culture
The values, behaviours and attitudes an organisation encourages really do matter when it comes to avoiding burnout at work. A positive workplace culture is usually associated with things like trust, transparency, reward and an appreciation for boundaries between work and people’s personal lives. Unsurprisingly, ask someone what a poor culture usually involves, and they’ll likely mention one of the above (if not all of them!).
Is there a difference between stress and burnout?
Although they’re intrinsically linked, stress and burnout are two different things. Stress is a short-term response to pressures that stem from your surroundings, whereas burnout is an intense and prolonged experience of being both mentally and physically exhausted, usually appearing following a sustained period of stress.
Burnout symptoms to watch out for
So, how do you know whether you’re just a bit down or if you’re suffering from burnout? Here are some of the most common symptoms of burnout at work, which are usually split into three buckets: emotional, physical and behavioural.
Emotional symptoms
Burnout doesn’t always show itself as a physical symptom; it’s very common for it to be reflected in how someone feels.
• Feeling helpless and/or defeated
• Losing interest in things
• Feeling of being overwhelmed
• Feeling detached
• Lacking a sense of satisfaction
Physical symptoms
These are usually the easiest to identify since there are physical cues that are difficult to ignore over a sustained period of time.
• Low energy or always feeling tired
• Insomnia
• Persistent aches and pains
• Breathing problems
• Appetite changes
• Gastrointestinal issues
Behavioural symptoms
Behavioural symptoms are often easiest to spot in other people, which is why it’s always worth keeping these in mind in case you recognise them in someone else.
• Trouble concentrating
• Low productivity
• Irritability
• Increased tardiness
• Withdrawal
Five tips for avoiding burnout at work
People can eventually recover from burnout with the right support, but prevention is always better than a cure. So, how can you avoid burnout in the first place?
Recognise and manage your stress early
We appreciate it’s sometimes easier said than done, but do your best to recognise and acknowledge the stress early on, because it can escalate to burnout if left unchecked.
Most people will experience stress localised somewhere specific in their body. For example, you might realise that your heart rate increases, you feel pressure in your chest, or your neck and jaw muscles become tight. You might also have a nervous feeling in your stomach before starting tasks that stress you.
Are there particular tasks, people, or even locations that you associate with higher levels of stress? Make a list of the things that stress you most and consider whether they can be changed or not.
For example, if emails about a particular project make you feel stressed, you could talk to your boss about changing projects with someone else. However, if it’s emails from your boss leading to stress, you might not be able to avoid that.
Remember that you can’t avoid all stress. In fact, some stress is actually good for us, as long as it stays manageable. There might be small changes that you can make that transform unmanageable stress into something you can handle.
Make use of workplace support
Most workplaces should have some kind of support in place to help employees manage stress and avoid burnout. In bigger organisations, this could include things like an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which is a third-party service that gives employees free access to helpful services, such as financial advice, counselling and stress management.
These days, workplaces tend to have dedicated mental health first aiders and wellness initiatives, so they’re well worth exploring in the first instance.
Establish boundaries with work
As we mentioned earlier, unmanageable workload and a poor work-life balance all contribute towards workplace stress and, subsequently, burnout. One of the quickest ways to address this is to set clear boundaries between work and your personal life.
That could be something as simple as turning off work notifications after you’ve finished for the day or, if you wanted to focus on your task list, blocking time out in your calendar to work through them. Most workplaces should understand and, importantly, respect these boundaries since they’re in everyone’s best interests.
Communicate openly with management
It sounds kind of cliché, but communication really can be key when it comes to reducing the key causes of stress and burnout in the workplace. We appreciate that the culture of a workplace will heavily influence how feasible this is, but if you do have a positive relationship with your line manager, then simply letting them know that the workload is too much can be a great way to kickstart the conversation and get some solutions put in place.
If your workplace has a toxic culture and you’re unsure how to navigate around that without causing more harm than good, then we’d recommend asking for support from any of the charities outlined on our support page. Alternatively, it may be worth planning for a graceful exit and providing objective feedback during the leaving interview.
Consider healthy habits
Self-care in your personal time can also reduce the risk of burnout. You probably know all of the things you should be doing already, but try to make them a priority.
If you need a hand developing healthier habits, then consider these four pillars of health:
• Get enough quality sleep
• Exercise regularly
• Enjoy a balanced diet
Drink plenty of water
Although the above won’t solve all your problems at work, they’ll certainly make sure the best version of yourself is ready to tackle them.
Learn more about burnout with Paws in Work
Burnout isn’t an excuse for not feeling productive at work; it’s a serious condition that can have a devastating effect on your wellbeing. Mental health training can help you to understand the risks and, hopefully, avoid them.
Obviously, we’d suggest our Burnout Masterclass as an essential first step here.
Keep yourself informed about mental health and well-being by signing up to the Paws in Work newsletter for news, helpful ideas, and important discussions.
References
Google Trends - Burnout at work (last 5 years)
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