Burnout is the result of work overload and a toxic work culture.
Burnout is a term that is not part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), but is frequently used in our language to refer to a syndrome linked to work stress .
Burnout syndrome , burnout syndrome or burned out worker syndrome , therefore, appears when a person is periodically subjected to stressful situations. The idea, as we already indicated, is used with respect to the work environment .
Consequences of burnout
The individual with this condition has difficulty handling conflictive situations or problems due to progressive wear and tear. Those who suffer from burnout suffer from a lack of energy , lack motivation , show emotional exhaustion and have a high degree of apathy . Physically, you may also suffer from chronic fatigue, headaches and gastrointestinal disorders. These factors not only negatively affect your body and psyche, but also lead you to reduce your performance at work due to professional burnout.
Although everyone can develop burnout syndrome, it is more common in jobs and professions with a high stress load, such as doctors, nurses, engineers and professional athletes. Jobs that involve excessive hours can also cause burnout.
The subject with burnout feels tired from the moment he wakes up and may even suffer from depersonalization . That's why you arrive at your workplace fatigued and irritable. Throughout the day nothing causes him well-being, leaving him feeling constantly dissatisfied. Outside of work hours, it also fails to reduce stress and mood swings are frequent.
It is important to develop stress management strategies to avoid burnout.
Risk signs
Regarding the profile of people who are more likely to suffer burnout, there are several characteristics that they usually share, which can serve as risk signals to act before it is too late:
- Difficulty separating work from personal life, or giving each part its own space, due to feeling very identified with the profession.
- Tendency to always be attentive to the needs of others and to fulfill all possible functions, even those that are outside one's own obligations.
- Lack of control over the situations that take place throughout the work day.
- Monotony and lack of incentive.
- Concentration problems
Burnout ends up leading to work demotivation.
Preliminary diagnosis of burnout
If some or all of these conditions are met in our workplace and we want to know if we are experiencing burnout, then there are a series of questions that we can ask ourselves to prepare a preliminary diagnosis , which will help us know if we need to worry about our situation. :
- Have we become too critical or cynical in the workplace?
- Is it difficult for us to get to work and, once there, start doing our tasks?
- Have we become impatient or irritable with our colleagues or clients?
- Do we lack the energy necessary to maintain a consistent level of productivity ?
- Don't our achievements at work give us any satisfaction?
- Are we disappointed by the conditions and objectives proposed to us at work?
- Have we developed a nutritional imbalance or an addiction, such as to alcohol or drugs?
- Have our sleeping habits been affected by the stress and pressures we experience at work?
- Are we worried about new pain or physical problems that seem to have started suddenly?
The treatment
Although treatments to combat burnout change depending on each patient, the usual thing is to ensure that the person learns to reserve time for what gives them pleasure. Physical activity and various relaxation techniques (meditation, yoga, etc.) are also suggested.
Another tip to start combating burnout is to try to find the positive aspects of work, those that perhaps we recognized in the past but have been buried under stress and disappointment . Of course, the ideal is to pay attention to the previously mentioned symptoms to work on preventing burnout, successfully managing the emotional challenges of work and acting before the syndrome appears.
Burnout and companies
The prevention and treatment of burnout are essential to take care of the mental health of workers , avoiding anxiety and depression and many other disorders. In any case, leaving aside the well-being of people (which obviously must be the main thing), companies also benefit if they prevent their employees from suffering from the syndrome.
Excessive work, contrary to what one might assume, causes a reduction in productivity due to deterioration in performance. The lack of motivation, meanwhile, leads to a growth in work absenteeism. Paying attention to the emotions of those who make up a company's human resources, then, is an intelligent decision for any employer since it defends its own interests.