I don’t have to tell you that modern life is seriously stressful. And it was even before the pandemic. That just added a whole new layer of stress on top of what was already there. One survey found that nearly 90% of respondents in more than 40 countries felt that their work lives got worse during the pandemic. And more than 60% felt that they were experiencing burnout.
In 2019, the World Health Organization defined burnout as a syndrome associated with chronic stress at work that goes unmanaged. It begins with constant, excessive demands and unrealistic goals. The demands can feel like the employers are squeezing their employees for every bit of their time and labor, life, and soul. A lot of those demands are not actual job requirements. They are the unspoken cultural expectations in societies that glorify burnout as a kind of “badge of honor” and a measure of success and self-worth.
Stress Is a Normal Part of Life – Burnout Is Not
We tend to lump stress into one big “bad” category. But in actuality, stress comes in many shapes and sizes and is not all negative. Stress can often accompany a positive event, for example starting a new job or giving a presentation at work. Good stress is called eustress and can be useful. Eustress can provide motivation, energy, and focus, to help you perform optimally and increase productivity.
On a biological level, stress is a normal physical response that happens whenever you ask your body to adapt or respond in some way to its environment. Technically, you are stressing your body when you ask it to get up out of a chair, learn a new skill, or exercise. In your brain, when stress is not severe you are given time to recover, it can even cause neural connections to become stronger.
So, stress is an essential and normal part of living. Burnout is not.
The problem arises when stress becomes an almost constant state and chronic condition. Stress is a fact of life, but extreme and unrelenting pressures can lead to a debilitating physical and mental state called burnout.
Burnout Is Real
There is no doubt about it. Life and jobs have gotten more stressful. According to the research article, “Work Stress as a Worldwide Problem in Present Time,” the statistics tell us that work-related stress is a global issue and that excess stress affects about one out of four workers.
It’s important to address burnout because it has serious consequences for individuals’ physical and mental health — it’s a risk factor for depression, substance abuse, and even suicide. Burnout can also be contagious and spread throughout entire workplaces.
Research has linked burnout to many problems, including hypertension, sleep disturbances, depression, and substance abuse. The article, “Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies,” states that burnout was a significant predictor of:
The following physical consequences:
- hypercholesterolemia,
- type 2 diabetes,
- coronary heart disease,
- hospitalization due to cardiovascular disorder,
- musculoskeletal pain,
- changes in pain experiences,
- prolonged fatigue, headaches,
- gastrointestinal issues,
- respiratory problems,
- severe injuries and
- mortality below the age of 45 years.
The following psychological effects:
- insomnia,
- depressive symptoms,
- use of psychotropic and antidepressant medications,
- hospitalization for mental disorders and
- psychological ill-health symptoms.
Negative professional outcomes:
- Job dissatisfaction,
- absenteeism,
- disability pension,
- job demands,
- job resources and
Best Strategies for Burnout Recovery and Prevention
Situational factors are the biggest contributors to burnout. Resolving burnout often requires changes at the job, team, or organizational level that are beyond an individual’s control. However, there are steps you can take on your own once you’re aware of the symptoms and the underlying factors causing them.
Prioritize self-care
You have to take care of your own needs to replenish your physical and emotional energy to be able to give your best to your job. You do this with your lifestyle habits — all the things you know you should do, like prioritizing sleep, nutrition, exercise, social connection, and practices to manage stress and promote well-being, like meditating, journaling, and being in nature.
If you just cannot find the time for self-care activities, take a week to look at exactly how you’re spending your time. For each block of time, record what you’re doing, whom you’re with, how you feel, for example, drained or energized, and how necessary the activity is. Of course, we all have to do things we do not particularly like, but this can help you identify incidents you can cut. Look for opportunities to limit your exposure to tasks, people, and situations that aren’t essential and put you in a negative mood. And increase your investment in things that boost your energy, allow you to rest, or spend time nourishing yourself.
Shift your perspective
While rest and replenishing activities can help ease exhaustion and burnout, they don’t begin to address the root causes of burnout. Back at the office, you still face the same stressful, impossible conditions that caused burnout. You have two choices here: change the circumstances or change your perspective. The first thing to do is look at the situation and see if there is an opportunity for you to influence constructive change. Some things to consider are:
- Can you talk to your superior about the stressors?
- Are there ways to reshape your job in order to gain more control or to focus on the most fulfilling tasks?
- Is there a way to isolate or shield yourself from the people, parts of the organization, or parts of the job that frustrate and stress you?
- Could you build some positive, supportive relationships to support and assist you?
- Are there stressful parts you could delegate or sub out to ease your stress and free up your time?
If you cannot do anything to alter the situation to be healthier for you, the one thing adjust you can always do is change your perspective. In any situation, you can take a close look at your thoughts and assumptions and work with them to reframe your mindset. Altering your perspective can buffer the negative impact of the inflexible aspects you can’t control or change. Some things to consider are:
- What aspects of the situation are beneficial and good for you?
- Is the job helping you achieve a bigger picture, long-term goal?
- What are the parts of the job you do well and excel at?
- What parts of your job are meaningful to you?
Set clear boundaries
For many of us who worked from home during the pandemic, the line between “at work” and “not at work” became very blurry. In a hustle culture that already encouraged workers to be “on” 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it became normal to reply to emails at all hours and have Zoom meetings at any time of day. Many companies want to continue the practice even when you’re back in the office.
You have to realize that you are not your job and set some clear boundaries between the two. You need downtime when you don’t have to even think about work. Whether you work nine to five in an office or are the CEO of your own business, you need clear start and end times for your workday. This is especially important if you work from home.
Some suggestions for setting boundaries are:
- Turn off work notifications on your phone.
- Use different email accounts for your personal and work life.
- Do not check work email outside of work hours.
- Create rituals that signify the start and end of your workday.
- Make a date with yourself after work to do something restful, healthy, or fun, and keep it!
- Learn how to say “No!”
- Create and stick to a schedule.
Redefine success
You do not have to buy into the idea that being successful means being stressed and overworked.
The article, “Hustle Culture Can Be Toxic—Here’s How To Navigate It Successfully,” says:
“In a culture that glorifies busyness, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype and compete for ‘the most overwhelmed.’ Hustle culture teaches us that there’s always more: more money to make, a bigger title or promotion and a higher wall to climb. However, the only thing waiting at the finish line will be burnout.”
Think about what success means to you — not your partner, your parents, or your neighbor. One of the biggest traps in our hustle culture is chasing what society tells you success looks like. But what does it really look like for you? The thing is, going down this route often means going after things that don’t truly matter to you.
To center yourself, the article suggests that you consider these questions:
- What does success look like to you? Not what’s expected from parents or spouses or colleagues, but what do you consider success? It may mean the freedom to work on your own schedule, financial independence, or being home for dinner every night.
- What does your ideal day look like? Is it similar to what you’re currently doing? If not, how can you make it so?
- What type of life would you lead if there were no “ifs” or “buts?”
- What does success look like to you? Not what’s expected from parents or spouses or colleagues, but what do you consider success? It may mean the freedom to work on your own schedule, financial independence, or being home for dinner every night.
- Take a moment to reflect on what it is that you’re after and how you’re taking care of yourself while you reach it.
Conclusion
Burnout can often feel debilitating, insurmountable, and irreversible, but it’s not. The feeling of being stressed and overwhelmed is a clear signal to you to make some changes. By understanding the symptoms and causes of burnout and adopting healthy practices, you can recover and set a framework for prevention.
This post was first mentioned in the Authoritti5.0 Magazine
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