Workplace Burnout

It's 2022, and we're all very aware of terms like 'work/life balance' and 'employee engagement'. A recent report by Gallup-Workhuman said that 25% of employees said that they felt burnt out at work either very often or always - and that's a really worrying statistic.

But what exactly is burnout? Even if you've never heard of this term, chances are, you've felt at least some of its effects before. It's similar to (but not exactly like) long-term stress, and the symptoms build up over time so you might not realise you're feeling it until you hit a breaking point. The World Health Organisation (WHO) officially classifies burnout as a medical mental health diagnosis, and these are the four symptoms to look out for:

 

1. Feelings of energy depletion, exhaustion and fatigue
2. Increased mental distance from your job
3. Feelings of negativism or cynicism related to your job
4. Reduced professional efficacy

 

Basically, that means checking out, getting snarky or sarcastic, feeling tired and out of it, and not getting the same results you used to. It can have negative consequences on many aspects of your life, not just the professional side - so how can you avoid it? How can you spot it? And how can you recover from it and come out stronger on the other side?

It might be easier to see the symptoms in other people rather than in yourself. If you've got a friend who's always going off in the groupchat about how much they hate their work, or that their managers aren't good at their jobs, or they're feeling unfulfilled, bored, over-worked, tired or stressed... These can be warning signs that they're experiencing burnout. Making sure you cultivate a relationship with your friends where you can be honest with each other about what these kind of sentiments can mean ensures you're always going to have each other's backs. If you can say, 'Hey, I think you're really burnt out, maybe you should take a step back and reevaluate your role,' then you can trust they'll do the same.

The same can be said for your coworkers. If one of your work peers seems way more stressed than everyone else, or is checked out at work scrolling TikTok instead of doing the good stuff they normally do, then it might be good to reach out and check in with them. Maybe they've taken on too much of a load and have exhausted themselves as a result. Maybe they don't have enough work to keep them stimulated creatively and want something to challenge themselves. In each case, chatting to managers about it to find a solution that works for everyone can be the best way to start the recovery process. Since it's hard to see it in yourself, maybe you need to point it out so they can start the journey.

But it is important to always look inwards as well. Relying on others to be able to let you know is a sign of a good support network. But you've also got to be your own best friend in these situations as well. Check in with yourself every week or so and analyse how you're feeling. Keep an emotions journal to highlight feelings throughout the week, and see if those feelings always happen on a certain day. (If you get the Sunday Scaries, i.e. feeling anxious and worried for no reason on a Sunday night or Monday morning, then you might just have burnout about your job.) 

Luckily, there are ways to recover from burnout. It's not a death sentence for your dream job. While leaving your role for another one is an option, it should be a last-ditch effort - when all else has failed. Because if you never address the root of the problem, the burnout can follow you to your new job. So try these handy tricks before you quit - you might be thanking yourself in a few months' time when you nail a promotion or raise instead.

Here's some tricks to help yourself recover from burnout and get yourself on the path to falling back in love with your job.

You can't outrun burnout. The harder you push yourself through it, the worse you'll feel on the other end. You need to give yourself time to relax and recuperate just like with any illness. Get plenty of sleep, pick up some meditation or relaxation habits, and try not to take work home with you. Setting healthy work/life boundaries is key to ensuring that work doesn't become your everything. Work hours are about 8 hours a day for a reason: we need the other 16 to sleep and eat and hang out with friends and do all the stuff that humans do to relax and restore ourselves before the next day starts. Make the most of it!

You can also do this thing called "micro-breaks" - taking a 5 or 10 minute break every hour or so to go for a walk, talk to friends, or even just sit and chill. Being on for 8 hours straight can absolutely lead you to feeling burnt out and frazzled, so make sure you take some time throughout the day to clear your mind. Go for a coffee run and ask your coworkers if you can get them something - you'll get fresh air and some exercise, and they'll love you for it. Win-win.

Get yourself some professional help! As we've been saying every Wednesday on our Midweek Meditations socials (check out our Facebook and Instagram!) getting therapy or seeing a psychologist is no longer a dirty word. Gen Z have normalised seeing a professional for healthcare and it is absolutely a good thing. Your therapist will understand and they'll have coping mechanisms that they'll construct in conversation with you that might help your specific situation. 

A survey by Onepoll said 47% of workers believe taking advantage of mental health opportunities is a sign of weakness, and a Visier study reported that only seven percent of burnt-out employees seek support for fear of being stigmatized as incompetent if they speak to a boss. We're here to tell you that you have nothing to worry about. Speaking up and speaking out about mental health has nothing to do with weakness and everything to with strength, personal development, and dedication. You're going out of your comfort zone to maintain your professional efficacy and keep doing your job - what's weak about that?

If all of these ideas fail, then maybe it's time to get a new job. If your issues are being caused by things outside of yourself - being given too much or not enough work by your supervisors, poor treatment or bullying by coworkers or bosses, or incompetent management to name a few - then all the meditation in the world won't fix the core issues. You might need to quit for your own sake, and try to find a place where your talents are appreciated and the office culture suits your personality.

Make sure in your exit interview you let the team know exactly why you've felt like you have to leave. It might be bittersweet, since you won't benefit from it once you're gone, but your words might be the thing that changes the company culture from the inside out, so the next person who takes on your role doesn't have to go through the same things you do. Looking out for other people and having empathy even when it doesn't directly benefit us is also something which can raise your spirits and inject some much-needed dopamine, so give it a try.