What is professional burnout and how to deal with it?

Contents:

• Signs of burnout and its medical classification
• What leads to professional burnout
• The Consequences of Burnout
• How Companies Can Prevent Employee Burnout
• How to Fight Burnout
• How to Prevent It. Useful resources for studying

Today, when work takes up a large part of our lives, burnout is becoming increasingly relevant. Stress, the desire to achieve high results, and an imbalance between work and rest periods can lead to burnout.

— Psychologists define burnout as "a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion and fatigue, which is a consequence of overexertion," says career expert and career guidance specialist Ekaterina Borovets. — A person becomes psychologically vulnerable, which affects their personal life. They may lose the desire to communicate, aggression, and apathy may appear, so it is important to monitor your own condition.

Recognizing and overcoming burnout is a skill that will help you maintain your mental health and productivity at work. If you don't do this early on, burnout can lead to decreased productivity, worsened relationships with colleagues and loved ones, and health problems.

Signs of burnout and its medical

Classification

In 2018, the World Health Organization officially recognizedburnout as a disease. The syndrome is defined as a condition that manifests itself through emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased professional effectiveness due to chronic stress at work. This diagnosis applies only to the professional environment and does not extend to the private sphere. That is, we are talking specifically about burnout at work.

Let's look at the main signs of this syndrome in more detail:

• Emotional exhaustion.One ​​of the main signs is a feeling of fatigue, exhaustion, apathy, and loss of interest in work. "Burned-out" people often feel emotionally exhausted even when performing previously enjoyable and stimulating tasks.
• Decreased professional effectiveness.Burnout is accompanied by a deterioration in productivity and the quality of work. A person experiences difficulty concentrating and making decisions, which affects his or her professional effectiveness.
• Depersonalization.This symptom is expressed in alienation from work and clients/colleagues. The employee begins to treat their responsibilities with indifference and apathy, which leads to a decrease in empathy and emotional connection with others.
• Feeling of failure. People suffering from burnout often feel that the efforts expended do not produce the expected results or satisfaction. This causes a feeling of helplessness, frustration, and inability to achieve goals.

What leads to professional burnout

There are several reasons why a person burns out emotionally at work. Understanding them, you can overcome burnout or prevent this syndrome from occurring at all:

• The company's organizational culture.If an organization values ​​only results and does not pay attention to caring for employees, this can lead to feelings of insignificance and alienation.
• Management style.An aggressive or authoritarian style becomes a factor that causes burnout in employees. Lack of support and unfair distribution of resources cause feelings of helplessness and alienation.
• Work-life imbalance.This imbalance leads to overexertion and a feeling of exhaustion. Work that requires constant presence and high concentration, without the opportunity to rest and recuperate, becomes a source of stress and leads to burnout.
• Personality characteristics.Some personality traits such as perfectionism, a tendency to self-criticism, and an inability to set boundaries make a person more vulnerable to burnout. People who are prone to overload and dedicated work are more likely to face this problem.

What does burnout lead to?

Burnout can have serious consequences that affect:

• Professional activity.People who are burned out at work often experience decreased productivity and lose motivation. They lose interest in their profession, they become less responsible and effective, which reduces their career prospects.
• Personal life. Burnout negatively affects personal relationships and quality of life. People who experience constant stress at work often transfer it to the home environment, which causes conflicts and tension in the family.
• Health. Psychological and emotional exhaustion affects a person’s physical health. Cardiovascular diseases and arterial hypertension can develop, immunity and resistance to infections can decrease.

How Companies Can Prevent Employee Burnout

Employers play an important role in preventing employee burnout. To do this, they need to create an environment in which workers can feel protected and motivated.

For example:

• Flexible work schedule. Flexible schedules or the opportunity to work from home help employees better manage family and personal responsibilities, which reduces stress and prevents burnout.
• Mental health support. Providing access to consultations with a psychologist or psychotherapist, programs to support mental health and overcome stress helps employees address problems and emotional difficulties at an early stage.
• Stress Management Training.Conducting trainings and seminars that teach stress management and emotional resilience will help employees learn to effectively deal with stressful situations, improve their coping strategies, and increase their adaptability to burnout.
• Supportive Corporate Culture.Fostering an internal environment based on respect, support, and care for employees helps create an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding. This includes encouraging open communication, supporting mutual assistance and collegiality, and developing values ​​that recognize the importance of work-life balance.

How to deal with burnout

Combatting burnout requires a comprehensive approach that includes self-help and professional support.

— Burnout leads to a lack of quality of life. In the early stages, you can control this process and work with it yourself. For example, clearly separate work and free time. However, distracting yourself by immersing yourself in household chores will not work. It is important to take time for yourself - to do things you love, that bring you pleasure and help you relax, - shares Ekaterina Borovets. - At a more serious stage, the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist is necessary, if there is a need for medication. And here it is very important to understand that it is completely normal to seek help.

If we focus on specific techniques, then among them we can highlight:

• Setting boundaries.It is important to learn to say “no” and set boundaries to prevent overload and avoid excessive stress. This includes the ability to say no to additional responsibilities, delegate tasks, and make time for your own needs.
• Developing self-regulation skills.You need to be able to recognize your own emotions, control your reactions, and manage your behavior in stressful situations. You also need to take breaks to relax, analyze your own thoughts and beliefs.
• Using relaxation techniques.Regular practice of deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, aromatherapy, or listening to soothing music helps relieve tension and stress.
• Rest.Regular breaks are crucial in preventing burnout. It is essential to set aside time for relaxation, vacations, and hobbies to recharge your batteries and recharge with positive emotions.
• Professional support.It is important not to hesitate to seek professional help if you are experiencing severe emotional exhaustion or are unable to cope with burnout on your own. Psychological counseling or therapy can help you understand your emotions, find ways to cope with stress, and develop effective strategies for dealing with burnout.

How to Prevent Burnout. Helpful resources for study

Burnout prevention exists. But it requires a systematic approach not only from the individual but also from the employer. Only then will it be possible to maintain an overall sense of job satisfaction and maintain motivation for professional growth.

Preventive measures include the following:

• Creating a healthy work environment.Companies should strive to create a supportive, friendly, and inspiring work environment. Mutual understanding and respect among colleagues must be fostered, collaboration must be encouraged, and opportunities for professional and personal growth must be provided.
• Regular rest and recovery. Because of the danger of burnout at work, it is important not to neglect weekends, and especially not vacations. Even one day without mentioning work will give you enough sleep, hobbies, and enough time to relax and recharge.
• The Importance of Work-Life Balance.Employees should strive to achieve a balance between work and personal life to avoid overexertion and overload. This includes setting clear boundaries between work and rest periods, making time for family, friends, and hobbies, and taking care of their physical and mental health.
• Stress Management.Developing stress management skills helps you get rid of negativity and respond appropriately to stressful situations. Breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, and practicing mental and physical exercises can help.
• Career prospects.When an employee hits a "glass ceiling" in their career opportunities, they lose interest in their current employment. Therefore, good employers support and motivate employees to seek horizontal growth.
• Self-care.It is important to pay attention to your health. Proper nutrition, exercise, sufficient sleep, time for rest and relaxation - this helps fight stress.

To help you get to know the topic of burnout better and learn about yourself, career expert and career guidance specialist Ekaterina Borovets helped the editors of Skillbox.by compile a list of useful resources.

Literature:

• Marina Melia "Simply about the complex. How we live, work, love" - the book tells how to achieve a balance between professional activity and private life, set goals and stay on course.
• Rangan Chatterjee, “I Can’t Do This Anymore! How to Cope with Long-Term Stress and Burnout” — the book is a collection of tools that can increase the level of stress resilience.
• Tony Schwartz, Jean Gomez and Catherine McCarthy, “The Way We Work Isn’t Working: Proven Ways to Manage Your Life Energy” — the book tells the reader how easy it is to burn out when conquering career heights.
• Laura Vanderkam, “The Calm Feeling. Productivity and Calm in the Age of Perpetual Deadlines" — the author gives seven important tips to help you stay calm and productive.

Internet resources:

• Pocket Psychologist — the telegram channel is a collection of short practical tools for self-examination, working through fatigue or burnout.
• Nesovetchik on Psychology is a Telegram channel for parents and women, where the author talks about how to qualitatively improve their own lives and the lives of their children.