What is Burnout?

With over 96% of line managers experiencing burnout, and presenteeism costing UK businesses £15.1 billion, burnout causes talented professionals to lose their health and vitality and companies to lose revenue and productivity.

“Signs of Burnout” saw a search increase of 24% by employees by the end of 2020 according to Google search data, highlighting that many professionals are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed in their attempt to keep up with the demands of life and work.

In order to achieve sustainable success and perform at full potential as we head into the “new norm” it is important we correctly understand what burnout is, so we can effectively prevent it.

In this post, we’ll define what burnout is, and how to recognise it.

What is Burnout?

Burnout is the state of physical, mental and/or emotional exhaustion as a result of chronic exposure to unresolved stress that can adversely affect both your professional and. personal life.

When we hear burnout, it is often associated with workplace stresses unrelenting deadlines, micromanagement, insurmountable workloads, long working days, etc.

But the truth is contrary to the World Health Organisation definition, burnout is not an occupational phenomenon. Whilst the afore mentioned factors can contribute to burnout, they are not the sole causes.

Burnout occurs as a result of chronic exposure to stress, whether that stress be in your professional or personal life.

Burnout can make you feel like your cup is empty, your battery is drained, and you have lost motivation and focus. As a result, you may begin to feel cynical, and increasingly resentful.

Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.

Why is Understanding Burnout Important?

In order to prevent something, we must first understand it.

Over 50% of working days were lost due to stress related ill health before the Pandemic.

After a year like 2020, where the lines between work and home were eroded, the expectation to continue performing through uncertainty and now talks of returning to the office, it’s no wonder many professionals are turning to the internet to find answers.

If you want to perform at full potential, achieve stainable success without the threat of burnout, whilst supporting your team manage their own wellbeing, then it is important to understand what burnout is and what it looks like. 

Prevention is Better Than Cure: Signs of Burnout

Preventing burnout is easier than recovering from it. Now we know what burnout is, we also need to know what to look out.

Just as burnout occurs over a long period of time, so do the symptoms. Burnout is a creeper.

Being able to recognise the signs of burnout early on can help you be preventative as opposed to reactive. 

Physical symptoms of burnout:

·       Feeling exhausted and drained most of the time.

·       Lowered immune system, resulting in frequent colds and flu.

·       Headaches or musculoskeletal pain.

·       Change in appetite or sleep habits.

Emotional symptoms of burnout

·       Sense of failure and imposter syndrome.

·       Detachment, disassociation and loneliness.

·       Loss of drive and motivation.

Behavioural symptoms of burnout

·       Isolating from others.

·       Inability to focus, procrastination and presenteeism.

·       Using food, alcohol and drugs to cope with stress.

·       Withdrawing from responsibilities.

Excessive Stress vs Burnout

It is important to note there is a difference between experiencing excessive stress and experiencing burnout.

Excessive stress feels like you’re treading water in order to manage your responsibilities, whereas burnout is a sense of drowning in all your responsibilities.

Experiencing excessive stress for a short amount of time will not cause you to burnout. Many high performers utilise short periods of excessive stress to excel in their respective areas of expertise.

Burnout is not a sign of failure.

It is simply the result of being exposed to unresolved stress over a prolonged period of time.

If you would like to learn more about preventing an epidemic of burnout in your organisation, increase your team’s capability to perform at full potential and achieve sustainable success, book your free enquiry call at www.MPWRD.co.uk