Burnout

As an organization your well-being is the most important issue on our people agenda. We are in unprecedented times right now in terms of heightened stress, anxiety, and significant changes inside our organization. As a result, many employees are experiencing feelings of burnout, exhaustion, and workplace stress.

 What is burnout?

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest and motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.

Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.

The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of life—including your home, work, and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.

*Burnout Prevention and Treatment - HelpGuide.org

 Signs and symptoms of burnout

Most of us have days when we feel helpless, overloaded, or unappreciated—when dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. If you feel like this most of the time, however, you may be burned out.

Burnout is a gradual process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can creep up on you. The signs and symptoms are subtle at first, but become worse as time goes on. Think of the early symptoms as red flags that something is wrong that needs to be addressed. If you pay attention and actively reduce your stress, you can prevent a major breakdown. If you ignore them, you’ll eventually burn out.

Physical signs and symptoms of burnout

  • Feeling tired and drained most of the time.

  • Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses.

  • Frequent headaches or muscle pain.

  • Change in appetite or sleep habits.

Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout

  • Sense of failure and self-doubt.

  • Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.

  • Detachment, feeling alone in the world.

  • Loss of motivation.

  • Increasingly cynical and negative outlook.

  • Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.

Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout

  • Withdrawing from responsibilities.

  • Isolating yourself from others.

  • Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done.

  • Using food or drugs to cope.

  • Taking out your frustrations on others.

  • Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early.

*Burnout Prevention and Treatment - HelpGuide.org

 Resources available to you: