Burnout associated with the workplace is a common issue. In this article, you will gain an understanding of the causes and symptoms of burnout in the workplace.
The quicker you are able to recognise that burnout is becoming evident, the quicker you can work to resolve the issue.
Burnout is normally a result of stress that is experienced in the workplace. When an employee suffers from work-related burnout, they often feel as if they are emotionally and mentally exhausted. In addition to this, it is also quite common to experience a true, physical exhaustion as well.
When this common experience appears in an individual's life, a general sense of apathy may overwhelm them. They may feel disheartened, and lack the motivation to perform even their basic responsibilities.
This condition can affect all areas of an individual's life - job performance, relationships in the workplace, personal relationships, and even a person's health.
Work-related burnout is a condition that has developed over time. It is not likely that an employee will become overwhelmed with burnout overnight. This is mostly a slow process that develops more and more as time progresses. This is a direct result of stress that is experienced in the workplace.
There are a number of causes that may lead an individual to experience burnout associated with the workplace:
- Work environment - Deadlines, dealing with uncooperative co-workers, unfavourable work conditions and personal unhappiness in the work environment.
- Setting goals too high - Setting high goals themselves or having others in the workplace set goals that are too high.
- Feeling stuck - Individuals may feel as if they are stuck in a particular job because they are unable to afford a change in career.
- Additional work - Individuals who have proved to be dependable and provide a high quality of work may be consistently expected to perform additional work on top of their usual responsibilities. While many are flattered by the fact that they are given more work, this can often become exhausting.
- Lack of challenging work - Individuals may not feel personally challenged by their work. This type of work can become dull and leave the person feeling as if they have nothing to look forward to.
There are many signs and symptoms associated with work-related burnout. If you are in charge of employees, it is important that you gain an understanding of these signs. If you are an employee in the workplace, you should also learn the signs and symptoms associated with burnout.
Listed below are some of the most common signs and symptoms associated with this prevalent, and very real, issue:
- Frustration - One of the first signs is an individual becoming frustrated. This frustration may be self-directed, directed to others, or towards the company in which they work.
- Faltering performance - In many cases, this sign may be the most evident. A once reliable individual who completed work in a timely fashion, that displayed a high level of quality, may begin to take longer completing tasks, and the quality of their work may decline rapidly.
- Expressing "trapped" feelings - Individuals may start expressing the fact that they feel as if they are "trapped" in their work situation. If an individual feels "trapped", this is a bad sign. It is important to be happy and content with the work that we do. If we feel anything else than this, it is important to seek assistance.
- Social detachment - Individuals may start to detach themselves from friends, relatives, co-workers, social situations, and more. Social detachment is not a good sign. This is especially true when an individual is normally not socially withdrawn from others.
- Irritable - Individuals may seem extremely irritable, and have rapid mood changes. If there is no apparent cause for this type of personality change, the issue may be related to workplace change.
- Feelings of hopelessness - Many individuals may feel as if there is no hope for their current situation. They may walk in and out of each and every single day feeling a lack of motivation. Many individuals may witness this behaviour in the workplace and realise that it is uncharacteristic of the individual.
- Negativity - Feelings of powerlessness, that you are not getting anywhere or finding yourself constantly feeding negative thoughts and emotions.
- Failures - Many individuals who experience burnout often start experiencing many different kinds of failures. These failures may be directly related to their work performance, or they may be experienced in their personal life.
Once you have identified the symptoms of work-related burnout, the first step in overcoming it, is to look for the root cause of the problem. Then, once identified, an individually tailored solution can be chosen. An adjustment in work environment, setting more realistic expectations or mapping a career path can all help to overcome burnout.
By understanding the conditions that cause work-related burnout to occur, the symptoms associated with it and how to overcome it, you can beat work-related burnout!