5 Signs Of Employee Burnout
Burnout is becoming more common. It can result in a loss of desire, engagement, and productivity, as well as long-term bodily consequences. Learn about the warning signs, stages of burnout, and effective strategies businesses can take to prevent it.
Take Charge of Employee Well-Being Right Now
Professional burnout isn’t a new phenomenon, although the word is. Herbert Freudenberger invented the term “burnout” in his book Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement in the early 1970s. He defines it in his book as “the extinction of drive or incentive, particularly where one’s devotion to a cause fails to yield the expected consequences.”
Burnout Has Three Components
Burnout is defined by three major components, according to psychologist Christina Maslach:
- Tiredness
- Cynicism
- Inefficacy.
- Tiredness
Exhaustion is a combination of physical, cognitive, and emotional tiredness caused by “running on empty” for an extended period. This weariness is typically caused by a 24/7 work culture, an excessive workload or unrealistic deadlines, or a lack of the required skills, training, or resources to carry out your work. This type of tiredness is profound, and “a good night’s sleep” or a two-week vacation is just insufficient. Changes are required at the workplace, on a team, and at the organizational level.
Simply put, if you are fatigued, dread going to work, and your motivation and performance are suffering, you may be experiencing professional burnout.
The average person works for 30 percent of their lives. Feeling fatigued, overstressed, overwhelmed, or numb over an extended period may and will have a significant detrimental influence on your life and general well-being, not to mention people around you including family, friends, and colleagues.
- Cynicism
Burnout is also characterized by cynicism. Cynicism is also known as depersonalization, demotivation, or disengagement. Burnout can drive patients to mentally separate themselves from their workplace, detaching from projects, coworkers, clients, and the business culture. It can also lead to unfavorable attitudes about their employment, coworkers, and the workplace in general, which can harm the entire team and business. A lack of participation, speaking negatively about other coworkers or your boss, or no longer taking pride in your work are all signs of cynicism.
- Inefficacy
Inefficacy, or feeling incompetent and unproductive, is the third component of burnout. While we are all familiar with emotional well-being, it is sometimes easy to overlook intentional well-being. As humans, we desire the sense that we are accomplishing, producing, and learning and that our work has meaning. That sense of purpose and value is crucial to our mental well-being.
When people get burnt out, they may fear that they aren’t accomplishing enough and may become demotivated and frustrated. This is common in workplaces with a lack of resources and support to perform well, a lack of feedback, no meaningful recognition, or an unclear performance management program to let employees know how they’re performing and remove performance blocks.
It is commonly stated that people burn out not because they work too hard, but rather because they labor on things that do not bring them joy. There is a significant difference.
It’s commonly claimed that individuals burn out not because they work too hard, but because they work on things that don’t bring them joy. There is a significant difference.
Employee Burnout Symptoms
While burnout is not currently a diagnosable condition, it is a severe problem that must be addressed. Burnout has been linked to a variety of negative physical and mental health conditions, including sadness and anxiety, high blood pressure, cardiac troubles, sleep disturbances, and increased drug and alcohol use. Furthermore, burnout victims frequently report feeling alienated and having a detrimental impact on their relationships and professional prospects.
Before we discuss how companies may assist in the prevention of burnout, the first step is to learn to recognize the indicators of burnout in yourself or your team.
- Alienation and Isolation
People suffering from burnout frequently experience alienation from work-related activities as a coping technique because they are so stressed and burdened that they feel the need to detach from their work life and colleagues as much as possible.
- Physical Signs and Symptoms
Burnout is essentially chronic stress, and we’re well aware of the health consequences of high-stress lifestyles. Burnout can include headaches, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disruptions, and increased susceptibility to illnesses such as colds, flu, and infections.
- A Decrease in Performance
Burnout can make accomplishing daily chores difficult. You may notice a loss of drive, a decrease in inventiveness, difficulties concentrating, and a failure to perform to your typical standards.
- Memory Impairment
Those who are anxious or in a high-stress atmosphere may develop moderate memory loss. They tend to forget about other chores, events, or discussions while they are trapped in a mental cycle.
- Feeling Emotionally Exhausted
Burnout can have a major impact on your mental well-being. Even after a good night’s sleep, you may feel depleted, cynical or gloomy, and tired. Burnout can also cause mood swings or feelings of being too emotional or sensitive.
Employee Burnout in 5 Stages
Burnout is caused by long-term stress and feelings of overwhelm. Burnout has increased by 33% in the last two years, according to LinkedIn’s Glint platform. While burnout can strike at any age, research reveals that the average age at which a professional feels it is 32.
Aside from the above-mentioned symptoms, there are a few other ways to spot early signs of burnout. Burnout is classified into five stages, according to Winona State University. Understanding the stages may aid in the early detection of burnout and the avoidance of the final stage of habitual burnout.
- Chronic Stress
Chronic stress is the third stage of burnout. Your stress levels are very high at this point, and you may experience more heightened symptoms such as procrastination, missing deadlines, an increase in drug and alcohol consumption or other escapist activities, and withdrawal from social situations.
- The Honeymoon Period
We normally begin a new job, task, or project feeling motivated, productive, creative, energetic, and excited. In the initial stages of burnout, you may notice an increase in stress levels associated with this new function or activity, which is quite typical when beginning something new. At this point, appropriate coping skills and mindfulness exercises can help prevent burnout.
- Burnout
Burnout is the fourth stage. When you reach this point, your condition is critical, and carrying on, as usual, is generally impossible. You may experience feelings of emptiness, pessimism, bodily complaints such as chronic headaches, stomach problems, increased susceptibility to sickness, social isolation, behavioral changes, and being locked in a negative mental loop.
- Burnout as a Habit
Habitual burnout is the final stage of burnout. At this point, the symptoms of burnout have become a part of your daily existence. You may find that you have depression as well as chronic mental and physical weariness. When burnout reaches this stage, sufferers will frequently need to seek medical assistance and may even require a leave of absence to recover.
Burnout does not have to reach a catastrophic point. It is possible to recover if the warning symptoms are identified early, and self-care techniques and organizational improvements are implemented.
- The Beginning of Stress
You may notice some common indicators of stress and a loss of some of that initial energy and cheerfulness in the second stage of burnout. Irritability, delays in making decisions, decreased productivity, forgetfulness, sleeping issues, anxiety, migraines, teeth grinding, and changes in appetite are some warning indicators.
- Help Your Team Avoid Burnout
Managing a team entails managing the well-being of your staff. Organizations can assist employees in preventing and managing burnout in a variety of ways. Recognizing the warning signals and acting quickly is critical. It’s also crucial to note that burnout isn’t always an individual problem. If one employee in your business is experiencing burnout, the problem is likely widespread.
Burnout symptoms might be prominent in some people and barely discernible in others. Keep a watch out for indicators of fatigue, loss of attention, depression, aggression, and feeling overwhelmed. Regular check-ins are critical for detecting early warning flags. Make them a part of your team culture, even at peak times.
Here are some concrete strategies that businesses may take to avoid burnout:
- Set Workload Limits
The first step is always to become acquainted with your team’s workload. When there is complete openness in the team regarding workload and capabilities, you can collaboratively ensure that assignments and deadlines are met.
- Demand Breaks and Boundaries
Organizations and managers can assist prevent burnout by emphasizing the importance of rest and recharge. Setting boundaries is the first step. Encourage employees to set limitations on their working hours and follow up to ensure they keep to them.
Another guaranteed technique to avoid burnout is to charge your batteries before they run out. This is precisely why employers should encourage (or even require) employees to use their yearly leave.
- Determine the “What,” “Why,” and “How.”
Uncertain leadership is one of the leading causes of workplace stress. When you’re not sure what you’re supposed to be doing or why you have to do something a certain way, it’s easy to become frustrated. This is why it is critical to define expectations.
Inform your colleagues of what is anticipated, why it should be done a certain way, and how this strategy will benefit them. When feasible, be flexible about where, when, and how employees complete their work. In a team, micromanagement is toxic.
- Set a good example.
Leading by example is the most effective technique to influence behavioral changes in an organization. This means that workers at all levels should take their entire vacation time, observe bank holidays, and work within appropriate hours. When employees observe people leaders working late nights and not taking their annual leave, whether on purpose or not, they assume this is the corporate culture and follow suit. Changing culture and behaviors begins at the top and works its way down.
- Make Time for Your Team Without Interruptions
Have you ever had a long list of vital things to complete but couldn’t find more than fifteen unbroken minutes to complete them? This is a major contributor to burnout. When we’re up to our ears in meetings, we don’t have much time to focus on things that require our full attention.
Encourage your employees to schedule out time in their calendars to execute these tasks. Communication is straightforward here, so if something important arises, the team knows they may organize a meeting during that time slot. But only if the situation is critical. Your crew can get into the zone and focus completely on the task at hand by providing blocks of focus time. Not only is this good for productivity, but it also offers employees a sense of accomplishment and relieves stress.
- When your team requires additional resources, make a strong case for them.
If you notice evidence that your team is struggling and needs extra resources during your regular check-in, advocate for them. Learn about your team’s pain areas or roadblocks, determine which resources will be most effective, and advocate for the additional resources they require. You may not always win, but simply knowing that their manager is advocating for them and is aware of their difficulties will boost team spirit.
- Prioritize learning.
According to research, workers who are constantly learning are less prone to feel burnout. Find out what your team’s goals are and what resources or training they need to attain them during one-on-ones and performance check-ins.
Allow employees to set aside time during the week to learn and share what they’ve learned with the team whenever possible.
- Create a Recognition and Praise Culture
Creating a feedback culture can greatly impact staff engagement and morale. We tend to feel more driven and involved when we know we’re doing something well and that our efforts are recognized not only by our bosses but also by our coworkers.
Making it a habit to identify and celebrate wins, no matter how minor, is the best approach to foster this culture. Reward hard work and make it a point to publicly recognize how your team’s efforts have benefited the company.
- Empathy is paramount.
Encourage empathy in your team and lead by example by treating one another with respect and kindness. Encourage employees to share what’s going on with them outside of work as an easy technique to help your staff to put themselves in their colleagues’ shoes. Discretion is required, and boundaries should be established, but it can be a terrific way to unite your team and foster a sense of belonging.
- Boost Team Spirit
Workers who feel like they are part of a team and are supported by their coworkers are considerably less prone to burnout. Spend time ensuring that your team is on the same page. Provide regular reports on team goal progress and explore chances for teams to collaborate and offer support. Cross-train your workforce whenever possible so that all hands are on deck during busy seasons. It may also make people feel more at ease taking vacations because there are more people to cover the workload.
Creating a sense of community will result in a happier, more productive, more inclusive team.
What do Organizations Have in Common With Low Employee Burnout Rates?
In Glint’s burnout research, they identify some of the likely causes of the recent surge in burnout. The rapid increase in remote work appears to have contributed to burnout.
It’s never been easy to keep business and personal life separate. We are, after all, human. However, as we move into the era of remote and smart working, it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate work and personal life. Glint feels that this is contributing to an increase in burnout and that one approach for people leaders to combat this is to promote employee wellness and engagement. But how do great organizations accomplish it?
- They promote happiness.
One of the most effective methods to avoid burnout in your firm is to invest in and encourage workplace well-being. Provide employees with the resources they need to tackle it. Provide training, tools, and initiatives that promote self-care, mental health education, and suggestions on how to detect the indications to empower your staff to take responsibility for their well-being. Education is usually the first step.
When we talk about employee well-being, we don’t just mean a coffee break or an exercise class. We need to go deeper, beginning with belonging. The impact of belonging on an employee’s sense of happiness at work has increased by 12%.
Employees with a strong sense of belonging often have a shared sense of purpose (clear and aligned team and organizational goals), they feel included and accepted by their team (a fantastic diversity and inclusion program), and they feel cared for and provide care to their team (an excellent team culture).
- They encourage and facilitate the formation of connections.
Building ties with colleagues is frequently the best remedy for feeling disengaged and distant. Seek out colleagues who invigorate and encourage you. Create a community that supports one another and keeps one another accountable for its collective well-being.
This might be sharing music, providing criticism, or sharing interesting articles. Burnout is far less common among employees who have a solid support structure.
- They Motivate Employees to Change Their Attitude
While some much-needed R&R can help alleviate the symptoms of burnout, we must first address the underlying problem. This generally necessitates an adjustment in viewpoint. Unfortunately, most of us will always face a massive workload, a lack of resources, or workplace friction. It’s an aspect of life that we can’t always control.
We can, however, change our point of view. Take the time to investigate what is triggering your burnout. Are you worn out? How do you organize your tasks? Is it possible to delegate any? Can you talk to your boss about rescheduling your job to give you more time to work on other enjoyable tasks?
Are you feeling particularly cynical? How can you get out of such a scenario without alienating yourself from the organization as a whole? Could you move your attention to other initiatives with persons with whom you have better relationships? Are you feeling unproductive? Why not seek prospects for advancement within the company? Is there a method to solicit more comments from a larger group if it’s recognized that you’re lacking? Take charge and discover someone who is an expert in personal branding to learn from.
Essentially, we need to assess whatever aspects of our jobs bring us joy and aim to perform as much of them as possible.
Conclusion
Burnout can feel like it’s suffocating you or even affecting your personality. Even if it feels like you can’t get out of it, you surely can. Learn about the symptoms and reasons, keep an eye out for warning indicators in yourself and your coworkers, and take steps to reverse the situation. It is not a sin to be overwhelmed. Opening out and sharing your experience with others will help you understand you’re not alone and that it’s not a life sentence.