Employee burnout is something that goes beyond the occasional stress experienced in the workplace. Without proper management, burnout can erode your physical and emotional well-being in many worrying ways. Not only does this affect your work performance, but it may also lead to various health complications.
What Exactly is Employee Burnout?
Employee burnout (or workplace burnout) is an occupation-related syndrome that arises from prolonged and poorly managed stress. It is characterised by emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion as you struggle to complete tasks and keep up with growing work demands. You may increasingly feel helpless and discouraged in changing your situation, to the point that rest does little to improve your condition.
Over time, burnout can reduce your motivation and potentially impact your work productivity. The ongoing psychological negativity you experience can spill into other areas outside work, including your personal relationships, and could impact your physical health as well.
Burnout can be categorised into four subtypes:
- Overload burnout: You are constantly overworking to meet the substantial pressure of career expectations, whether from employers, peers, or oneself
- Under-challenged burnout: The opposite of overload burnout, you do not feel sufficiently stimulated or passionate for your work. Work may seem repetitive, uninspiring, and monotonous.
- Neglect burnout: This burnout occurs when you feel helpless about your current career. You may think that you are incompetent or unable to meet career expectations, which can lead to doubts about your capabilities.
- Misalignment burnout: A lack of a meaningful purpose could leave you feeling trapped in a career that does not resonate with you in any way. It can exacerbate your frustrations and resentment for a job that is not fulfilling, thereby reducing your motivation as the burnout sets in.
What Causes Employee Burnout?
Employee burnout can occur due to various reasons, and you may experience it even in a work environment that is not very stressful. It may be due to:
- A lack of control over your schedule, workload, responsibilities, etc.
- A lack of trust or rapport with colleagues.
- Being mistreated by colleagues.
- Too much or too little work to complete.
- Micromanaging bosses who dictate every facet of your work.
- A lack of support during and after work.
- Corporate values that do not align with yours.
- Inconsistent recognition or consequences for work performance.
- Difficulties maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
How Does Burnout Affect You?
It may not be immediately apparent, but burnout can have a substantial long-term impact not only on your work performance but also on your physical and emotional well-being. If left untreated, employee burnout can begin to affect every other area of your life beyond work.
Exhaustion
Mental and physical exhaustion can significantly impact your ability to perform your office duties effectively, triggering fatigue that gradually takes a toll on your physical and emotional state. For one, your persistent tiredness makes it harder to stay focused, as you constantly feel drained, distant, and unmotivated.
Mood Swings
As burnout persists, you may also become more prone to irregular mood swings. More specifically, you may easily feel more irate with your responsibilities and colleagues, and your working relationship with them may gradually deteriorate. You may also gradually become more cynical, resentful, and pessimistic about your work and job prospects as this continues.
Poor Performance
You may find it harder to keep up with your current workload, especially as the stress continues to mount. As a result, you may find yourself more prone to mood swings and increasing exhaustion, further preventing you from completing your work on time and meeting specific requirements or standards of excellence. That can lead to more missed deadlines, growing resentment with your colleagues, and potential difficulties with your employers that can quickly get out of hand.
Job Dissatisfaction
Burnout fuels your dissatisfaction with how things are going, and absenteeism may gradually become a new problem that further derails your work performance. By this point, you may already be contemplating a new job or quitting the workforce entirely. However, this may not solve your problems as the burnout persists without proper management.
Failing Health
During this process, your health will also have taken a hit as your body cannot cope with the sheer physical and emotional stress you are putting it through. Studies have shown that prolonged stress may increase your risk of various chronic conditions, including prolonged fatigue and gastrointestinal issues. High stress can also weaken the immune system by suppressing the immune response and increasing your susceptibility to infection.
How to Deal With Burnout
Burnout can be overwhelming, but it can be effectively managed by slowly introducing healthy habits to help you cope with the stress.
Mindfulness
Practising mindfulness can reveal your current emotional state and help you be aware of what is happening within and around you without judging or reacting. Gradual, regular practice is essential for becoming more self-aware, regulating your emotions, and understanding why you feel the way you do. Meditation and breathing techniques are simple, excellent ways to cultivate mindfulness daily.
Cultivate Interests
It helps to unwind after work with hobbies and other activities that interest you. Try going for a brisk walk, taking up tai chi, reading a book, or spending time with family and friends. Positive outlets can help you get through any stressful moments in your career, more so if you opt for a calming activity to keep your mind away from work.
Build Workplace Rapport
Establishing rapport with your colleagues helps you foster a sense of community and belonging in your career. Healthy working relationships foster a more inclusive workplace where everyone can communicate and collaborate openly to complete tasks.
Set Boundaries
Healthy boundaries help keep burnout at bay by prioritising your current responsibilities and commitments before committing to others. It can also promote better working relationships as you and your colleagues find ways to respect each other’s boundaries while enhancing productivity through collaborative efforts.
Celebrate Small Wins
Even the smallest achievement should be celebrated to boost your self-esteem and support your career growth. Small victories can still be meaningful, as they serve to remind you that you are capable of doing a good job. Whether it is cleaning out your junk drawer or attending an insightful conference or workshop, there is something motivating about taking pride in your work.
Nourish Your Body
Maintaining your physical health is key to staving off exhaustion. Be sure to get sufficient sleep and introduce a well-balanced diet to fuel your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs. Stay active outside of work, too, to help boost your mood and maintain a healthy body.
Seek Help
Getting support from colleagues, family, friends, and even professional counsellors can also be beneficial in helping you get through burnout. Talking to someone you can trust in a comfortable, neutral space can go a long way toward helping you heal and recover from the adverse effects of burnout. At New Leaf Counselling, we can support you with counselling sessions in a safe, welcoming space to allow you to have productive discussions about your career and future. Contact us today to learn more and schedule an appointment.
References
American Psychological Association (2023) Workplace burnout. Available at: https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/workplace-burnout
Alotiby A. (2024). Immunology of Stress: A Review Article. Journal of clinical medicine, 13(21), 6394. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13216394
Salvagioni, D. A. J., Melanda, F. N., Mesas, A. E., González, A. D., Gabani, F. L., & Andrade, S. M. (2017). Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies. PloS one, 12(10), e0185781. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185781
