What is burnout and how to prevent it

In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey explains that to be effective, one must balance production and production capability. Production is the work we do, while production capability is our bandwidth or ability to continue to do work. These two components directly impact each other and must remain in equilibrium. Ignoring this balance by focusing too heavily on production and neglecting your production capability can cost you your health, rendering you ineffective. The same is true if you focus on production capability (i.e. getting too much R&R) and neglect production. However, driving production while neglecting production capability is severely detrimental to your wellbeing. It leads to burnout, a syndrome that affects about two-thirds of full-time workers.

A personal burnout anecdote

One year, cold-season coincided with a busy period at a previous job. I was traveling to various cities, sleeping very little—the number of responsibilities I needed to carry out consumed me. Although tired and stressed, I enjoyed the work. However, my body soon told me to slow down, but I wouldn’t. A few days later, I was fighting a terrible cold. So, I begrudgingly took two days to recuperate. When I returned to work, I immediately broke out into a high fever. It took me another week to recover.

Luckily, I worked for a compassionate company that allowed me time to get physically healthy. Knowing my boss cared about my wellbeing put my mind at ease. It gave me mental and emotional peace, which I needed to recover. 

Now, it’s not uncommon to put in extra hours at the office or experience increased stress levels at work from time to time. You may be wondering then, how to differentiate between regular workplace stress and a syndrome like burnout. Let’s take a closer look. 

What is burnout?

Burnout describes a feeling of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion brought on by extended periods of stress. According to the World Health Organization, burnout “refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.” Burnout is insidious and gradually seeps into your life until you become a shell of your former self.

Read on to learn if you’re currently faced with situations that contribute to burnout. 

Unclear job expectations

Your expectations of the role may not align with management’s expectations. You may grow frustrated if you feel your current position doesn’t bring you closer to achieving your long-term professional goals. This situation can cause you to trivialize and resent your work. 

Overwhelming workloads

Your work may demand more production than your production capability can handle. Or perhaps, you’re eager to prove yourself and have taken on too much work. Either scenario may cause you to neglect your production capability (your health). When you’re overworked, the quality of your work suffers as you try to do more in less time, furthering feelings of powerlessness. 

Unreasonable timelines

In addition to an overwhelming workload, it may be expected—either by your manager or of yourself—to execute your tasks in an unreasonable amount of time. You may spend extra time at work or bring work home to get more done. You might even find yourself missing deadlines because you’ve overcommitted—either intentionally or otherwise. Similar to the previous scenario, this also compromises your production and production capability, creating stress, exhaustion, and anxiety.

The signs and symptoms of burnout

It’s critical to know the signs of burnout so you can take steps to mitigate it and prevent it from worsening. Keep in mind that signs of burnout are similar to those of depression and generalized anxiety disorder. If you believe you may be suffering from depression or GAD, please seek the advice of a medical professional.

 According to Psychology Today, here’s what to look for as signs of burnout

Chronic fatigue

When dealing with burnout, it’s possible to feel tired no matter how much rest you get. During a particularly stressful period in my career, I would sleep 12+ hours on Saturdays and Sundays and still feel exhausted on Monday morning. Know that it may take time for your sleep cycle to normalize, especially after a prolonged period of fatigue.

Insomnia

It’s not uncommon to sleep very little—or not at all—despite being physically exhausted. Lack of sleep can have severe side effects on your health. If you have insomnia, please consult your doctor.

Anxiety

Extreme anxiety can present or manifest itself in many ways. Some common symptoms of anxiety include headaches, gastrointestinal issues (nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, vomiting), shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, or fainting. 

Mood changes

Burnout causes changes in behavior, just slightly at first, with a more pronounced change over time. Things to look out for include a short fuse, apathy toward activities once perceived as enjoyable, or a pessimistic or cynical outlook on life. Changes in mood may be a sign of depression.

Self-doubt and hopelessness 

It’s not uncommon to doubt one’s abilities, especially in competitive work environments. However, if you notice that you engage in regular and consistent negative self-talk or struggle with your self-worth, you may be suffering from burnout. These symptoms are common in depression and GAD. Please consult a medical professional if you’re struggling with this.

Help yourself

It’s not surprising that rates of burnout are so high among full-time employees. When faced with an overwhelming workload, it can be challenging to speak up and say no to more work. Early in my career, I said yes to every project that got thrown at me because I didn’t want to appear incapable, lazy, or like I wasn’t a team player. But saying no to work, albeit uncomfortable, is just as critical to your success as saying yes. I’m not just talking about professional success. I’m referring to thriving mentally, emotionally, and physically. After a few bouts of burnout throughout my career, I can say that I’ve learned a few essential skills that keep burnout at bay. Here are a few things you can keep in mind to help yourself:

You’re in control

It’s easy to feel suffocated or trapped by our circumstances, but don’t forget—you’re in control. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to and have the power to choose. Your actions can change your circumstances..

You’re just human

Maintaining a balance between production and production capability is critical to being effective. Engaging in re-energizing activities—or even to rest—is crucial to preserving stasis between production and production capability. 

Stick to a schedule

By setting and keeping a schedule, you enable yourself to do other tasks that are just as important—like eating lunch, taking a walk, or moving onto other projects.

Respectfully Decline

Assess your workload and deadlines to understand what is reasonable added work. Having a clear understanding of how existing projects may suffer due to added work can help you make a strong argument against additional work. Time management apps like Yomez can help you do just this. 

For helpful tips on how to say no to taking on more work, check out this useful HBR article.

Make the most of your time

Be disciplined with your time. Ensure that what you do each day brings you closer to your goals while enabling you to rest and reset. If your daily schedule doesn’t align with this, then reassess. And remember, making the most of your time is just as important for work as it is for your health.

The next time you find yourself overwhelmed by your obligations and workload, consider this quote from Stephen Covey, “You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, unapologetically, to say ‘no’ to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger ‘yes’ burning inside.”