“I’m Burned out” is an expression that is being heard quite frequently. It is especially important considering India just topped the list in two different studies for having individuals with the maximum number of individuals experiencing burnout. So what exactly is it ? and what can we do to manage it?
Consider this scenario:
You feel tired both physically, mentally and emotionally. You feel distant from your job and feel negative about it, not because you don’t like the job or hate people there but because it is consuming you. If this ultimately leads to lowering your ability to do your job well, then you are burnt out.
A brief History
Burned out was an expression popularized in the 1970’s by psychologist Herbert J. Freudenberger. Apart from his regular work, he was running a free clinic in New York, which would result in him working more than 12 hours a day. This ended up impacting him and he described his condition as being burned out, a term commonly used among heroin users to describe their hollowed out state. This was when he began to notice similar conditions in his staff and later on in people working across a whole spectrum of jobs.
This concept caught on, and soon became popularized among the general public. Recently in 2019 the World Health Organization added it as a disease in the new version of International Classification of Diseases.
What causes Burnout ?
Traditionally burnout was associated with the workplace, but later on it was noticed in other roles as well like caregivers, students etc.. So what exactly is the root cause ? Some common reasons are
- When the nature of work feels excess and the process seems a struggle with no end in sight.
- When there is a feeling that the efforts are not appreciated and there is insufficient reward.
- When work quantity on the individual is excess, there is lack of resources to help and injustice at work
- When a person feels isolated at work or home
- When there is emotional labor, i.e. an individual has to continuously regulate their emotions even when they are feeling otherwise Eg: Teachers, Service Industries.
Why is Burnout Important ?
Psychological Problems:
Concentration and memory problems, difficulty in making decisions, reduced coping capacity, anxiety, depression, dissatisfaction with life, low self-esteem, insomnia, irritability and increased alcohol and tobacco consumption
Physical Problems:
Body pains, gastric problems, Heart diseases, headaches, increased vulnerability to infections, as well as insomnia and chronic fatigue.
Behavioural Problems:
Increased absenteeism from work, poorer quality of work, poor work atmosphere, low commitment to organizations, anger issues etc..
What can be done to treat this ?
The best strategy is PREVENTION.
At the organizational Level:
- Redesigning work to make it less stressful
- Providing incentives and motivation, not just limited to money.
- Humane work schedule
- Training programs for leaders
- Improving Individual skills to better cope with challenges.
At the Individual level:
- Regular exercise
- Allotting time for relaxation and personal interests
- Time management skills
- Learning relaxation techniques
- Setting boundaries for work
- Seek professional help if necessary
- If need be take a brief break from work
Thus it can be seen that addressing burnout is an important issue. Proper management leads to positive benefits to both the individual and the organization as a whole.
