What is Work Burnout and How to Recover
What is burnout?
It took 45 more years for the World Health Organization (WHO) to officially recognize workplace burnout as an actual occupational hazard, and it was included in their latest 2019 revision of the International Classification of Diseases.
“Burnout” was first recognized as a psychological diagnosis in 1974 by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger, which he classified as “physical or mental collapse caused by overwork.”
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What is burnout? The WHO defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”, with symptoms characterized by feeling drained of energy, increased mental detachment from or negative or cynical feelings towards one’s job and reduced professional effectiveness.”
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a mental health condition.
Work burnout is on the rise
Millennials, who now make up the majority of the workforce, are displaying higher rates of burnout compared to other age groups. Yahoo! Finance UK also reported that online searches for “what is burnout?” increased by 55% from 2018 to 2019.
It is also not a surprise that work burnout is a common phenomenon in Asia given the region’s long working hours and the increased risk of chronic stress.
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Swiss investment bank UBS surveyed 71 global cities’ average working hours and it was revealed that Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Mumbai clock in the longest working hours.
On the flip side, European cities such as Paris, Brussels and London work the least hours.
The study also takes into account paid annual leave and bank holidays - an essential component of recovery from workplace burnout.
Possible causes of work burnout
Overtime - even short amounts of overtime at the end of the work day can have negative effects
Taking on multiple roles at work or in other aspects of life
Toxic work environments
Disconnection between work and sense of purpose
Feeling isolated
Feeling a lack of control over one’s job
Prolonged and frequent exposure to stressful situations
How do I know if I am experiencing burnout?
Stress is a common part of our lives at work. We all have deadlines. We all have certain tasks that we dread.
With the glamorization of being “busy” as an affirmation of our self-worth, it is sometimes hard to see working round-the-clock as having potentially detrimental effects on our mental health.
Social media has exacerbated these feelings, as people feel they need to constantly do more and prove themselves. There are no clear-cut signs that you are experiencing burnout, but the below are all good indicators that you could be affected.
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Common symptoms of burnout
Physical and Mental exhaustion
Sleeplessness
Anxiety
Depression
Difficulty focusing
Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
Detachment
Reduced performance in everyday activities
Negative and pessimistic attitude
Withdrawal from social activities and interactions
Risks associated with burnout
It was reported in 2019 that more than 100 Hong Kongers die of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases at work each year - with physical exhaustion being the prime reason.
In Hong Kong, like many cities in Asia, overworking is deeply embedded in the city’s culture.
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If ignored or unaddressed for too long, burnout can lead to:
Excessive stress
Fatigue
Insomnia
Sadness, anger or irritability
Alcohol or substance misuse
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Vulnerability to illnesses
Helpful tips to recover from work burnout
1. Monitor your thoughts
Notice how you mentally approach situations and the language that you often use when speaking to yourself.
Do you find yourself easily jumping to negative thought patterns? Are you often self-critical?
This awareness is the first step towards recognizing and squashing negativity. The next step is to reframe these thoughts by replacing them with words of kindness and positivity towards yourself.
Our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are interconnected and changing some unhelpful and negative thoughts can alter the way we feel and behave.
2. Regain control with small steps
People experiencing burnout often feel like they have little control over their current situation.
Try to think of small things that you are able to control, that may help you to develop a healthier work-life balance, like deciding not to take work home one night a week or disconnecting from your electronic devices at night.
Making small shifts to your routine will likely lead to a greater sense of empowerment and agency to make other changes.
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3. Give yourself a real break that’s specific to your needs
Whether it is in the form of taking some time off to travel and recharge, a weekend retreat in natural surroundings, guided meditation classes, regular exercise, taking walks, practicing deep breathing or mindfulness exercises or simply an extra hour or two of sleep.
Find out what type of activity helps to calm you or truly energizes and revitalizes your mind, body and spirit. Try to make it a point to incorporate these regularly in your life.
4. Say no through the process of elimination
Overworked individuals often have a long list of all the things they need to do, which can feel frustrating, stressful and overwhelming.
It may be helpful to think of the things that you can perhaps eliminate (at least for the time being), by reprioritizing and focusing on just a few tasks. This might involve you saying no to your colleagues, friends, family or even yourself, or asking for help.
Try to focus on a few realistic, specific and time-bound achievables in your current job and/or life.
You can, for example, decide you will reach a particular sales target this quarter, but inform your manager that in order to achieve this goal you have to focus less on another aspect of the job such as software training.
Monitoring your stress-levels and incorporating healthy habits to relieve stress can be very effective in preventing burnout.
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5. Talk therapy
Talk therapy, or psychotherapy, refers to a range of treatments that involve discussing mental or emotional issues with a mental health practitioner. Talking one-on-one with someone is proven to be very beneficial towards relieving stress and anxiety caused by work burnout.
A therapist can offer a more objective and non-judgmental perspective, and help you to gain more insight into the external and internal factors that may be causing burnout and how to deal with these stressors in a healthy way. The objective of therapy is to focus on you and help you overcome challenges in your life.
A mental health professional can help you identify stress triggers, increase self-awareness, develop healthy coping strategies and work with you to practice healthy boundary-setting. Learning and practicing helpful stress-relieving exercises, such as mindful breathing techniques can help alleviate feelings of stress and anxiety.
If you suspect that you may be suffering from work burnout, consider reaching out to a licensed clinical psychologist or psychiatrist.
Common Care provides a full-service online therapy platform with the largest selection of qualified online therapists. After completing an initial intake assessment, we recommend suitable therapists based on your needs, preferences and goals in therapy. Begin therapy anytime, anywhere at affordable prices. Learn more
Career considerations
When individuals are experiencing burnout, thoughts and questions about whether or not they are in the right career may arise.
It may be helpful to make a list of your interests, strengths and values to see if you are in a field that aligns with some of these areas.
Is it more a matter of working on setting certain boundaries and developing a healthier work-life balance? Or might there also be other more suitable career options to consider?
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If you do feel that you are in the right field, but your workplace has unreasonable demands on you, it may help to check with your Human Resources department or your manager on ways to cope or set boundaries. It may also help others in your workplace experiencing similar symptoms.
It has taken a while for the idea of burnout and its harmful effects on mental and physical health to be recognized. In recent years, there has been increasingly more awareness and education on this issue, which will likely enable those affected to recognize symptoms more easily and manage them in healthier ways.
Common Care provides a full-service online therapy platform with the largest selection of qualified online therapists. After completing an initial intake assessment, we recommend suitable therapists based on your needs, preferences and goals in therapy. Begin therapy anytime, anywhere at affordable prices.
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a mental health condition.
Sources:
World Health Organization, World Health Organization, icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en.
“Stress: Online Searches for 'Burnout' Rise 50% since April.” Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo!, 24 July 2019, uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/stress-workplace-online-searches-for-burnout-rise-50-since-april-100222707.html.
“HK Has Longest Working Week of 71 Cities.” www.chinadailyasia.com/hknews/2016-05/25/content_15439024.html.
“Labour Chief Acknowledges Problem of Long Working Hours in Hong Kong.” South China Morning Post, 9 June 2019, www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3013732/labour-secretary-says-hong-kong-government-study-role.