Have you wondered why, no matter how hard you try, you find it difficult to get started with your workday? Perhaps, you don’t feel inclined to get out of bed, or start your morning before you have to check in for the day. If you feel a lack of interest, don’t want to take an initiative, and are experiencing an overall absence of motivation, you may be a victim of stress, anxiety, and the inevitable burnout that arises as a result of a demanding job.
But before we delve into how you can spot the signs, let’s first identify what job burnout means. According to reports by the Mayo Clinic, job burnout, in simplest of terms, is “an acute state of stress and anxiety. It’s a state where you feel a physical or emotional exhaustion that is accompanied by a reduced sense of accomplishment, and in some cases, the loss of personal identity.”
Bhavya Raj Arora, founder and CEO of social enterprise, New Thought Therapist, says, “Job burnout is associated with stress at the workplace. Biologically, humans are wired to exhaust our capacity to function after being under chronic stress. We are designed this way to preserve our energies for survival. Job burnout can, hence, be understood as the exhaustion of the nervous system after experiencing chronic stress at work leading to less productivity, irritability at work with colleagues and work assignments, lower motivation and job satisfaction levels, etc.”
However, it’s important to note that the term "burnout" is not a medical diagnosis. While some experts opine that other mental health issues like depression, are behind a person experiencing burnout, other experts allude to the fact that subjective or individualist factors—like family upbringing, personality traits, work-life balance, family life, or living situations—can play a role in who experiences job burnout.
Burnout and you
Irrespective of the reasons behind the condition, a job burnout can affect your physical and mental health. Says Christina Rebello* a Mumbai-based nurse, “I’ve always loved helping people, and doing my bit for society. But when the pandemic hit and I became part of the frontline workers, there was a point in time where, over and above the tension of contracting the virus, I couldn’t keep track of the date, time, or the hours I’d slept. It got so stressful, that eventually, my periods became irregular, I gained tremendous weight, and didn’t feel healthy at all. After a few tests, I found that I had hypothyroidism. While I’m on medication now, things do slip my mind on occasion, given the high-pressure nature of my work.”
Now, how to know if you've got job burnout? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re more likely experiencing job burnout:
• When at work, are you cynical or critical?
• Do you find that you have trouble getting started, and are forced to drag yourself to work?
• Do you find yourself constantly impatient or annoyed when dealing with co-workers, customers, or clients?
• Do you find it hard to concentrate, lack energy or motivation to do your job?
• Are you using food or alcohol as an emotional crutch?
• Do you have trouble sleeping and wake up more exhausted?
Causes of job burnout
Let’s look at some possible reasons behind stress, burnout, and an overall lack of initiative.
1. Work-life imbalance: If the lines between your professional and personal life seem to have blurred, and there’s a good chance you’ve been taking your work home, that’s not a good sign. And given the pandemic-prescribed lockdowns and ensuing work-from-home life, quality time with the family or in recreational activities may be taking a beating.
2. Uncertain expectations: You may have been hired for a certain skillset, but if you find yourself working on multiple fronts, and taking on more than was expected when you were given your job offer, there’s a high probability that your energy levels will start to deplete faster than you’d like.
3. Lack of support: You may have spoken up about your issues, but if you don’t feel that doing so has made much of a difference, it is a great way to experience frustration and eventual burnout. This can then also influence the way you interact with your co-workers, or how they behave with you, further creating tension to an already stressful situation.
4. Workplace dynamics: Whether it’s a bully, an indecisive boss, or just lack of clarity with demands and deadlines, dysfunctional dynamics in a professional environment can hamper productivity.
Says Arora, “While each individual may experience burnout due to their own unique reasons, some common factors include excessive work pressures, frequent tight deadlines to achieve, lower employee morale, unhealthy work culture, micromanagement, work-life imbalance, lower stimulation and engagement, etc. Burnout, while not a medical diagnosis, has been associated with various mental and physical health challenges. It has been found to be associated with greater levels of depression, insomnia, anxiety, and chronic pains. It also impacts the quality of interpersonal relationships of an individual. Physically, those who experienced chronic stress at work were also found to have health challenges like hypertension, heart attacks, diabetes, obesity, etc.”
How to tackle workplace burnout
Here are some possible solutions to help you keep the stress and burnout at bay.
1. Seek support: The first step to resolving workplace stress and the inevitable burnout is to seek help. Speak to a senior in your team, if a conversation with your manager makes you uncomfortable. Lay out the situation and look for a possible way forward. “Often, burnout takes a while to fully recover from and that is okay. Therapy can be a safe space and an active tool to witness the causes of your burnout and work towards creating a healthier being for your mind and body,” Arora asserts.
2. Set clear boundaries: No matter how urgent a task may seem, if it’s time to call it a day, you call it a day. If you have completed the tasks you had sent out to do at the start of your workday, and a last-minute project may have been assigned, leave it to the next morning. Do not compromise on your ‘me time’. “Everyone wants to experience work-life balance but sadly, most of us don't. Experiencing work-life balance begins from setting active boundaries differentiating your personal life from your professional life. Remember to stick to your boundaries once you set them,” Arora encourages.
3. Indulge in recreational activities: Whether it’s exercise, art and crafts, or even getting started on that book you’ve been meaning to read for months, do not stop yourself from indulging in an activity that will bring you calm, excitement, and joy. “Remember, rest is not a luxury. It is a basic need, just like food and water. Allow yourself to rest without devices and experience active connection with those around you,” advises Arora.
4. Practice mindfulness: Sometimes, a little breath work is a great way to reset and give you perspective. “Mindfulness-based techniques have been extremely resourceful for my clients in navigating exhaustion after chronic stress. You could start with something as simple as breath work and move to other active spaces like meditation,” explains Arora. If you find your mind unable to focus on a task at hand, take five minutes to focus on your breathing. It will enable you to face any situation clearly, calmly, and unbiasedly. “Choose to work through it! It's a global pandemic of its own sorts. Hustle is beautiful, but so is rest,” she signs off.