What exactly is workplace burnout? Have you ever felt like you were in a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion? These could be the symptoms of workplace burnout.  It results from prolonged or excessive stress, which is a growing concern in today’s workplaces. Let’s look at some of the contributing factors and how to identify the early signs of workplace burnout.  We’ll also look at why recognizing this is so important for your well-being!  

Burnout Indicators

 One significant indicator of burnout is a gradual loss of motivation and engagement. You may start to feel disconnected from your work and notice that you’re having difficulty focusing on tasks that you might even have once enjoyed. This lack of enthusiasm usually manifests in the form of reduced productivity, decreased creativity, and a noticeable overall decline in performance.  

 Chronic fatigue is another telltale sign of burnout. As exhaustion sets in, you might have difficulty sleeping and feeling drained even after rest. You might find yourself needing more caffeine or other stimulants just to get through the day. This constant state of exhaustion not only hampers work performance but also spills over into your personal life, which makes even leisure activities less fun. This fatigue can also interfere with personal relationships. 

 You might notice that you are becoming more cynical or irritable. This, too, can signal workplace burnout. Pay attention to your moods in general and notice if you are becoming increasingly negative, skeptical, or pessimistic. Have you developed a cynical attitude towards your job and/or coworkers? Heightened stress levels can also lead to shorter tempers and frequent mood swings, further straining workplace dynamics. 

 If you notice these symptoms, start paying attention to what may be causing these.  There are several factors can contribute to burnout in the workplace. For example, a heavy workload or unrealistic expectations can cause excessive stress, pushing you beyond your limits and making you more susceptible to burnout.  

Work-Life Imbalance

 Work-life imbalance is another significant contributing factor. When your job demands begin to encroach on your personal time, you might very well begin to feel resentment.  You might also have a hard time getting adequate rest and rejuvenation. 

 The absence of support and recognition usually leads to feelings of isolation and devaluation. When you don’t have proper emotional and practical support or appreciation for your efforts, you begin to feel undervalued and lose your sense of purpose in the workplace. 

 Even more than the workload, or not feeling supported or appreciated, the most significant contributor to workplace burnout is a toxic environment.  As with any toxic environment, when you are surrounded by manipulation, confusion, passive aggressiveness, poor communication, gaslighting, or unhealthy office politics, you become exacerbated, and your stress levels sky-rocket to jeopardize your mental well-being. 

 Working in a toxic environment can lead to feelings of chronic stress, exhaustion, and cynicism – the hallmarks of burnout. Although changing the organizational culture is not within your control, there are other strategies you can sometimes use to safeguard your well-being. These strategies focus on self-care, boundary-setting, and resilience-building.  

Strategies to Improve Well-Being at Work

 First, establish clear boundaries between your professional and personal life by setting limits on the time and energy you dedicate to work-related tasks. Prioritize your physical and emotional well-being by allocating time for friends, family, hobbies, relaxation, fun, and self-reflection. 

Have a Strong Support System

 Cultivate a strong support network within and outside of the workplace. Seek out colleagues who share your values and foster positive relationships with them. Sometimes that is not always possible, depending on the work culture, so it is important to also maintain connections with friends, family members, or mentors who can provide validation for your feelings, encouragement and advice. 

Practice Mindfulness and Stress-Reduction Techniques

 Another thing you can do is practice mindfulness and stress-reduction techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga. These practices can alleviate stress and foster a sense of calm to help you remain grounded and focused on the present moment. 

Seek Professional Support

 If burnout symptoms persist or worsen, consider seeking professional support. A therapist or counselor can offer valuable insight and coping strategies to help you navigate the complexities of a toxic workplace. 

 In cases where the toxicity of the work environment becomes unmanageable, it could be necessary to devise an exit strategy. You might want to start gearing up for your next position. Update your resume, explore job opportunities, and set specific goals to facilitate a smooth transition. 

 Building resilience is an important part of getting through workplace burnout. Engage in activities that promote self-growth, such as acquiring new skills, attending professional development workshops, or reading self-improvement books. These pursuits can enhance your adaptability and self-confidence, better equipping you to face workplace challenges. 

 Remember even in the most challenging environments, seek out positive aspects that can help counteract the negatives. Reflect on any positive relationships, personal growth opportunities, or specific tasks that bring you fulfillment and satisfaction.  

 Recognize the signs of burnout and understand the contributing factors so that you can take the first steps in addressing this prevalent issue. If you are an employer, the last thing you want is for your valuable employees to feel burnt out, resentful, unsupported, exhausted and/or confused.  By fostering a supportive work environment, promoting a healthy work-life balance, and encouraging open communication, your employees will more likely be productive and contribute to the health of the team.  

 If you are an employee who might be suffering from burnout, you can play a central role in mitigating workplace burnout and nurturing your own overall well-being by having healthy boundaries and keeping communication clear and concise.  Let your employers know if you are feeling any of these symptoms, or if your work/life balance is off.  If you fear talking to your employer about this, let that be your first red flag. 

 

 

In the demands of productivity and high stress at work, it can be difficult to find time to support your mental health needs.  Busy workdays filled with back-to-back meetings, managing difficult work dynamics, the lack of time for self-care, or pushing through your day without taking a break, may be part of the norm.  This can impact you because your work environment can be a place where you spend the majority of your time.  You may find that there are relational dynamics that come up with coworkers, bosses, or within your own process.  Maybe you have been successfully able to compartmentalize these dynamics and move on with your work day. Maybe you have found that the emotional pull is so strong that you cannot avoid the feelings that come up.    

When you feel anxious or overwhelmed at work, it may be challenging to find time for your own mental health needs, especially when the expectation is to keep engaged and productive.  Even so, it is important to find time within those demands to take care of your own mental health. Here are some strategies that can be helpful.   

Practice Self-Care 

The concept of “self-care” sometimes has the association with being unattainable or connected to the idea that it has to be done in a specific or idealized way.  I view self-care as a practice and intention.  The idea is to create a space in your life that feels good and where you have some ease.  I hold the view that self-care can include, but isn’t only limited to, activities such as doing yoga, meditation, exercise, or healthy eating.  Sometimes self-care looks like immersing yourself in a good TV series or a movie, to allow your mind to distract from the problems of today. Sometimes it is taking a step out of a meeting or during your workday to check in with yourself. Going to get water, going to the restroom, or even looking outside the window of your office, could be forms of self-care. The idea is to take care of your- self.   What works for someone else may not work for you.  Holding yourself with compassion that you matter and having grace for yourself can be an important step in self-care.   

Work Identity and Time Outside of Work 

Your career can be a big part of who you are as a person. There are many things that make up your identity. Work can be a place where you feel grounded and secure. When things do not go well at work, that sense of identity may be under question and you may find yourself wondering who you are.  Your work self is a part of you, albeit an important part. Remembering that there are other parts of you as well can help you to have another source of identity.    

Think about aspects of your work identity that you value and feel rooted in.  You can explore this by spending time thinking about why you feel this way and the positive aspects of this.  Then consider what other parts of your identity do you wish you had time for? Finding the other parts of you that might need expression and space could allow you to feel more balanced.  Think about aspects that you might have felt connected to in the past. Maybe you have painted in the past or you enjoy dancing or singing. Maybe you enjoy writing or going for walks. Does socializing help you feel more connected to your sense of self or do you prefer quiet time to reflect? Even the thought of what you could do outside of your work role could be an interesting exploration.  

Remember You Are Human 

We can’t do everything all the time.  We all have limits.  When the work demands are high, it can feel impossible to get it all done.  Pushing forward while feeling overwhelmed is difficult.  We can only do things one thing at a time, even when there are ten things that are due.   

It can be helpful to explore some questions: How do you know when you feel overwhelmed? Do you ask for help? How much do you take on? What are some indications that you need an emotional break?  What are some things that help you to feel good, supported, and valued?   Do you push beyond those limits or are you able to take a step back and regroup?  How do you react when you are less than perfect? How do you motivate yourself? What standards do you hold yourself to? How do you honor and recognize your own humanness?   

Taking Time to Reflect 

Professional relationships in the workplace can have an impact on your work experience and your mental health.  There might be dynamics in these relationships that make it difficult to be engaged in your job.  It can be helpful when you feel the pull towards taking action or the pull to be reactive, to instead turn towards yourself and to remain curious about your experience without immediately acting on those feelings.  One suggestion is to be curious as to why you feel as you do, while still acknowledging the impact that the other person or situation may have had on you.  It might be a completely legitimate response to the situation; however, the emphasis is to remain curious about your response.  This practice may give you the insight into how to support yourself within these relationships.   

On the other hand, you may have work relationships that feel supportive and uplifting.  These relationships may have supported you in being resilient and give you the encouragement you needed to persevere.  Reflecting on those attuned relationships may positively impact your mental health.  

How Therapy Can Help 

When you are at work, you may find few opportunities to express your emotional side or to process the interpersonal dynamics that come up. The work environment is typically a space where thinking (intellectualization) is highly valued. Giving yourself permission to have a set time every week to freely discuss your feelings and how things are impacting you can give you space for your own emotional and interpersonal needs.  Often when we are in a situation, it is difficult to see it clearly.  Seeking out a therapist who is trained, skilled, and compassionate can help to create a safe space to allow yourself to be seen and understood. 
  

This blog is for general information purposes only. It is not meant for a substitution for medical or mental health advice or treatment. Please see a licensed professional for medical or mental health advice and/or recommendations specific to your needs.