At one point or the other, we’ve experienced burnout, which has negative effects on just about everything in our lives, including our performance, attitude and motivation.

I would want you to meet Sandra. Sandra has been under pressure and working extra hours at work and she’s feeling overwhelmed. She does all the work and does not get help from her colleagues or her boss. Argh! Sandra mutters, ‘I’m feeling extremely stressed. This has made Sandra develop a negative attitude toward her work.

Sandra is experiencing ‘burnout’.

WHAT IS BURNOUT?

Burnout is a negative state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by excessive stress. It can also be defined as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. When your burnout, you run out of energy to do anything and may feel demotivated.

The American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger who used it to describe the consequences of severe stress that leads to physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, coined the term ‘burnout’ in the 1970s.

TYPES OF BURNOUT

The journal of occupational and Toxicology medicine list three different burnout

1. FRENETIC BURNOUT

This involves spending high energy for a long time and doing a lot of work until your body can’t keep up with it.

2. UNCHALLENGED BURNOUT

This is when your work is not challenging. It’s boring and unfulfilling.

3. WORN-OUT BURNOUT

This is defined as being under intense stress for so long and you’ve got nothing left to give.

3 KEY SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT

•Exhaustion.

•Cynicism and detachment.

•Lack of accomplishment.

EXHAUSTION

Do you drag yourself out of bed to get to class or work in the morning? Or do you feel so tired after work that you cannot do anything?

If ‘yes’ is your answer to the questions, then you might be emotionally and physically exhausted.

Exhaustion is when you’re extremely tired because you’ve got prolonged levels of stress for a long period.

Some physical symptoms could show exhaustion.

1. When you feel drained.

2. Experiencing body aches.

3. Having difficulty concentrating.

4. Irritability.

CYNICISM AND DETACHMENT

This is when you show a lack of empathy and detachment towards others. E.g. if you're a health care professional you might begin to see your patients as objects.

Signs to watch out for;

1. Increased conflict with others (you keep having quarrels with your colleagues, friends and loved ones).

2. Show a negative attitude towards your work and everyone around you.

3. Isolation from colleagues and coursemates.

4. You feel disconnected from everyone around you and your environment.

LACK OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

People suffering from burnout often feel that performance is suffering or feel they can never catch up on their to-do list and maybe show signs of not being serious with their work.

Signs to watch out for;

1. Feeling useless.

2. Show poor performance.

3. Loss of productivity.

Other symptoms of burnout include;

1. Blurry visions.

2. Not eating properly.

3. Not taking care of one’s self

4. You find it difficult to control your emotions.

5. Fatigue.

7. Getting sick frequently.

8. Lack of sex drive.

9. Insomnia

10. Waking up tired. Etc.



COPING AND PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES

1. IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE

If you’re feeling extremely stressed and want to fix the issue, you need to figure out the root cause. It’s impossible to solve a problem unless you identify what caused the problem. So the first step to take is to find and address the root cause.

2. TRY CHANGING YOUR WORK PATTERNS.

You can’t outrun burnout, so things won’t get better unless you make a change. Figure out a way to make your work less stressful. Recent studies have shown that the cause of burnout is due to long hours of work.

What you should do?

1. Taking breaks when it’s needed.

2. Avoid working overtime.

3. LEARN HOW TO ASK FOR HELP.

There is a saying that goes like this “Don’t bite more than you can chew”. So don’t bite more than you can chew. Learn how to ask for help from your colleagues or a trusted friend at work to take some work off your plate. This is a smart method to get tasks done on your to-do list faster and easy.

4. DEVELOP RELAXATION STRATEGIES.

Relaxation is the process that decreases the effect of stress on your mind and body. Examples of relaxation practices you could do are; yoga, breathing exercise, meditation and also music and art therapy.

Benefits of relaxation.

1. It helps to improve your level of concentration and mood.

2. It helps to improve digestion

3. It reduces the activity of stress hormones

4. Relaxation reduces muscle tension and chronic pain.

5. Relaxation helps to lower blood pressure.

5. LEARN TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR BOSS WHEN YOUR WORKLOAD IS PLENTY.

When your workload seems too much and you cannot meet deadlines, respectfully approach your boss and layout your concerns. You could suggest an alternate option like ‘Sir/Ma I’m not sure I can get this job done before next week Monday, I could tell John to help me with it if you don’t mind ‘. Doing this will make your boss happy with you because of your honesty and commitment to your work.

6. PRIORITIZE YOUR HEALTH AND FITNESS

We cannot overemphasise the benefits of exercise and healthy eating. Exercising regularly and also eating healthy is crucial for your overall health. As your physical fitness is important for your well-being, so is your mental health. Working on your mental health may include finding a new hobby that brings you joy, making more time for your personal life and sleeping for at least 7 hours each night to prevent exhaustion.

As you’ve read in this article, to avoid burnout you need to relax, ask for help, try changing your work pattern, make time for yourself and create a social circle.

Remember, health is wealth.

It's the weekend.
Remember to rest well.