Understanding Burnout

Burnout is an increasingly recognised term that describes severe or high levels of exhaustion and reduced performance, usually related to the work and occupation. 

There is no formal definition of burnout.  Many of the reputable health information organisations have listed symptoms such as mental and/or physical exhaustion, fatigue, anxiety, loss of creativity or purpose in the role, emotional numbness or disengagement, increased cynicism or feelings of helplessness, and reduced work performance. 

Importantly, some of these symptoms overlap with Clinical Depression and it can be important to seek professional and individualised assessment to differentiate the two.  Additionally, if burnout leads to unhelpful coping, such as withdrawal from life, alcohol or substance use, then it can certainly be important to seek help early and work on more helpful means of coping. 

The environment is crucial in understanding burnout.  Workplaces of high stress or toxicity can reduce our sense of control, acknowledgement, meaning. As such, it can exert unreasonable demands upon our mental and physical energy.  Acknowledging this helps us understand that recovering from burnout might require reframing our relationship with work, setting boundaries with our roles and asking for support, and even taking time off.  

Certain individual traits could contribute to a higher likelihood of developing burnout.  If we have more perfectionistic tendencies or if we have internalised “not good enough” self-relationships, burnout is more likely to occur.  The desire for control, difficulty delegating and an unrelenting drive to achieve can also be associated with burnout. 

Understandably, recovery from burnout might also be an opportunity for us to examine our relationship with ourselves, need for control, our sense of success and our occupational (or overall) identity.  For many, reversing burnout involves finding meaningful engagement and connection in their life with a balance consideration of the role of work. 

If you want to find out what support is available and suitable for you to manage and reduce burnout, reach out to our friendly Client Support Team to discuss an appointment with a Psychologist.