Burnout, 6 Causes and How to Avoid it
A heavy workload and tight deadlines are a fact of professional life. Everyone occasionally feels exhausted, overloaded, and unappreciated. Burnout, however, is a major issue that affects not just your performance and well-being on the job and off, but also that of your team and your business. When unrelenting work stress pushes you into this crippling state, it’s time to take action.
Burnout, which is now recognised by the World Health Organization as an official medical condition, is explained and predicted using a variety of models. One, known as the 6 Areas of Worklife model, proposes six areas where you could encounter imbalances that result in burnout (taken from research by Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter of the University of California at Berkeley and Acadia University, respectively).
The six potential causes of burnout are listed below, along with suggestions for how to address each one.
1. Heavy workload
When your workload is in line with your ability you can complete your work efficiently, have time for rest and recovery, and find time for professional development and advancement. These chances to rebalance don't occur when you're always feeling overwhelmed.
Examine your performance in four crucial areas to reduce workload stress: workload planning, prioritising, assigning duties, saying "no," and letting go of perfectionism. Try to improve your time management skills if you haven't been doing one or more of these tasks, and then assess how you feel. For many people, especially those who have a propensity for pleasing others, making a conscious effort to lighten their workload can greatly lessen feelings of burnout and provide them with time to rest.
2. Lack of control
Your wellbeing may suffer if you believe that you lack independence, access to resources, and a voice in choices that affect your professional life. Take a step back and ask yourself, "What precisely is causing me to feel this way?" if you start to feel a loss of control. For example, does your employer constantly call you and make you feel like you need to be always available? Are the priorities at work always changing, making it impossible for you to advance? Or perhaps your physical or human resources are simply too unpredictable for you to conduct your job well?
Then consider what you can do to change this scenario. Can you discuss the matter with your boss so that you can set better boundaries and stop being expected to respond to messages round-the-clock? Could you agree that certain priorities will always remain consistent? Or by communicating your needs could you be given access to more resources? After giving these things some thought, you may determine what you can do to affect your environment and what won't alter regardless of what you say or do.
3. Lack of reward
If the rewards for your work don't correspond to the time and effort you put into them, you can expect to feel that the investment was not worthwhile.
When this happens, you should consider what you really need to feel appreciated. You might need to request a raise or a promotion, for instance. Maybe you need your employer to show you more appreciation and give more positive feedback. Perhaps you need to use the benefits you've already accumulated, like the comp time you earned during that especially busy period. Try various things to determine which benefits would make what you're doing worthwhile to you and whether your current workplace offers the chance to obtain more of those rewards.
4. Toxic work environment
Who do you associate with at work? How dependable and encouraging are those connections? You often have no control over your co-workers or clients, but you can change the dynamic. Asking others how their day is going and actually listening could be all that is required. or telling someone in an email how much you valued their presentation. or choose to convey a challenging message in a kind, non-judgmental manner. Burnout can spread, so you must change the mood of the group in order to improve your own level of engagement. When you've done everything you can and still others aren't able to or don't want their relationships to improve, you might want to think about changing jobs.
5. Unfairness
Consider whether you feel that you are treated fairly and equally. Do you, for instance, receive credit for your achievements and contributions, or is it more common for others to be recognised while you go unnoticed? Are others on the team offered regular deadline extensions or access to additional resources when you are not?
Start by speaking out if you believe that a lack of fairness is exacerbating your burnout. Sometimes people have unconscious biases or won't do anything until you ask them to. You can ask to be acknowledged as a contributor, to participate in a presentation in part, or for more time and resources. And if the response is still unfair to you, you might think about politely bringing it up.
6. Mismatch in values
Your motivation to work hard and persevere may be considerably reduced if there is something that you value strongly that your company does not. Individuals and organisations frequently have strong established ideals and objectives. Consider carefully how important it is to you that your values align with those of the company as you evaluate this burnout factor.
Also think about whether the company's leaders have revised their values. Take a look around you and consider how your team, your supervisor, and your business make choices and allocate resources. Do those underlying motives make me feel good? Do they seem willing to adapt? If the influential people in your organisation don't share your deeply held values, you may need to look for a job opportunity that does.
Burnout isn't as simple as just being exhausted. A broad approach is necessary to address this multifaceted problem. Consider carefully what is causing your burnout before quitting, and make an effort to change it. Determine whether it makes sense to stay or whether it's time to leave if you discover that, despite your best efforts, not much has changed.
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