Stressed out and burnt out- what to do about it

Burnout is a term we hear a lot of it when dealing with workplace stress and is a pressing issue for employees and students alike. Prolonged or severe workplace stress can lead to burnout.

Here we discuss what burnout is and how we can deal with it to regain balance and begin to feel hopeful again.

What is burnout?
Burnout is a relatively new concept with the term first coined in 1974 by psychologist, Herbert Freudenberger.

It is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as “a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterised by three dimensions:

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
• increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and
• reduced professional efficacy.”

In 2019, burnout was recognised by the WHO as an ‘occupational phenomenon’. Feelings of burnout typically occur when you are overwhelmed at work and feel as if you can no longer keep up with the demands of the job.

A large-scale study by Workhuman and Gallup found that employees in Ireland are suffering from burnout and stress more often than our European counterparts with 3 in 10 employees in Ireland reporting being burnt out very often or always.

The same research found employees in Ireland are the most likely to report being stressed with 6.5 in 10 saying they experienced stress ‘a lot’ the previous day.

We spend most of our waking life at work, so if we dislike it, dread going, and are extremely dissatisfied with what we are doing, it can place a serious toll on our lives. However, it is more than just the ‘Sunday Scaries’. Burnout is a gradual process and if left unaddressed can lead to many far-reaching and serious consequences. Therefore, it’s important to deal with burnout at an early stage.

The burnout stages
As mentioned previously, burnout isn’t a sudden onset, it develops gradually over time with symptoms and signs increasing in intensity.

Research has identified that these 5 stages (outlined below) are commonly observed.  

1. The Honeymoon Stage- this usually occurs at the start of a new job or project where productivity, optimism, energy and job satisfaction are high.
2. Onset of Stress – like all honeymoon periods, these feelings begin to dwindle and wane. This stage is where we consciously become aware of work stressors.
3. Chronic Stress – this stage is where we notice a marked difference in stress levels and intensity on a more frequent basis.
4. Burnout – this is where we begin to reach our capacity limit and can no longer function like we normally would. Work and its issues begin to consume you and you tend to experience serious self-doubt and symptoms become persistent.
5. Habitual Burnout – If left untreated, burnout can become embedded into our daily lives and we experience chronic mental and physical exhaustion and adverse behavioural changes.

Symptoms of Burnout
These are the signs to look-out for if you think you are reaching burnout. Symptoms of burnout are wide-ranging affecting us physically, emotionally and behaviourally.

• Getting sick more often - Burnout can cause long-term changes to your body, weakening immunity that makes you increasingly more vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu.
• Frequent headaches, muscle pain, or gastrointestinal issues – caused by prolonged stress and being in fight or flight mode constantly.
• Pattern and habit changes – such as sleep issues or loss of appetite.
• Feeling tired and drained all the time – regardless of how much rest you get.
• Concentration issue due to overload.
• Low mood – loss of motivation, having an increasingly cynical/negative outlook, feeling detachment and withdrawing from others.
• Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.
• Procrastinating on tasks and duties and retreating from responsibility.
• Skipping work, arriving late and leaving early.

Coping Strategies
Early intervention is key for preventing burnout and reaching the latter stages of burnout. Burnout is a risk factor for other serious diseases such as depression, heart attacks, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, and reduced life expectancy.

The good news is we can bounce back from burnout. But what can you do to avoid reaching total burnout?

• Take the time off work you need to recharge and assess your situation.
• Speak with your manager or HR department about your workload, how and what you are struggling with – do you have a lot on your plate work-wise? Could some tasks be delegated or put on pause?
• Know your boundaries and limitations- poor and blurred boundaries are the main reasons people reach burnout. Often, we can say yes to too many work requests that we may not necessarily be able to take on. It requires strength but don’t be afraid to say no to certain work projects or tasks. It is important to set clear work boundaries, take regular breaks and set a work schedule to protect your health.
• Look after yourself- move your body, try stress management techniques, make sure you sleep and rest enough, and feed your body with nutritious foods. Check out our article, foods to manage stress.
• Be compassionate and patient with yourself – recovering from burnout is not a linear process.
• Talk to a professional to discover coping strategies that will personally work for you.

How we can help
The Thrive Wellbeing Hub provides free emotional supports to members, students and family members. We offer a confidential space for you to talk, whether you need a listening ear, wellbeing advice or professional counselling, we are here for you.

You can contact the thrive wellbeing team by email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie or by phone: (+353) 86 0243294