Protecting yourself from burnout at work
It is 9 am. You wake up just in time to switch on your laptop and get to work. A series of meetings lined up await you. The work day was planned for eight hours but it spills over and you are only done well after the sun sets. By the end, you are tired and frustrated. You want to unwind so you pick up your phone, browse mindlessly and catch up on news for a few hours. You don’t even feel like talking to your family. Nothing seems to help you feel relaxed.
Does this sound familiar? Hundreds of professionals resonate with this experience, more so in the Covid era and consequent work-from-home culture, where work hours have largely stretched with little scope for recreation. Burnout is a well-recognised phenomenon characterised by emotional exhaustion, feeling detached from work and others, and easily getting overwhelmed with a sense of loss of control. It leads to numerous effects both at the personal and professional level, with emotional consequences such as feeling stressed and on-edge, poor frustration tolerance, easy irritation and poor work performance. Many would even consider quitting their jobs and giving it all up, if not for the financial implications. If not managed early and effectively, work stress and burnout can progress to more severe mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and sleep problems. It can lead to frequent absences from work and decreased job performance.
Understanding burnout: According to the WHO, it is a condition understood as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has three main dimensions: feeling of fatigue, negative attitudes towards one’s job/workplace and reduced professional efficiency. It is considered an occupational phenomenon that can lead to serious psychological concerns. Burnout has traditionally been associated with high-profile jobs, long working hours, competitive environments, stringent deadlines, poor interpersonal relations with colleagues and insufficient time for recreational activities. Women tend to be more vulnerable, trying to balance work for home and work from home.
In 2020, a sharp spike and spill-over has been noted, mainly due to the rapid shift of working styles leading to an exaggeration of these factors. Certain sectors that have especially been affected are IT, hospitality and the medical fraternity. While the IT sector has largely benefited from increased productivity and decreased overhead expenses, other industries like hospitality are struggling to meet targets with reduced staff strength. These factors add to the health concerns for self and loved ones and financial strains, making people more vulnerable to a burnout. There is plenty of research to demonstrate that frontline workers have suffered from increased mental health issues due to long-term work demands during the pandemic and burnout.
We have been seeing at least 5-10 cases per week of mental exhaustion, anxiety and depression due to burnout throughout last year. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as help-seeking for mental health issues is still poor in India due to stigma and lack of awareness.Burnout is a global issue. A recent survey supported by Harvard Business Review on 1,500 respondents across 46 countries showed that only 21% reported their well-being as good, whereas more than 50% reported increased job demands, 50% said that their work completely dominated their lives and more than half agreed to having difficulty in maintaining work-life balance.
Very often people report a nagging self-doubt about whether they are doing things well enough, if they are good enough, which impacts their confidence and decision-making ability. This is a glaring health concern considering the extent of the problem and uncertainty regarding when life will return to pre-pandemic times. It requires our time and attention right away. What can be done to reduce its impact? There are a few lifestyle changes that can help cope with this.
Sign off when you sign out. Log out from your work both physically and mentally. Make sure not to check emails or get on work calls after your dedicated time. Have some screen-free time. Switching from one gadget to another as a means of de-stressing is very unlikely to help you. Make sure to have a few hours of digital detox. Spend quality time with family/friends and yourself. Use the remainder of your day to engage in meaningful activities with your loved ones. Simple board games or even sharing household chores together builds a sense of connectedness. Dedicate time for physical activity, at least 30 minutes of light exercise four-five times a week. Plan your schedule well in advance in order to get some work-life balance where both are equally fulfilling.
Building a sense of connection among work teams has never been more important than now, especially as new schedules rob people of a chance to feel connected with their colleagues outside of work. There is also no harm in discussing the impact on your health with your HR or employer. Many companies recognise the role of work-related stress and have policies to support their employees. You may be able to come up with feasible solutions to overcome this together. Many firms have insurance benefits and provisions for psychological problems while also allowing for flexibility at work.
Most importantly, we need to understand the differences between stress that can be adaptive and distress (harmful stress), the latter needing support and professional help. Both at the employer and employee levels, regular screenings for burnout need to be present. High-risk people include those with family problems, financial issues, anxious personalities, existing mental disorders (like depression, anxiety, sleep issues) and a history of alcohol abuse. Watching out for signs of burnout need not only be in official appraisal and counselling sessions. It can happen at any place including the office cubicle next to you, over a cup of coffee, a corridor talk or during an office party. This is a collective responsibility. Psychological support for burnout can prevent people from developing depression in the long run.
Workplace forms the next major area of life only second to one’s home. Hence, early identification of burnout and dealing with it effectively will go a long way in creating a strong and resilient workforce at all levels.
Dr Vandana Shetty
Consultant Psychiatrist, Bengaluru
Dr Debanjan Banerjee
Geriatric Psychiatrist, NIMHANS, Bengaluru
(Views expressed are personal)
(dr.djan88@gmail.com)