Behind Workplace Stress – BURNOUT

Do you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, stressed? You're not alone in this – and now is exactly the right moment to understand why your body is reacting this way.

Burnout syndrome – symptoms, causes & treatment

Burnout is a genuine psychological syndrome that develops as a sustained response to chronic stressors in the workplace. In most cases, those affected lose all motivation and energy and feel incapable of seeing their work through to the end – does that sound familiar? Let's take a look at the symptoms and signs of this syndrome, how it's diagnosed and how to recover after going through such a phase.

What is burnout?

Burnout is a complex condition involving mental, physical and emotional exhaustion, and it's the result of excessive stress that has built up over a long period. It's considered an increasingly common phenomenon in the modern world and is now officially recognised by the World Health Organization as an occupational syndrome, one linked to a heightened risk of high blood pressure, other cardiovascular conditions, depression and even suicide.

Until recently, the term referred only to the extreme pressures faced by professionals in fields such as healthcare, the police, emergency services, trauma work and social services. Today, however, most people fall into the at-risk group – including children and their parents, with knock-on effects that reach right into everyday family life.

The problem needs to be treated seriously and responsibly. So it's time to pay closer attention to your feelings, your wellbeing and your health. These are all pieces of the puzzle that makes up your happiness.

Burnout – symptoms & signs

The first three signs to look out for are exhaustion, detachment and inefficiency. Easy to say, but not so easy to spot – we know that.

Mental and physical exhaustion

The first thing you might notice is that you're constantly completely drained. Left untreated, this fatigue can quickly turn into chronic depression and affect many areas of your life. This kind of exhaustion can also show up physically – through increased susceptibility to colds, flu, nausea and headaches. 

Cynicism and detachment

You may be suffering from burnout syndrome if you're constantly preoccupied with work-related thoughts – not thinking in terms of solutions, but simply circling around problems. Growing pessimism, a lack of trust and a sense of isolation and disconnection from other people and your surroundings can also be signs of occupational exhaustion.

Declining performance at work or school

One of the consequences of a prolonged state of exhaustion, and of the impact on the neural pathways in the prefrontal cortex, is a drop in performance at work or school.

Lack of motivation

One of the most common burnout symptoms is the inability to find the inner resources needed to complete tasks at work. Of course, it manifests differently from person to person – so you may still get your tasks done, but late or only partially.

Compulsive working

At the other end of the spectrum is continuing to work after hours, in your free time, to catch up on delays. These activities eat into the time your body should be using to recover and unwind.

Cognitive difficulties

It's not unusual to notice a decline in your ability to concentrate, organise and pay attention. You forget things or struggle to recall them, you can't focus – and all of this leads to personal and professional setbacks.

Changes in sleep patterns

If you're struggling with insomnia, frequent waking or a shifted sleep rhythm, you should know: these are warning signs of mental and emotional exhaustion.

Negative emotions

Frustration, irritability, disappointment, feeling devalued, short-temperedness, criticism, a sense of having no way forward, inner emptiness – these feelings become dominant when you're dealing with occupational burnout.

Interpersonal problems

Conflicts can arise both at home and at work, your tolerance may drop, or you may start avoiding conversations with colleagues and family members.

Neglecting self-care

When exhaustion sets in, people often put themselves second and make the unhealthiest choices: fast food, alcohol, smoking, sleepless nights. Even self-medicating can become a problem – if, for example, you can't do without sleeping pills, alcohol or coffee.

Declining quality of life

As you'd expect, a lifestyle dominated by burnout also brings problems such as a lack of personal and professional fulfilment – you feel useless, and mental blocks become a daily companion.

Health problems

Most worrying of all are long periods of burnout that lead to severe chronic stress. This can cause genuine health problems, such as headaches, migraines, digestive complaints, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, depression and even obesity.

The symptoms and signals your body sends you may be exactly these – or something entirely different. What matters is that you take a moment to listen to yourself and recognise whether there's a problem or not.
 

How does burnout affect menstruation?

As mentioned, your body can also send you physical signals that something isn't right. These signals include hormonal imbalances, which can be triggered by emotional factors – usually ongoing stress. Unfortunately, a hormonal imbalance in women also has knock-on effects on the menstrual cycle.

Countless women report that their periods are heavier and the pain more intense when they're going through a difficult phase in which they feel exhausted or stressed. To understand even better how hormonal balance works – and, more importantly, what to expect when it's disrupted – we invite you to read our article, which answers all your questions.

And if you feel that today is the day you change something in your life – how about starting with the most sensitive area of your body? Your intimate area deserves special attention, care and love. It deserves to feel only the touch of nature – not plastic. 

Unfortunately, the conventional products on supermarket shelves aren't safe for your health: they contain chemical substances that damage your bacterial flora, throw your pH off balance and open the door to infections. Itching, severe pain, irritation – say NO to all these problems and let yourself be carried into the world of ENROUSH, where organic, high-quality care for you and your body is a "must-have", not a "nice-to-have".

See for yourself – from our customers:

A wonderful experience! It has absolutely changed my life. Although I've used other organic cotton brands before, Enroush has far exceeded my expectations! Overall I felt very comfortable wearing them, the absorbency is definitely better and I felt my pain had reduced by 80% – plus I've had a normal menstrual flow since using them. Everything so beautifully packaged, and the people there are so pleasant and friendly. I'm so grateful for my existence! If anyone has doubts: these products are excellent!  - Elena

I've been using the tampons for a few days now, since my first period after ordering. I can say that the irritation and itching disappeared while using the Enroush pads, and after a few hours they didn't smell the way the ones I used to buy in an ordinary shop did. I hope my experience continues to be this pleasant. I'm always looking for ways to take better care of my body (natural products, free from chemicals) – and, most importantly, to stop burdening the environment with huge amounts of plastic waste. Keep up the brilliant work! - Alina

Kind to you and to the planet: at ENROUSH you'll find only natural organic cotton products that never put your health at risk, not even for a second.

How does burnout develop?

Someone heading towards burnout goes through several stages. These include:

• a strong need for self-validation
• neglecting one's own needs
• the emergence of conflict situations (at home or at work)
• denial of the problems
• withdrawal from family and social circles
• changes in behaviour
• self-devaluation
• a sense of inner emptiness and personal waste
• depressive states
• physical and emotional collapse

There are three types of burnout, namely:

• individual burnout, caused by excessively negative self-talk, neuroticism and perfectionism;
• interpersonal burnout, caused by difficult relationships with people at work or at home;
• organisational burnout, caused by poor organisation, excessive demands and unrealistic deadlines that make you feel your job or career is under threat. 

Other causes of occupational burnout include:

• unclear responsibilities and expectations from your manager;
• unreasonable time pressure;
• work tasks that are difficult to manage (on your own), or difficulties with time management;
• a lack of communication and support at work;
• rude and indifferent colleagues or managers;
• unfair treatment, and a lack of recognition for achievements and effort;
• no clear boundary between work and free time.

If you recognise yourself in these scenarios: don't worry. We've got treatment approaches for you too – and we'll come to those shortly. 

Who is more prone to burnout?

Some people are at greater risk of burnout because of genetic predispositions or difficult life events (trauma, divorce, bereavement). Personality traits such as pessimism, perfectionism, emotional instability, poor adaptability to stressful situations, a need for control and a competitive mindset also have a negative effect and can intensify the consequences of occupational exhaustion.

Burnout syndrome – risk factors

The following factors can contribute to exhaustion at work:

• You have a heavy workload and work long hours.
• You struggle to balance your professional and private life.
• You work in a caring profession, such as healthcare.
• You feel you have little or no control over your work.

Of course, in reality most of these risk factors are largely within your control – you just can't see that any more once you're facing burnout.

How is burnout diagnosed?

The clinical picture of burnout syndrome isn't easy to describe. It differs from person to person, but at its core it involves a range of symptoms of social dysfunction as well as psychosomatic and somatic disturbances. What does that mean?

Burnout presents three broad categories of stress symptoms: physical exhaustion with physical symptoms, emotional exhaustion with symptoms affecting attitudes and feelings, and behavioural symptoms that lead to low productivity and dissatisfaction at work.

At present there are no well-researched procedures for making a formal diagnosis of burnout syndrome. However, there are numerous self-assessment questionnaires – mainly online – such as the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which is available for various occupational groups but is not approved as a diagnostic test. 

Burnout symptoms can easily be confused with those of mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety disorders. 

Consequences of untreated burnout syndrome

Ignoring the signs of burnout or putting off treatment can have significant consequences, including:

• excessive stress
• fatigue
• insomnia
• sadness, anger or irritability
• alcohol or substance misuse
• cardiovascular disease
• raised blood pressure
• type 2 diabetes
• increased susceptibility to illness

Cases like these arise when you put off speaking to a professional for too long, or avoid making the decisions yourself that could improve your lifestyle. The first step is to understand what you're feeling – and then act accordingly, for your own good. 

What's the difference between burnout and other conditions?

As mentioned, burnout can easily be confused with other conditions or mental health disorders. So let's look at the differences together. 

The difference between burnout & depression

Both burnout syndrome and depression involve excessive tiredness, marked sadness and reduced performance at work. The difference with burnout is that it usually develops against a backdrop of problems in the workplace. With depression, by contrast, the negative thoughts relate to every area of life.

Depression also manifests in low self-esteem, a feeling that life is meaningless and, at times, suicidal thoughts. These aren't typical symptoms of burnout syndrome – nevertheless, excessive occupational exhaustion can increase the likelihood of becoming depressed.


 

The difference between burnout & anxiety

Anxiety is the feeling that distances you from the things that frighten you – a generalised state of fear that anticipates some discomfort or unpleasantness. When the anxiety is connected to your workplace, it amplifies the negative feelings you're experiencing and then leads to burnout.

You'll find more ways to calm your mind, along with methods for recognising whether you're suffering from anxiety, in our excellent article HERE.

The difference between burnout & stress

While stress is the result of temporary pressure, burnout is the result of sustained pressure. Burnout can be seen as the end stage of a breakdown in adaptation, developing over time through long-term exposure to occupational stress.

Stress exists independently of burnout and can be easily overcome when managed effectively. Managing it poorly, however, leads to burnout – particularly in the context of a demanding workplace.

The difference between burnout & chronic fatigue

Although they're very similar, the difference between burnout and chronic fatigue is that the former is definitively linked to the professional side of life, while the latter can also occur without any stress at work – as a combination of several factors.

Chronic fatigue arises from an interplay of factors relating to your job, your family and other aspects of your private life. Burnout, on the other hand, is caused by work-related factors, but can spread in the form of negative feelings into your personal or family satisfaction too.

Recovery – how is burnout syndrome treated?

Burnout is a lasting state that only changes if you do something about it yourself. Here are a few steps to help you get through this phase of your life:

• Identify the stressors in your life and reduce the unnecessary, peripheral ones.
• Review your priorities and make sure they're realistic and connected to your bigger goals.
• Structure each day better, make a plan and stick to it.
• Create a ritual to mark the end of the working day, so it's easier to separate work from personal time.
• Focus your attention on progress, not just the end goal.
• Devote at least an hour a day to a hobby.
• Make sure you get as much rest as you need.
• Spend more time with the people who matter to you – friends or family – and switch off from work-related stress.
• Meditate for a few minutes each day to relax your body.
• Seek support from loved ones, from people you trust, or from a support network.

If you find that small lifestyle changes aren't having the effect you'd hoped for, try to find a therapist you can open up to and who can help you make better sense of your emotional journey.