Burnout: Noticing the signs of chronic workplace stress
Burnout: Noticing the signs of chronic workplace stress
With the constantly changing work environments, high employee turnover and the lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, more workers are becoming physically and mentally exhausted in their jobs.
By Lilly Croucher
Stress at work can lead to headaches and constant fatigue as well as feelings of loneliness and anxiety. This prolonged state of exhaustion is known as burnout and if you have ever felt like this, you are not alone.
In a 2021 survey by Mental Health UK and YouGov, they found ‘one in five UK workers felt unable to manage pressure and stress at work’.
Continuing in a state of burnout for too long can have detrimental consequences on your life and mental health as Amy, a Conference Producer from London, experienced recently.
Amy worked at a large events company and experienced burnout earlier this year after increased pressure from work started to impact her health.
“It wasn’t uncommon for me to have a headache from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep.
“Not matter how many hours I slept I never felt rested it was just a general weariness and fatigue and I started developing strange body aches.”
“I thought ‘maybe I’m not drinking enough water’ or ‘these body aches are because I sit in a desk chair all day’.
“Burnout is quite insidious in that you can feel so worn out and tired and very slowly you forget what normal feels like.
“I was working late nights and weekends. I missed birthdays, parties, and nearly a friend’s wedding because of sheer exhaustion.
“I remember going to a friend’s birthday and not drinking because I had to get up early for work in the morning and it would be a Sunday.”
“My doctor told me if I don’t take time off soon, I was going to end up in hospital.”
“Eventually my doctor told me if I don’t take time off soon, I was going to end up in hospital. I felt broken as a person.
“I ended up taking two months of sick leave where it took me six to seven weeks for just the headaches to stop, and that was with pure rest. I am still recovering six months later.”
“Burnout slowly infects the rest of your life until it becomes this nexus of work, and it becomes a very sad and unfulfilling way to live.
Amy is one of the thousands of workers that experience burnout each year.
In 2019, the World Health Organisation classified occupational burnout as a ‘syndrome’ caused by ‘chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’.
There are several different symptoms of burnout to be aware of.
Physical symptoms:
· Frequent headaches
· Muscle pain
· Constant fatigue
· Disruptive sleep (insomnia)
· Lack of appetite
· Feeling drained of energy
Mental symptoms:
· Feeling overwhelmed
· Feeling alone and/or trapped
· Feeling like a failure
· Anxiety
· Depression
· Self-doubt
· A negative outlook on life
Behavioural symptoms:
· Being disorganised
· Procrastination
· Mood swings (more irritable)
· Underperforming
Some people in your company may be more at risk of burnout, keep a look out for those who are:
· Fully capable of a role but suddenly becoming overwhelmed
· Lacking resources to do their job
· Constantly busy and cannot take on new tasks
· Cannot offload their work
· Taking holiday but working extra hours to make up lost time
· The fixers on a new project
· Working late evenings or weekends to get work done
· Unenthusiastic towards an exciting new task
Remember: Burnout is not your fault but speaks more to a poor work culture with more systemically rooted issues. Work should begin and end at a certain time and if the work is not satisfying then something needs to change.
If you are struggling with burnout, you can get support by following the links below or in the picture:
Samaritans
samaritans.org 116 123
Mind
mind.org.uk 03001233393
Anxiety UK
anxietyuk.org.uk 03444775774