Addressing Burnout
As discussed last week taking time to recognize the symptoms of burnout requires you to take the time to internalize how you are feeling toward a job or personal situation. Instead of operating on autopilot, it requires you to hit the pause button and actually do a body scan over feelings and symptoms.
Diagnosis
In the medical world, we constantly are diagnosing and treating different conditions. Throughout our training, we are taught to develop what is called a differential diagnosis list—-a list of all the possible diagnoses based on how your patient is presenting, objective data collected, etc. In my opinion, the diagnosis of burnout is no different. There are screening tools that have been established but these do not really provide other differentials for symptoms experienced. It is important to remember that burnout can also develop into depression and chronic fatigue. Burnout is currently not recognized by ICD-10 (medical coding) or DSM-IV (official manual for American Psychiatric Association—a framework for psychiatric-related disorders like anxiety, depression, etc).
The current screening tool for burnout is called the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The MBI has been adapted into different versions depending on the group that needs to be assessed. The five existing versions are as follows: Human Services, Human Services Survey for Medical Professionals, Education Survey, General Survey, and General Survey for Students. By adopting different versions, the screening tool is tailored to questions that may address burnout within that particular population.
Addressing It
The approach to burnout really depends on the severity of symptoms/phase of burnout. By catching burnout early you can implement better-coping mechanisms to handle workplace stressors. De Hert’s analysis of burnout, states that managing burnout stems from three main principles: “relief from stressors, revival via relaxing or activity, and abandoning ideas of perfection". There are tons of wellness strategies that can be implemented to prevent the progression of burnout and also reverse some of the early stages.
There are numerous measures you can take to manage burnout. The first is to prioritize self-care— use your personal days and sick time if needed. Prioritize your own health care appointments, gym session, and healthy nutritional choices. Make time in your life for the relationships that fill you back up and also prioritize time alone so you can relax and recharge. If you are reading this and cannot even think how you could take time off or your personal days do not get approved etc it may be time to have a discussion with your boss about your needs as an employee. I encourage you to pay very close attention to the response you get—this will clue you in if this is a job that can accommodate your needs as a person as well as an employee.
Also, take a look at the perspective and attitude you bring to work. Is there a way you can shift this to be more confident and positive? The workload and deadlines are always going to be there but is there a way to change your outlook on your day-to-day? Are there certain aspects of your job that you could delegate to other team members? Maybe you do not need to get lunch with the coworker that emotionally drains you for the afternoon. What shifts can you make in your day-to-day attitude that will change the way you approach work?
Please keep in mind the above suggestions are to help with the earlier symptoms of burnout. If you are to the point of chronic fatigue/stress, hopelessness, or social withdrawal other interventions are warranted. These may include therapy and seeing your healthcare provider evaluate anxiety/depression concerns.
We spend so much of our lives at work. It should be a place that challenges us, but is also rewarding and builds confidence over time. Our work becomes such a part of our identity in our current society. Spending forty hours a week (or more) in a situation that is draining the life out of you is no way to live.
Now that you can recognize the early signs of burnout I encourage you to take action. Evaluate why the emotions you are experiencing are presenting and what you can change. If you cannot change the circumstances, such as unrealistic work demands or a toxic work environment, take your amazing skills and personality and bring them elsewhere.