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Managing Stress

Burnout Isn't Just Exhaustion. Here's How To Deal With It (npr.org)

Dana Brown (PACEs Connection Staff) Dana Brown (PACEs Connection Staff)
 

Whether working from home or not, many people are feeling burned out during the coronavirus pandemic.

A new survey found that nearly 90% of respondents in more than 40 countries felt that their work lives were getting worse during the pandemic. And more than 60% felt that they were experiencing burnout often or very often.

In 2019, the World Health Organization brought some attention to the issue by defining burnout as a syndrome associated with chronic stress at work that goes unmanaged.

It's important to address burnout because it has serious consequences for individuals' mental health — it's a risk factor for depression, substance abuse and even suicide. Burnout can also be contagious and often affects entire workplaces.

We asked some of the top experts on the topic for tips to recognize and address burnout in oneself and in the workplace. Here's what they told us.

Burnout is more than you think.
One is the exhaustion — physical and emotional — you feel when you've been too stressed at work for too long. But burnout also comes with a feeling of cynicism about work. The third component, she says, is when you start to blame yourself for it.
Spot the signs of burnout and regain some control.
Know when you're working too much.
So it's important to take breaks, says Dr. Gaurava Agarwal, a psychiatrist and well-being coach with Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and the director of physician well-being.
Employers and managers need to address burnout.
Agarwal also encourages leaders in workplaces to talk openly and compassionately about burnout, especially now, during the pandemic. "By being transparent, by being compassionate, by showing grief, leadership, what you're doing is you're building the sense that we are in this together and we are going to get through this together," he says. "And we have frankly gotten through difficult times before. So what happens is people start leveraging those experiences. And in some ways, that's the heart of resilience."
To read more of Rhitu Chatterjee and Andee Tagle's article, please click here.

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