How to identify burnout at work symptoms, and spot if your team are on the brink
In the past few years, we’ve all become accustomed to hearing the word ‘burnout’ being discussed – whether it’s on panels, podcasts, or in the paper. By now, we (mostly) know that it’s a very real thing, and that it’s important to keep an eye on. But if you don’t quite know what you’re supposed to be looking out for, or are still unsure what burnout and the burnout at work symptoms are, then don’t worry: you’re not alone. This guide is for you!
Hi, I’m Nina - as the founder of Recess Living, I’m passionate about helping employers and L&D teams look out for themselves and their people. An excellent first step in cultivating a great environment for your employees is by familiarising yourself with the burnout at work symptoms (In fact, Recess Living was actually inspired by a period of burnout induced by my previous career!)
What is burnout?
First things first: what is burnout?
Definition of burnout
In 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) defined burnout as:
“a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed…refer[ring] specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life”.
They characterise it by three dimensions:
feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and
reduced professional efficacy.
Something to note is that whilst burnout is related to stress, it’s not the same thing. It’s actually a ‘totally different state of mind’, which can’t be remedied by the usual recovery phases of an evening or a weekend away from the office.
Why are we so burned out?
Burnout is not a phenomenon that is few and far between. Westfield Health found that close to half of the UK workforce are close to burnout (2022); and according to Glassdoor, the number of workers who are burned out has skyrocketed over the past year.
But why is this? Isn’t our work life more relaxed than ever, now that we’re connoisseurs of flexible, at-home working? Unfortunately not. With more digital connectivity than ever, less in-person interaction, and more demanding workloads, working from home can actually increase the risk of burnout, according to the above Westfield survey. McKinsey and Company even called this “the great exhaustion”, caused by the rise of hybrid working. And this, of course, is on top of a worldwide pandemic, a nationwide period of uncertainty, and much, much more.
What to look out for: burnout at work symptoms
So, now we know what burnout is, and some of the reasons why it’s so prevalent in the modern workforce; what should you be looking out for? What are the burnout work symptoms, and how might they present in your people?
Everyone’s experience of burnout is different, this isn’t a checklist of burnout at work symptoms to mark people up against (Remember: you don’t need to score full marks on it!) Instead, it’s a list of ways that burnout at work symptoms can present themselves, so that if you do notice some of them occurring in your employees and colleagues, you can step in to help them.
How burnout can feel
Everyone’s experience of burnout is different; but these are some of the ways your teams might be experiencing their burnout at work symptoms:
Physical exhaustion
Fogginess
Feeling helpless, or unable to cope
Nausea, gastritis and digestive issues
Constant headaches
Muscle spasms in my back, neck, jaw
Twitching in my eyes
Constant dread about opening emails, messages or interacting with colleagues
Feeling cynical
Feeling pessimistic
Loss of confidence
Loss of compassion
Loss of care for your job
What burnout can look like
Again, this differs from person to person - but here’s some of the burnout at work symptoms that might be more visible:
Lack of sleep
Lack of focus
Little patience
Over socialising / Withdrawing
Undereating / Overeating
Breakouts and skin complaints
Making mistakes you wouldn't normally make
Procrastination
Do any of these burnout at work symptoms sound familiar?
The next steps
Now we know what burnout is, and what burnout at work symptoms we need to be looking out for: what’s next?
The next step is how to combat burnout in your workplace, whether it’s already present or just threatens to be soon. You can check out some practical ways to here.
In addition, here are a couple of resources for further burnout reading and listening, if you’d like to know more:
Burnt Out by Selina Barker
Burnout: The Secret to Solving The Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski
Dr Rangan’s Feel Better, Live More