Dealing with Burnout at Work

Overview

Stress is a vital part of life, it's our bodies way of responding to threat or demand and has allowed us to survive as a species for many thousands of years. But even today when, at least for most of us, the chance of an impending tiger attack is relatively slim, stress still plays a crucial role in our lives.

When we feel stressed, the part of the brain that controls fear, known as the amygdala, activates our hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. This response system regulates hormones, in particular the hormone cortisol which is responsible for stress. An increase in the levels of cortisol increases our heart rate, blood glucose level and blood flow to the muscles to allow us to prepare to face a threat.

It would therefore be quite easy to question why cortisol and the stress reaction is relevant in today's world given an exceptionally low level of day to day threat. But we need to look at stress as more than just a black and white idea, think of it more as a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum we have zero stress, think sunbathing in the Caribbean. In this case our cortisol levels are extremely low and so we have low stress. On the other end of the spectrum we have a significantly stressful situation where our cortisol levels have placed us in the well-known 'fight or flight' state. However, in the middle of this spectrum we have an optimum position, we have a level of cortisol that increases our complex cognitive function meaning in Laymen's terms that our brain is working more effectively and we are better at thinking, learning and solving problems.

So, having no stress at all isn't good for us because it means we underperform, but equally having too much stress isn't good either. Once our cortisol levels rise above the optimum level, our complex cognative function becomes less effective as our body starts to interpret the external world as dangerous and so we have a priority shift away from being able to learn and think clearly to being able to think quickly and react to a threat. With this priority change comes a reduction in our productivity and performance.

What is burnout?

Burnout, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary is 'the state of being extremely tired or ill, either physically or mentally, because you have worked too hard.' According to a recent study by Asana, more than 80 percent of workers say they consistently feel overworked and close to burnout, with a quarter (25 percent) experiencing burnout once a month. So, it's no secret that this is a real issue facing the working world.

We've already talked about the performance/cortisol curve and know that too much or too little cortisol and stress can affect how we work, but when we have a prolonged period of high stress this is where problems occur. Our body maintains a stress level reflective of that of an impending danger leading to anxiety, low energy, low productivity, low resistance to illness, detachment from personal relationships as well as a whole host of other symptoms.

How can you prevent burnout?

Burnout should be a serious concern to anyone working in a high intensity workplace regardless of how well you feel you can cope. It's therefore vitally important that everyone practises methods to avoid prolonged periods of stress. Here's how:

1. Get the right amount of sleep

If you want to prevent burnout you should reduce your stress levels to keep them at that optimum part of the curve. Getting a good amount of sleep is a simple way of maintaining a healthy level of stress.

2. Identify what it is that's making you stressed

Is it the fact that you haven't organised your workload effectively? Is it a problem at home that you could talk to someone about? If you can locate areas of your life that are creating extra stress and work to resolve these issues, you can greatly reduce the likelihood of a burnout.

3. Make sure to exercise

Exercise is a proven way to reduce stress levels and refocus your attention. Think of this as almost pressing a reset button. Make sure you build time into your schedule regularly if not every day to exercise even just for a short walk.

4. Find a healthy work/life balance

Making sure you allow yourself time away from work is so important for controlling your level of stress. Maybe you could log out of your email account when you leave the office and at weekends. Creating a healthy relationship with work is vital for allowing that release of stress which brings you back towards that happy medium on the curve.

Be aware of where you are on the curve, notice when you're too stressed and act. Being self-aware is important for spotting problems early and avoiding damaging effects later on.

This article was written as part of the LinkedIn #Changemakers partnership – a 12-month campaign shining a spotlight on individuals who are using LinkedIn to drive genuine change in the world of work. To find out more about the partnership, read more here: https://lnkd.in/g6TTzFW