Burnout. What is it? Do we all have it?

Burnout. It’s quite the buzz word, isn’t it?

It seems everywhere we turn, the discussion around burnout or being burnt out comes up (particularly in the workplace with discussions around mental wellbeing). This might be more the case as well in a post-Covid world where global mental health suffered as a result of the global situation and need for isolation.

The colloquial use of the word or expression (if we were to say something like ‘I’m pretty burnt out this week’) would make perfect sense and would be perfectly reasonable at the end of a challenging week. Burnout, however, is also gaining significant traction as potentially becoming its own classification as a recognizable condition and disorder and could show up in future iterations of the ever-evolving Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)- that is to say that burnout might be recognized as a formal clinical diagnosis.

We have all likely experienced aspects and features of burnout (particularly during lockdown and in the pandemic), but burnout (speaking diagnostically) will be a less common occurrence- I’m reminded of the stress and insomnia I suffered in 2020 due to the need to work from home without having a clear ‘switch-off’ at the end of the day, as well not having the immediate support or chit-chat from colleagues. Stress and pressure have led to increased time off work in the past few years (increased number of front-line workers being signed off with depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress by their doctors) and the development of a potential clinical diagnosis could be controversial with specific implications work workplace environments.

In this article, and for Stress Awareness Month, I want to take the time to highlight this emerging idea and consider what can be done to help manage burnout as it develops.

What exactly is burnout?

In psychology/psychiatry, benchmarks are essential in helping us understand if a person ‘has’ (or is experiencing a specific difficulty or disorder) or not. In short, for a person to receive a diagnosis of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), etc; they must be experiencing a number of distinguishable conditions- this usually needs to be for a specific amount of time. If conditions are not met, a diagnosis would not be accurate. The World Health Organization (ICD-10) identifies the following benchmarks with regards to burnout:

• Energy depletion and exhaustion.

• Increased mental disturbance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism and cynicism towards one’s job.

• A sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.

While helpful, this list fails to fully paint the picture. In their seminal book, Burnout: A Guide to Identifying Burnout and Pathways to Recovery (2023), authors Parker, Tavella, and Eyers highlight how burnout distinguishes itself from other mental health conditions or difficulties such as depression by also identifying the following as being features of burnout:

• Exhaustion

• Anxiety

• Indifference

• Low/depressed mood

• Irritability/anger

• Disturbed sleep

• Lack of motivation or passion

• Compassion fatigue

• Diminished concentration/focus

• Impaired performance

• Becoming asocial

• Physical symptoms

• Emotional dysregulation

Is burnout just shiny depression?

In short… no.

Noticeably, the above-mentioned benchmarks are quite similar to symptoms that we would notice when people are struggling with depression (major depression in DSM-V). It could even be accurate to say that burnout contributes to (or can contribute to) depression. Burnout is distinguished as being a ‘stress reaction’ where depression does not explicitly need to be brought on by a ‘thing’ (or stressor) as such.

It is important to note, though, that, unlike clinical depression and anxiety, burnout can have its own unique features that are provoked by prolonged exposure to stressful situations, conditions, or environments.  

It might even be true that some people might be at higher risk to burnout or more likely to be pre-disposed to burnout, just as some people might be more predisposed to depression and/or anxiety. People who have a higher tendency to be perfectionists, for example, are arguably more susceptible to burnout due to the high pressure that they will put on themselves to deliver results.

Is burnout just a workplace phenomenon?

Ahh… now this is where it gets interesting.

Again… not necessarily.

While typical jobs might be prevalent in exhibiting burnout in the larger population (again, I’m thinking of front-line workers), the workplace is not necessarily a necessary condition as such.

Before breaking this down, let’s have a think about factors we would likely see in the workplace which can contribute to burnout (these shouldn’t come as a surprise). Common contributing factors to burnout can include excessive work hours, lack of downtime between tasks, work cultures that don’t ‘switch-off’ (being accessible at all hours), workplace environmental issues (heating, building problems), regular organizational changes, lack of social support, bullying and/or gaslighting from management structure (toxicity in the workplace), etc. (Parker, Tavella, Eyers, 2023). In that, some specific jobs/professions are more likely to experience burnout at a higher rate- these often being more ‘front-line’ working jobs where workers have both a high level of responsibility and low level of certainty of outcome- such roles can include teachers, veterinarians, doctors/nurses, and yes… even psychologists.

It should start to be getting clearer, though, that burnout as such can, of course, be experienced outside of the traditional workplace and can occur in other environments as well (other non-traditional work environments). Researchers describe how other roles and types of work, such as caregivers, parents, or in romantic relationships. Burnout is likely to be experienced in such roles when again, the above-mentioned features are present (negative feelings towards role/work, sense of ineffectiveness, lack of support, etc.).

So… what can be done about burnout? (i.e., how can we treat burnout?)

Quite a lot, actually… although sometimes this can be drastic.

Speaking to a Psychologist can be essential in the healing process. In psychological counselling, one can begin to understand how burnout developed and begin to address their feelings with regards to their situation and corresponding stresses. In that, we can also consider how we might be able to manage this specific stress and try to come up with some specific ideas and suggestions that will be helpful.

The most drastic, although sometimes needed, resolution is leaving the situation. Sometimes something just cannot be repairable and leaving is the only possible option to move forward. We need tread caution with this and it is always helpful to speak to friends and family about this option, but realistically speaking, leaving a job or role can present new opportunities for growth and change.

If work-related stresses are becoming a growing concern and you’re wondering how to heal, feel free to get in touch with us at MAPP Psychology. Together, we can discuss your specific stresses and begin to develop a plan as to how to manage.

-Dr. Adam Lorenzen