Work Stress & Burnout
People most frequently experience burnout in in the workplace, but it can also happen to people who don't work traditional jobs, like stay-at-home parents and students.
What is Burnout?
Burnout was first described in the 1970’s by clinical psychologists studying healthcare workers. Over time they began to observe a syndrome of “emotional depletion”, which was characterized by a set of symptoms including fatigue, frustration, cynicism and a sense of meaninglessness. We now know that this phenomenon is not unique to healthcare workers, but instead is quite common among working professionals, stay-at-home parents and students as well.
In terms of understanding and treating burnout, it is essential to understand that it is really more than just exhaustion. Two other key dimensions – cynicism and the feeling that there is no sense of meaningful personal achievement in the workplace – are just as vital.
Burnout Symptoms
Mental and physical exhaustion due to excessive workloads
Pervasive frustration resulting from tasks that seem inefficient and meaningless
A sense of personal devaluation due to a lack of genuine autonomy, choice and control
Feeling unbalanced and purposeless as a result of poor work-life balance
Treating Burnout
Work stress and burnout are complex topics. While some of the external factors that cause these problems aren’t always under our immediate control, interventions are available to help address root causes and develop coping strategies. Regular talk therapy is essential for creating meaningful, lasting changes and medication management can help address symptoms of clinical depression and anxiety when necessary.