Burnout: Symptoms and Solutions

For most of us, December is the busiest month of the year. Many people realize at this point that they need to step up their efforts, as they only have one month left to achieve their goals for the year. At the same time, it’s a busy period in our personal lives as well, where we have to prepare for Christmas and buy gifts for all our family members. Do you recognize one of these situations?

The winter, cold weather, and early darkness are breeding grounds for bad moods and make it harder to cope with problems. As a result, it’s more common to succumb to burnout due to constant pressure both at work and in our personal lives. Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that occurs when someone is exposed to prolonged intense stress. And December, for the reasons mentioned above, is a massive stress bomb, not to mention other circumstances this year.

Burnout affects several levels of an individual’s life. It harms not only physical health but also mental well-being, relationships, and job performance. That’s why it’s crucial to recognize burnout and treat it as a serious issue early on, right at the first signs.

The Most Common Symptoms of Burnout Syndrome

Exhaustion:

A clear sign of burnout is the constant feeling of fatigue, which persists regardless of a normal 6-7 hours of sleep.

Lack of Motivation:

When inner motivation fades and nothing excites you anymore. This can manifest as difficulty waking up in the morning or struggling to perform at work.

Reduced Performance and Dissatisfaction:

A sudden decline in performance is another key symptom of burnout. Constant dissatisfaction, whether at work or in personal situations, can be a red flag.

Negative Emotions:

Persistent frustration and the feeling that nothing is working, nothing matters, and everything is ineffective. This can be summarized as a generally pessimistic attitude.

Problems in Interpersonal Relationships:

Burnout can lead to two outcomes: more conflicts with others (more arguments, disagreements) or avoiding social relationships and opting for solitary activities.

Neglecting Self-Care and Health Issues:

Burnout often leads to unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, alcohol use, fast food, poor nutrition, or sleep deprivation.

Due to the negative effects of burnout, chronic stress can cause real health problems, such as digestive issues, cardiovascular problems, depression, or obesity. Given these serious impacts, it’s important to recognize the signs early to prevent burnout before it becomes irreversible.

Cognitive Problems:

Under stress, the body’s attention focuses on the problem, preparing for a quick reaction to a threat. With long-term stress, the focus narrows to negative threats, making it difficult to consider anything else. As a result, decision-making and problem-solving abilities deteriorate. Forgetfulness is one of the clearest signs of cognitive impairment.

Steps to Maintain Balance

In the workplace, it’s important for leaders and colleagues to have a supportive social environment to help sustain the team during tough times. The World Health Organization has developed several models to understand and recognize burnout syndrome, identifying areas of imbalance that may lead to it.

According to surveys, the most critical areas are:

• Sense of control over work
• Overload
• Reward
• Community
• Fairness and deviation from core values

Effective support can be provided by maintaining balance in these areas. As a leader, you can grant employees autonomy and control over their work, which can be a highly effective primary support. Well-structured positive and constructive feedback also has an energizing effect, helping to build stronger self-esteem and, in turn, improving performance. Creating fair and shared values will also be sustainable if the employee feels valued and can identify with the company’s values. They will also be more resilient to challenges, as they can use these values as a source of strength during difficult times.

If professional support is needed, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can be helpful. This service provides employees with easy access to psychologists, available via phone or email 24/7. In addition to the help it offers, the service also prepares and supports managers and employees in recognizing burnout syndrome at a deeper level.