According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. 1 It is characterized 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
In May 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) included Burnout in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) classifying it as an occupational phenomenon but not a medical condition.
The term “burnout” was popularized by German-born American psychologists Herbert J. Freudenberger whose 1980 book: Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement, 1 describes the effect of burnout on occupational performance and strategies for dealing with work-related stress.
Burnout is a state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by one’s professional life.
The three components of Burnout: 2
- emotional exhaustion—the fatigue that comes from caring too much, for too long;
- depersonalization—the depletion of empathy, caring, and compassion; and
- decreased sense of accomplishment—an unconquerable sense of futility: feeling that nothing you do makes any difference.
Signs of Burnout 3
- Exhaustion: People affected feel drained and emotionally exhausted, unable to cope, tired and down, and don’t have enough energy. Physical symptoms include things like pain and gastrointestinal (stomach or bowel) problems.
- Alienation from (work-related) activities: People who have burnout find their jobs increasingly stressful and frustrating. They may start being cynical about their working conditions and their colleagues. At the same time, they may increasingly distance themselves emotionally, and start feeling numb about their work.
- Reduced performance: Burnout mainly affects everyday tasks at work, at home or when caring for family members. People with burnout are very negative about their tasks, find it hard to concentrate, are listless and lack creativity.
In their book, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, share strategies for dealing with burnout, minimizing stress, managing emotions and living a joyful life. Some strategies for dealing with stress according to the Nagoski sisters include:
Exercise
Physical activity is what tells your brain you have successfully survived the threat and now your body is a safe place to live. Physical activity is the single most efficient strategy for completing the stress response cycle.
Breathing.
Deep, slow breaths dow nregulate the stress response—especially when the exhalation is long and slow and goes all the way to the end of the breath, so that your belly contracts. Breathing is most effective when your stress isn’t that high, or when you just need to siphon off the very worst of the stress so that you can get through a difficult situation, after which you’ll do something more hardcore.
Positive Social Interaction
Casual but friendly social interaction is the first external sign that the world is a safe place. People with more acquaintances are happier.
Laughter.
Laughing together—and even just reminiscing about the times we’ve laughed together—increases relationship satisfaction. When we laugh, says neuroscientist Sophie Scott, we use an “ancient evolutionary system that mammals have evolved to make and maintain social bonds and regulate emotions.
Dealing with Founders Burnout
One of the hallmarks of most successful entrepreneurs is their passion and work ethic for their dream and business. This passion can lead to burnout in founders, leading to long work hours, lack of sleep, compulsive micromanagement, and lack of self-care, among other side effects. Here are some tried and tested strategies for dealing with burnout.
Get Enough Sleep
The World Health Organization and the National Sleep Foundation both stipulate an average of eight hours of sleep per night for adults. But Two-thirds of adults throughout all developed nations fail to obtain the recommended eight hours of nightly sleep.
Inadequate sleep—even moderate reductions for just one week—disrupts blood sugar levels so profoundly that you would be classified as pre-diabetic. Short sleeping increases the likelihood of your coronary arteries becoming blocked and brittle, setting you on a path toward cardiovascular disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure. (Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker).
Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day—Mother Nature’s best effort yet at contra-death. - Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker
Eat Healthy Food
Having a healthy and balanced diet is essential for living a good life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy diet protects us against many chronic non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. WHO recommends Eating plenty of vegetables and fruit, less fat, Limiting intake of sugars and reducing salt intake.
Get Active
Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. Regular physical activity is one of the most important things people can do to improve their health.
Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits.
Prioritize your work
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines priorities as something that is more important than other things, and that needs to be done or dealt with first. One of the ways that you can reduce your stress level and burnout is by prioritizing your work. As author Dr. Stephen R. Covey once noted:
“To live a more balanced existence, you have to recognize that not doing everything that comes along is okay. There’s no need to overextend yourself. All it takes is realizing that it’s all right to say no when necessary and then focus on your highest priorities.“
“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.”― Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living
Take Time Off
According to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO): “Long working hours increase deaths from heart disease and stroke”. With working long hours now known to be responsible for about one-third of the total estimated work-related burden of disease, it is established as the risk factor with the largest occupational disease burden.
Taking time off work is a great way to recharge, reduce stress, connect with family and friends, and re-order your priorities. The WHO/ILO report recommends that “employees could share working hours to ensure that numbers of hours worked do not climb above 55 or more per week.”
Delegate. Delegate. Delegate
Delegation
Leadership author John C. Maxwell observed that there are two categories when it comes to delegation; they’re either clingers or dumpers.
- Clingers refuse to let go of anything they think is important—whether they are the best person to do it or not. Their goal is perfection.
- Dumpers are quick to get rid of tasks, yet give little thought to how successful their delegation efforts will be. Their goal is to get things off their desk.
According to the late London business school professor John Hunt: Only 30 percent of managers think they can delegate effectively, and only one in three is considered a good delegator by his or her subordinates.
“No executive has ever suffered because his subordinates were strong and effective.” - Peter Drucker
A great strategy for reducing stress and overcoming burnout is to delegate to your employees.
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