Are you suffering from burnout?

It’s been a dizzying few months with many of us finding our lives completely changed. Juggling working from home with childcare, extra household tasks, stresses of job security, an unclear economic future and the constant threat of illness hanging in the air it’s no wonder that Google has seen a spike in people searching the term ‘burnout’.

So, what is burnout? and how can we recognise the signs and ultimately try to avoid it?

Stress in small levels can actually be a good thing; giving us motivation and the drive we need to move forward. These small amounts of positive stress benefit overall emotional health, giving that adrenaline rush needed for the determination to succeed.

However, when stress becomes negative and prolonged it can have a devastating effect on emotional, mental, and physical health resulting in burnout.

Signs of burnout:

Difficulty concentrating
Irritability
Anxiety
Isolation
Exhaustion
Forgetfulness
Insomnia/increased sleeping
Being overly critical/cynical of yourself/others
Increased/loss of appetite
Prone to constant illness
Increased alcohol or drug use
Feelings of detachment

It is important to recognise the signs as soon as possible before full burnout occurs. If you feel you are at or are approaching burnout then speak to your employer. In the current circumstances employers are aware that employees are under extra strain and more susceptible to stress and anxiety. Speaking to your employer will allow them to understand and to work with you to try and elevate some of the stress related to your job.

What can employers do to protect employees from burnout?

Keep up positive communication
Regular ‘check-ins’ with staff
Offer support
Make sure workloads are reasonable and manageable
Create achievable deadlines
Make sure job roles are clearly defined and adhered to
Understand employee’s personal situations and how this effects their daily lives.

Burnout is an unfortunate circumstance of today’s fast paced and demanding society. We want to (and are expected to) achieve more and go above and beyond in everything we do, especially in the workplace.

By being mindful of the triggers and warning signs of burnout employers and employees can take steps to try and prevent occurrences of it within their workplace and protect the health and wellbeing of staff.

Keeli MacMillan

SearchDATA Group.

Why not read our blog https://searchdatagroup.co.uk/news-posts/how-to-get-a-promotion-5-top-tips/