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HomeMental HealthBurnoutWhat is Burnout
What is Burnout

18 Minutes

Edited & medically reviewed by THE BALANCE Team
Fact checked

Even if you’re the chirpiest person in town, sometimes the work stress gets to the best of us. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, however, if you are starting to feel fatigued and exhausted all the time, it might not be normal. Feeling overstressed all the time may make way for “BurnOut Syndrome” Some even call it the Silent Crisis in Global Health. This is due to the sudden rise in Burnout cases and the severity it may impact with.

Did you know Burnout syndrome has risen to 33% only in the past year of 2020?   Yes, it’s that serious and frequent. Previously many of us have shrugged it off as laziness or just casual stress however according to the research being conducted in the past few years it is much beyond “Casual Stress” The continuously rising burnout cases among the employees have grasped the highlights and therefore Burnout symptoms must not be taken lightly.

It is said around two-thirds of the workers experience Burnout symptoms all around. You might be or not be one of them. However, if you do experience Burnout, What is a Burnout Recovery Method? How do you completely recover from it? What are the signs and symptoms of Burnout? As much as you would like to think it’s only related to the work or workplace it is not. Much to your surprise, the root cause may be very different. Having Burnout not only slows your productivity but continues to drain you emotionally and mentally.

Illustration representing the 12 stages of burnout

By definition, Burnout is itself not a medical disease. Rather it is a continuous state of feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated and drained. Physically, mentally as well as emotionally. You have trouble keeping your focus and being consistent with your work timelines. Productivity drops down very low which further adds to your restlessness and agitation. According to the “International Classification of Diseases,” it has been included as the occupational phenomenon in the “ICD-11”

Burnout Syndrome

The World Health Organization – WHO has referred to this as Burnout Syndrome. According to WHO, it is only considered a Burnout syndrome if the following three criteria are being checked list

  • Decreased work performance
  • Feelings of cynicism or callousness concerning the work or workplace
  • A continuous state of deprivation or exhaustion

Jobs with Burnout Tendency

Following are the jobs that have a higher burnout tendency than others:

  • Healthcare Professionals
  • Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists
  • Teachers
  • Social Workers
  • Police Officers
  • Retail
  • Law Attorney
Matches lined together with only one burnt out.

Even though it might seem a simple phenomenon, in actuality it is far more complex. For there are further subtypes of burnout syndrome. According to Farber’s classification, there are 3 types of occupational Burnouts namely:

Frenetic or classic

Frenetic profiles are the most classic examples of Burnout Syndrome. Such are the cases where a person hoards himself with work and later on succumbs to the pressure. The person works overtime to produce immaculate and sometimes even impossible tasks. They may do so at the expense of their relationships and health. This leads to the point where they begin to neglect their basic needs and/or their family.

Related: Mental Health Luxury Inpatient Rehabs and Treatments at The Balance

Under challenged

Under-challenged types are the second type of Burnout profiles. Such cases suffer from burnout mainly because they become uninterested in their work. They continue to perform their tasks however with no energy and motivation. The reason for being dissatisfied with their work may be the mundane routine, Ineffective reward mechanisms, or glorification of another employment. These profiles tend to be more laid back due to their loss of interest and therefore are less exhausted compared to the other types.

Worn Out

This is the type of Burnout where a person has lost all motivation left to do their job. It won’t be wrong if it’s said that they might have given up. They are fixated on their opinions and believe that the results will continue to be disappointing regardless of their input. They express depressiveness and seem to have no control over the end product of their work. This leads to developing an escaping mentality where they tend to run away from all the responsibilities.

Note: It is of vital importance to understand the type of burnout you are experiencing because each type requires a different approach and a specific burnout recovery method.

On average the following five stages of burnout have been established:

1-Honeymoon Phase

As the name suggests, it’s feeling all good and nothing less. This phase is mostly in the beginning just like your relationship however here it’s a relationship with your office or workplace. You feel extraordinarily energetic and charged. You meet any demands head-on. Fearless and competitive. You find yourself ecstatically happy about your work.

2-Onset of Stress

This is the second phase of your burnout. You start feeling a bit more tired than usual. You find yourself working overtime but the huge pile of work stands there mocking you. You feel like you aren’t working hard enough. But you tell yourself it’s manageable with just a little more coffee intake. You also start experiencing occasional backache or a headache with little stiffness in your neck.

3-Chronic Stress

This is almost near to your breaking point. From feeling energized you now feel only bummed out. You experience exhaustion and fatigue all over like there all energy has left from every fiber of your being. You also start noticing changes in your personality. You are told that you’re being more aggressive and irritable. You find yourself disappointed where nothing happens to be exciting enough.

4-Burnout

Alas! You burnout. You find yourself in deep pits of anxiety and depression. Life seems to be falling apart in all areas. Your work, your relationships, nothing seems to be holding on. Your hospital bills start showing up because you tend to be falling sick now. Some pain here and some pain there. You start to have feelings of resentment, cynicism towards your work. Feelings of despair surround you and you develop an attitude of escaping from it all.

5-Habitual Burnout

This is the phase you enter when you are continuously in the burnout phase. All the burnout signs and symptoms feel too familiar now. You fail to recognize this as not normal and are in constant denial. With continuous emotional and medical issues, you might develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is a mental disorder you experience after a life-changing traumatic event.

How do I know I’m experiencing Burnout?

It’s not always easy to differentiate whether you are experiencing normal workplace stress or chronic burnout. However, the following are some of the signs and symptoms that will help you to assess yourself:

  • Continuous Fatigue and Feelings of being drained
  • A cycle of cynical thoughts related to the work or work environment
  • Being excessively unmotivated and displeased with the work
  • Having trouble keeping yourself focused
  • Constant feeling of being under accomplished
  • Unable to cope with deadlines
  • Medically unexplained muscle spasms, body aches, headaches
  • Increasing Aggressiveness and Irritability
  • Anxiety or Depression
  • Constantly working harder and pushing yourself
  • Increasing Alcohol intake

Is it stress or Burnout?

Many of us may get confused about whether we are suffering from burnout or just stressing out. It is easily possible because the symptoms mentioned above might overlap with someone who is stressed. However, there are a few stark differences you need to look out for, in order to differentiate between the two.

These are:

StressBurnout
You will find yourself overly engaging. Trying to be adjustable and accommodate the pressureYou will find yourself extremely disengaging. Not being able to respond to the stress at all
You will find yourself Hyper Alert and attentive to get things done in timeYou will find yourself in hopelessness and despair with no positive outcome.
You will have no energy physically.You will have no will to muster energy i.e. no motivation or hope.

Long Term Effects of Burnout

Dismissing burnout should be discouraged by all means because not only it deranges and disrupts your life in the short term but it’s reported to have some major life long-term effects as well.

Physical Consequences:

Chronic and prolonged burnout may have some serious consequences on your health, mind, and personality as well. These are listed below as Physical, Psychological, and Occupational consequences. According to the studies, people who have experienced burnout presented with a high number of comorbid conditions.

They were seen to be associated with the following

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Hypercholesterolemia
  • Obesity
  • Coronary Heart disease
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Extreme Gastrointestinal Problems
  • Severe Respiratory Problems
  • Musculoskeletal Changes
  • Changes in Neurological Pain Perception
  • Decreased Immunity in general

NOTE: Studies have shown burnout to be increasingly associated with Hypercholesterolemia and Type 2 Diabetes.

Psychological Consequences:

  • Insomnia *
  • Depression
  • Psychological Issues
  • Hospitalization for Mental Illnesses
  • On medication for Psychotropic symptoms
  • On Antidepressant medication
  • Headache *

Occupational Consequences:

  • Job Dissatisfaction
  • Absenteeism

NOTE: Symptoms marked with asterisks were conflicted during the study results however the highlighted ones were found predominantly.

Is Burnout Permanent?

The short answer is NO.

Burnout is not permanent however it may take a long time depending on your symptoms and severity. Many questions have to be asked to say how long it would take to recover. Some may be:

  • How long have you been in this situation?
  • What is the intensity of your symptoms?
  • How are your relationships?
  • Have you recently been diagnosed with any mental illness?
  • Have you been getting sick a lot recently?
  • What are your plans in terms of work and life?
  • What is your financial standing at the moment?
  • Who do you lend on for support?

If you’ve reached here and considered yourself to be a victim of work burnout fear no more because from here onwards we only talk about Burnout Recovery and Treatment Methods. As mentioned earlier, there are various types of burnout and each of which requires a unique approach for treatment. Once diagnosed, the burnout recovery process is very simple and easy.

How to Recover From Burnout?

To completely recover from burnout you must know what your triggering factors are. The key factor multiplying in this situation is stress. But what elevates it? That’s for you to find out. Once you have identified your source of stress and removed it from the equation, you will have to relax your mind and body.

Read Also: Eating Disorders Luxury Inpatient Treatment and Rehab

You can proceed to do it with self-help or go to a Burnout treatment Centre. Both the modes of treatment are listed below.

Self Help

You can do it by:

  • Self-Reflecting on your needs
  • Practicing Self Compassion
  • Talking to someone you can trust

With constant feelings of failure and cynicism, you start seeing yourself in a callous shade for yourself. In such times, it is important to talk to someone you trust and let them help you regard yourself clearly and positively

  • Psychotherapy

A certified medical professional knows better than you do and will help you feel at ease quicker and in an efficient manner.

  • Observing limits when pushing yourself

As much as it is important to explore your potential, it is important not to completely tire yourself out.

  • Prioritizing your happiness and mental health

Being in a constant stressing environment deteriorates your health not only mentally but physically as well.

  • Embracing Imperfections

Wanting to be immaculate is fine but anything over the top is dangerous. Learn to accept slight imperfections. It’s what makes you human

  • Lessen your screen time other than required

This will prevent physical symptoms such as headaches, dizziness.

  • Keeping your diet rich with meals that boost your serotonin levels

A serotonin-rich diet will prevent you from falling prey to depression. Switching to a serotonin-rich diet has been one of the key methods to cure depression.

  • Making a list of short term goals

Short-term goals are easier to achieve and will help you feel a sense of accomplishment.

How do you treat Burnout syndrome?

Every person has a specific threshold for stress. Therefore it is important to acknowledge the fact that each person reacts differently to different levels of stress.

Similarly, the severity of burnout may vary from one person to another. Some may develop extreme burnouts at levels that might be a normal range for you and vice versa.

Such people may experience intense burnouts for whom self-help is insufficient and an external intervention becomes a necessity.

What do the Burnout treatment centers offer?

In these scenarios, there are well-developed and highly maintained burnout recovery and treatment centers. These treatment centers provide you with massive facilities and promise a complete burnout recovery.

At the end of the treatment, you will feel relaxed and capable of, once again, coping with stress without any external help.

The strategies developed for a complete burnout recovery differ from one center to another and as well as on the patient being treated. However, generally, the following techniques are implied to free you of your exhausted state and ensure a total burnout recovery.

Among many, few are listed below:

Counseling and Psychotherapy

Sometimes allopathic medicinal treatments are enough and a person is advised to go for counseling or psychotherapy. The same is the case in a patient suffering from burnout.

Counselling and Psychotherapy work wonders for such patients. Both the terms are almost interchangeable but constitute a difference in the vastness of the treatment.

In counseling, a patient is subjected to address one single issue such as stress management in this case. While in Psychotherapy a wide range of issues is discussed ranging from thoughts to behavior.

  • Live in Therapist with 24/7 availability
  • Yoga, Massage, and Meditation

BCR- Biochemical Restoration

This is one of the newer concepts introduced in luxury rehab for burnout. It targets to restore the normal chemical balance in the brain. During this treatment, the patient is given the necessary nutrients, macro vitamins, amino acids, and essential fatty acids which are required by the body thus paving way for a quick and healthy recovery. Specialized diet plans by certified nutritionists.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

This is fairly a non-traditional type of psychotherapy. EMDR is beginning to prove quite helpful in regulating comprehensive treatment plans for Burnout Recovery. Since stress results in loss of productivity and many other psychomotor domains.

Biofeedback and Bio-Resonance

Biofeedback and Bio-resonance programs use the newest technology to establish and collect feedback mechanisms between your mind and body. Meaning the receptors and sensors. This technology allows you to establish a customized wellness program that is adjusted to your mind and body frequency resonance.

Interval Hypoxic Hyperoxic Treatment

This is a non-invasive and safe procedure. During this treatment method, the patient is exposed to alternating and high and low levels of oxygen. This puts a mild strain on the respiratory system and the mitochondria, the main place for aerobic respiration. This helps the formation of new and healthy cells.

Holistic Program

Holistic program is fairly a new term in the treatment however the techniques integrated into this method are traditional to provide comfort to the patient. The distinct fact about this program is that along with your physical and mental needs, spiritual and cultural requirements are met also with the same compassion and care. Thus treating you on all levels.

Adrenal Gland Restoration

Adrenal Glands are a vital part of our hormonal balance in the body. They are responsible for producing Cortisol, Aldosterone, and catecholamines. Catecholamines may be referred to as Emergency Hormones that are released in times of stress. I.e. Flight or Fight scenario.

However, if adrenal glands fail to function in their required capacity, it is termed Adrenal Fatigue. In such a case a person is unable to cope with any stressful activity and consequently may burn out. Thus, adrenal gland restoration is one of the treatment methods for burnout recovery.

  • Baseline Medical Checkups
  • Addiction Counselling
  • Mindfulness programs

THERAPIES

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT is one of the most renowned psychotherapies which treats several mental illnesses. It targets to correct the uncomfortable thoughts which link towards uncomfortable behavior patterns. The difference found in CBT as compared to other therapies is the fact that it indulges in cognition thinking rather than exploring feelings. Because after all the thoughts give rise to unusual and uncomfortable feelings. CBT intends to break this cycle therefore eliminating cynical and callous thoughts of patients suffering from burnout.

Phytotherapy

Phytotherapy is an organic plant-based medicinal treatment. It is distinct from the traditional herbal medicines because the latter do not follow the clinical knowledge rather depend on the traditional applications of the herbs.

However, phytotherapy consists of fully researched plant-derived organic medicines in terms of doses, effects, and side effects or allergies if any. In recent times, phytotherapy has become quite popular in testing mental illnesses or cognition disorders.

For example, the leaves of Ginkgo are used to treat several disorders of the nervous system. Thus, phytotherapy proves itself in testing and managing patients with symptoms of severe burnout.

Physiotherapy

Burnout takes a toll on your mental as well as physical health. It is important to break the stress feedback by engaging in strength training and exercises that produce hormones to help you combat stress. Not only this but physiotherapy also helps you find the right kind of exercises that will lead to the relaxation of your fatigued muscles. Hence relieving you of your constant cramp complaining. Physiotherapy aims to provide you with physical rehabilitation and disease prevention by restoring and maintaining your body health.

Pharmacotherapy

Pharmacotherapy deals with reducing the withdrawal symptoms of substance use or drug over usage with the help of medications. This therapy also reduces the cravings and the relapse of usage of such substances by minimizing their effects with blockage of their receptors. It is advised for Burnout patients as they tend to have an increased caffeine/ alcohol intake and might be on the verge of developing an addiction tendency for substance, alcohol, or any other drug.

Music therapy

Music therapy is comparatively new, consisting of well-researched studies with frequency impacts on the human mind and body amongst other things. Music therapy is very well linked with the health profession. It aims to provide calmness and positivity to the patients ultimately adding to their well-being. Music Therapy consists of binaural beats in the alpha frequencies (8 to 13 Hz) which have been proved to provide relaxation and decrease anxiety. Music Therapy is for all ages and genders. It is performed by skilled and certified music therapists. Music Therapy has become a breakthrough in particular with burnout patients helping them de-stress.

Aroma Therapy

Aroma Therapy is usually used as an adjuvant in treating many medical illnesses and disorders. It comprises an aromatherapist providing comfort to the patients with the use and blending of specific essential oils. They may be given through massages, inhalation, immersion in water, or simply just a topical application. Aromatherapy has produced remarkable results in treating headaches, backaches, insomnia, and decreased appetite.

Like treating any other disease, Burnout recovery consists of different stages. These are used to determine the graph between the treatment progress and the severity of the residual symptoms of burnout syndrome.

After going through numerous researches by top-tier PhDs, we have come to know that a burnout recovery is essentially unlearning all that has been made familiar to your brain and made to believe as normal.

This means letting go of the negative thoughts and remodeling your thinking perspectives about yourself and life in general.

Thus, Burnout recovery requires a substantial amount of conscious effort to rewire your brain. This is crucial for your complete Burnout recovery, why? It is because Stress the main key factor behind this whole phenomenon, completely modifies your cognitive abilities.

Yes, that means you no longer are the person you see in the mirror. Well yes, your physical appearance may seem familiar, but the inside thinking mechanisms have been altered. How you may view yourself may be very far from the truth.

Therefore to fix it all, you need to dig deep inside yourself and ask yourself the three W’s:

Why? When? Where?

  • Why are you feeling like this? What is causing you to have such negative thoughts about yourself?
  • When did you start feeling like this? Since when has this been lingering in the back of your mind? Perhaps after a certain assignment?
  • Where have you felt like this? In your workplace? Around some co-worker?

Once you have answered these questions, consider your healing has begun. Because after identifying the source, your healing will occur in the following stages:

  • Experiencing Grief

Accepting and allowing grief of failure is usually the first step. Instead of fighting against time to achieve impossible tasks, one grieves and then learns to let go.

  • Being Recreationally Active

This may include traveling, resuming normal Hobbies

  • Rethinking Choices

            This may involve Change of Fields, Workplace, and Internships

  • Final Self Reflection

Is there a time frame for Burnout Recovery?

This is the question you are most likely to ask yourself or any other professional once you’ve come aware that you suffer from burnout. Well, there are two sides to answering this question. Let’s start with the bad side first. There is no particular set time frame for complete burnout recovery. It may last from weeks, months to years. Does it make you sad? Well, it shouldn’t.

Because this implies that you are wholly responsible for your burnout recovery. How so, you ask me. Well, let me tell you. The minute you recognize your source of stress triggers you are halfway through.

Eliminating your sources of stress from the equation makes the situation extremely favorable to you. Because now you can slowly but surely distance yourself and revert the changes impacted on you and your personality. The bright side to Burnout recovery is that it’s entirely influenced by your will to become healthy and stress-free again.

To undo something, it is of utmost importance that you must first learn how it was done in the first place. Likewise to unwind something as profound and complex as your psychological changes the source should be identified. Once you develop the insight and can answer the question that was mentioned before, you are 10 times more likely to treat yourself better.

Three R Approach

The approach towards dealing with Burnout is called as “Three R Approach”

It consists of:

  1. Recognize – Your triggering factors and your symptoms
  2. Reverse – Revert the changes
  3. Resilience – Learn how to cope with stress to prevent future burnouts

Support From Family And Friends

However, it will not be enough. You will require the love and support from your family friends who will help you reorganize and re-evaluate yourself. This is essential to your burnout recovery because in most cases it’s not the stress itself the problem, it is your continuous cynicism towards yourself and your work.

Therefore it can be said that the best way to treat burnout syndrome along with the professionals is to reinvent yourself mentally and physically and surround yourself with people and places that make you the happiest, bringing you closer to your pre-burnout self.

To speed up your burnout recovery process, you might add the following tips:

Proper Sleep Routine

As the saying goes “Lack of sleep, not just all work makes jack and jill dull.” Therefore you must get a good and regular sleep. Studies have shown that deranged sleep patterns might result in cognitive impairment and reduce mental sharpness.

Prioritizing and Managing Timelines

Be it workplace or a social event. You must learn how to organize your timelines on a priority basis. This will prevent you from hoarding yourself with work or stress.

Practice Empathy

Practice Self-compassion but don’t forget to be empathetic. Remember stress is half gone.

Exercise/ Physical Activity

Make sure to exercise. This will naturally boost up your endorphins which act as mood enhancers.

Diet

Nothing works if you don’t keep yourself hydrated. Remember mind and body go hand in hand. They sustain and depend on each other. Keep your diet full of fruits and vegetables.

To conclude it all, it is pretty evident that Burnout is becoming very prevalent. The most targeted professions of burnout are usually the healthcare departments however with the continuously rising cases, any employee may suffer.

Overall the employees that are more engaging in the workplace and with the co-workers are less likely to suffer from burnout syndrome since they have more say in how to carry out their work.

Nevertheless, it is important to keep a check on yourself and your loved ones. Follow the tips and techniques in this article to prevent yourself from getting burned out, however, if you do fall to it come back here and read everything there is to know about Burnout Recovery!

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