How to Avoid Occupational Burnout

Your work, whatever it may be, matters for many reasons. Through the work you do, you provide goods and services that make other’s lives better. Your work is also an outlet for you to use the many talents and gifts the Lord has given you to serve others. Also, your work provides you with legal means to take care of yourself and your family and to be generous toward others in need (Ephesians 4:28). However, it can also be the cause of occupational burnout.

Work occupies a significant portion of the average American’s life. Often, work may even threaten to spill over and take time away from family and other pursuits. It can be even harder to separate work from the rest of your life if you work from home or have a flexible schedule. One common and unfortunate occurrence connected to work is when a person experiences occupational burnout.

What is occupational burnout?

The word “burnout” brings to mind a match that’s fizzled out and smoking. It’s still slightly hot to the touch, but it doesn’t possess the brilliance and heat it possessed before. When a person is burned out, they’re no longer as incandescent as they used to be, not as energetic, creative, or vibrant. They don’t enjoy their work as much as they used to, and it might even feel like a burden.

While people in all kinds of professions can be at risk of occupational burnout, certain professions could be exposed to greater risk. These would include people in the helping professions such as doctors, nurses, firemen, paramedics, police officers, counselors and social workers, non-profit and charity workers, teachers and educators, customer service representatives, and tech professionals.

When a person experiences burnout, they feel emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted and overwhelmed because of their work. They may have capacity, enthusiasm, and creativity in other aspects of their life, but when it comes to their work, it can feel like they’ve come to the end of themselves and the resources they can leverage to do their work well.

Its Causes

Burnout can happen over time as a person reaches their limits and loses their ability to enjoy or perform well at work. Different professions will put different pressures on people, and these can lead to occupational burnout. For instance, social workers might reach burnout due to having limited resources, high caseloads, and emotional trauma they experience when dealing with their clients.

Another example is in healthcare, where a large patient load, the emotional demands of caring for others, and long hours can lead to burnout. A customer service representative may get burned out because of performing repetitive tasks, and the stress of dealing with difficult (and sometimes abusive) customers. In these specific ways, a worker may experience stress and reach their breaking point.

Experiencing high levels of stress, long work hours, little time for rest and recuperation, involvement with high emotional demands, and a lack of control, variety, or autonomy in your work can all lead to occupational burnout. Occupational burnout may also occur when a person doesn’t get recognized or rewarded for the work they’ve done. Unsupportive work environments can also be a factor.

These different causes of occupational burnout produce a lack of job satisfaction and strained relationships with colleagues. If you feel burned out, it’s also probable that your enjoyment of your work will decrease, and you’re less likely to be creative or innovative. If you cannot show up and perform as usual at work, it’s unlikely you’ll have the energy to innovate, problem-solve, or be creative.

Preventing Occupational Burnout

Burnout can take time to overcome. If you lose your joy, passion, and energy for your work, it can take anywhere from a month to a year to regain it, depending on the severity of the burnout. There may also be serious consequences to being burned out, such as not putting forth all your effort or making poor decisions. In professions like emergency responders or healthcare professionals, it could be a life-or-death matter.

The good news is that you can overcome burnout and prevent it before it even happens. Some ways to prevent and also mitigate burnout include the following:

Self-care Be sure to prioritize regular self-care and stress management. Exercise, take breaks, sleep, and eat well.

Set boundaries and priorities Be willing to set and maintain clear boundaries. Be willing to say “No,” and learn how to create and stick to your priorities.

Seek help You don’t have to go it alone when you’re stuck or need guidance. Seek support from colleagues and mentors to know how to do your job more efficiently and effectively.

Streamline You can get things done, reduce your stress levels, and streamline your processes through effective time management and delegation. Plan your time well to accomplish tasks promptly. This can reduce your stress levels. If you have a team and don’t have to do everything, entrust the tasks to others and empower them to perform those tasks well.

Pursue wellness and growth Often, there are organizational wellness initiatives you can take advantage of. Participate in these as well as in professional development and growth opportunities that help you to grow as a person and professional.

Occupational burnout is real, but it is preventable. You can talk with a counselor or life coach to develop self-care routines and strategies to rest and replenish your reserves so that you remain effective and fulfilled in the workplace.