- Quit rates are soaring and 80% of workers are experiencing burnout symptoms. What can we do about it?ย
- Allwork.Spaceย spoke with Dr. Sherry Benton, founder of digital behavioral health platform TAO Connect, to understand more about career burnout.ย
- Dr. Benton offers guidance on how to spot burnout signs andย sharesย four key strategies to helpย workersย overcome it.ย
Recentย surveysย have found that 80% of workers are experiencing symptoms of burnout.ย Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics has also found thatย quit rates are the highestย they have ever been in over 20ย years.ย ย
While people are quitting for a variety of reasons, career burnout is one of themโworkers are tired of overworking and, in many cases, they are unmotivated by the work they do.ย So, if you are feeling down, exhausted, and wanting to quit your job…ย you are not alone.ย ย
Allwork.Spaceย spoke withย Dr. Sherry Benton, founder of digital behavioral health platformย TAO Connect,ย to learn more about how to recognize the signs of career burnout and what steps workers can take to regain control.ย ย
According to Dr. Benton, the top sources of career burnout are:ย
- Workloadย ย
- Feeling unappreciated at workย
- Toxic workplaceย cultureย
- Company changes like havingย aย new manager or having a close colleague quitย
- Needing a change.ย ย
Signs of Career Burnoutย
Dr. Benton explained that people donโt go from โI love my job to I am completely burnt outโ in a shortย period of time. Rather, she argues that there is usually aย progressionย that leads to burnout.ย ย
โYou start to identify more sources of frustration, you lose enthusiasmย in the work you do, and you start to see a gradual sliding to avoid,ย orย aย slow walkย toย what you have to do at work.โย ย
Key signs of career burnout include:ย
- Exhaustion, tirednessย
- Difficulty concentratingย
- Increased levels of procrastinationย
- Being unmotivatedย ย
- Going through the motionsย
- Irritability, especially when small things are bothering you more than usual.ย
According to Dr. Benton, itโs key that you identify and recognize that you are experiencing these symptoms.ย ย
โItโs a slippery slope, and the faster you recognize it, the better. Itโs easier to resolve burnout when you recognize it early versusย when you are completely fed up and hating going to work.โย
While burnout is not depression, Dr. Benton believes that those who are burnt out can be headed towards depression. Which is why many of the strategies that can helpย prevent feelings of depression are also helpful for burnout.ย ย
4ย Strategies to Stop Career Burnout in Its Tracks
1. Give Yourself a Breakย
Literally and metaphorically.ย ย
Go for a walk, step away from your desk. Give yourself the opportunity to truly disconnect from work.ย ย
This will help you get some breathing room, as well as help you identify whether your feelings of burnout are related to work or something else going on in your life.ย ย
โSometimes it can feel likeย workย burnout, but oftentimes itโs actually a lack of stuff going on in your life,โ Dr. Benton says.ย ย
Ask yourself the following questions:ย
- Do you have something in your life that provides meaning and purpose?ย
- Do you have enough social support in your life?ย
- Are you exercising and taking care of yourself?ย
โMost of us do well when we have multiple sources of wellbeing in multiple areas of our lifeย —ย physical (exercise and diet), spiritual, and social wellbeing. When we have these multiple sources of support, we do pretty well. However, with COVID-19, social distancing, and working from home, it became significantly harder for people to have a sense of balance and keep all those other sources of wellbeing in check.โย
2. Talk About Itย
โVery often if one person is burnt out, you probably have a lot of people around them that are battling with the same issues. When we can be there with each other, it can help lessen our burden.โ -Dr. Bentonย
Talking about what you are feelingย and experiencing with workers you trustโand even with your manager or bossโcan go a long way in helpingย alleviateย some of theย symptomsย of burnout.ย ย
โGetting support from coworkers is crucial. Being able to have people acknowledge how you feel can have a huge impact.โย
Talking about burnout can help you reconnect with your supportย network and through it you can ask for the help you needโwhether itโs simply to vent, to ask someone to help with your workload, or to provide you with resources that can better help you navigate what youโre feeling.ย ย
3. Prioritize Self-Careย
Self-care is always important, but it is especially important if you feel like you are at your witsโย end.ย
Dr. Benton suggests the following for self-care:ย
โFigure out what you were doing when you felt better, are you still doing those things? If not, can you start doing those things again? Ask yourself:ย
- What were you doing for fun?ย
- Who were you spending time with?ย
- When was the last time you did any of that?โย
It doesnโt have to be anything too elaborate.ย ย
Even if itโs just watching a funny movie, going to a concert, or taking a walk with a friend; if those things made you feel better before, theyย can help you feel better now.ย ย
Dr. Benton believes thatย mindfulness,ย meditation, and exercise are all very effective in helping people battle burnout.ย ย
4. Change Things Upย
Sometimes, we all really do need a change.ย ย
This doesnโt necessarily mean quitting your job and finding a new one (although in some rare instances, that can be the answer).ย ย
Dr. Benton suggests that if you are experiencing career burnout, that you change up what you are doing at workโask your manager if you can trade some responsibilities, see if there are any new projects you can contribute to, or simply ask for a change of scenery in terms of where you are working from.ย ย
Takeawayย
If youโreย experiencingย career burnout, youโre not alone.ย ย
The key toย overcomingย it is to think about what is missing from your life and figure out ways to getting those needs met. Once you have that figured out, you can be intentional about what you do.ย ย
