Medical Expert Explains How To Prevent Burnout Once And For All

• Contemporary career-focused attitudes often compromise personal health and well-being, leading to intense burnout.
• Effective burnout management requires identifying specific types of exhaustion (physical, emotional, mental) and implementing targeted restorative practices.
• Preventing burnout involves both individual responsibility and proactive organizational support, emphasizing the need for systematic well-being strategies and nuanced rest.

This article is based on the Allwork.Space Future of Work Podcast episode featuring board-certified internal medicine physician and acclaimed author Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. Click here to listen to the full episode.

Three-quarters of workers say they have experienced burnout at their current job, and employers are having to face the music and look for solutions. 

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a board-certified internal medicine physician and acclaimed author of  “Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity,” recently joined the Allwork.Space Podcast to share her insights into the seven vital forms of rest, indispensable for enhancing productivity and preventing burnout. 

Drawing from her extensive experience and evidence-based methodologies, Dr. Dalton-Smith provided actionable strategies for individuals to combat burnout and prioritize their well-being in professional environments.

The Evolution of Work and its Impact on Well-Being

Dr. Dalton-Smith highlighted the extreme shift in workplace dynamics from the mid-20th century to today. Previously, the primary motivation for working was to support and balance family life. However, contemporary attitudes have significantly evolved, with many now embodying an entrepreneurial spirit and placing high value on career achievements. 

This heightened career focus often comes at the expense of personal health and well-being.

“We have a lot of people who are very career focused, even sometimes at the sake of their own health and their own well being,” Dr. Dalton-Smith said on the podcast. 

Understanding Burnout and Well-Being

If employees are struggling in their personal lives, it will inevitably impact their professional performance. As Dr. Dalton-Smith explains, effective customer service and workplace productivity are deeply intertwined with individual well-being. 

This understanding is foundational to her approach: identifying individual risk factors for burnout and initiating specific, targeted restorative practices. 

Burnout is multifaceted, encompassing physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. 

The World Health Organization categorizes burnout into three primary areas: energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy. Individuals must identify which of these areas are most affected in their lives and start addressing them with intentional restorative actions.

Dr. Dalton-Smith likens burnout to producing “from your emptiness,” where one is physically present but emotionally and passionately disengaged. 

These symptoms, if unchecked, evolve into debilitating conditions, mirroring the severe impact observed in major depressive disorders.

Organizational Awareness and Response

A recurring issue is the lack of organizational focus on employee well-being until it is adversely affecting the company. Many top workers, despite their initial passion for their field, leave their professions not due to competition but due to exhaustion and lack of energy. 

They do not switch jobs anticipating greener pastures; instead, they leave their careers altogether, feeling drained and unable to continue.

Employers often overlook the necessity of nurturing their “human resources.” Just like natural resources, human resources need replenishment. 

A proactive approach in fostering an environment that prevents burnout benefits not only the employees but also the organization as a whole.

“When I’m specifically working with a company or an organization, I find that most of the time they don’t put any focus on the well-being and the burnout prevention of their team members until it’s actually affecting their bottom line,” Dr. Dalton-Smith said.

Shared Responsibility in Addressing Burnout

Dr. Dalton-Smith emphasizes that managing burnout is a shared responsibility.

Dr. Dalton-Smith emphasizes that managing burnout is a shared responsibility. Leaders must first conduct a self-assessment to recognize their own burnout symptoms and extend this awareness to their teams. 

Simple stopgap measures are insufficient. Addressing burnout requires a systematic approach akin to medical treatment: identifying the problem, educating about potential solutions, and applying this knowledge practically.

Implementing rest as a mitigation strategy, for instance, needs to involve more than just suggesting “rest.” Employees and leaders need guidance on what rest looks like and how to integrate it into their often demanding schedules. 

It requires candidness about one’s needs and an openness to seeking guidance on fulfilling those needs effectively.

The Seven Types of Rest

Dr. Dalton-Smith illuminates the seven types of rest that are crucial for overcoming burnout: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social, sensory, and creative. 

She underscores the importance of not approaching rest as a monolithic concept but rather focusing restoratively on the specific type of depletion experienced.

For instance, someone struggling with physical exhaustion might need different interventions compared to someone facing emotional exhaustion. By targeting the specific type of rest that is most needed, individuals can begin to replenish their energy effectively.

Practical Steps for Burnout Prevention

For individuals battling burnout, Dr. Dalton-Smith advises, “The number one thing that I would probably say is don’t blame yourself.”

Recognizing burnout is the first step toward improvement, not a reason to get stuck.

Recognizing burnout is the first step toward improvement, not a reason to get stuck. The next step involves making intentional lifestyle changes, such as setting boundaries between work and personal life. 

Simple actions like turning off notifications after work hours and spending quality time with family can significantly contribute to emotional and mental rejuvenation.

“You’re not going to just wake up one day and the burnout’s going to be gone. There are some intentional steps and some additional next steps you have to take that are going to require some lifestyle changes, whether that be being aware that you do need to rest and not always be on,” she said on our podcast. 

Dr. Dalton-Smith also highlights the importance of scrutinizing one’s routines. Habits that no longer serve well-being should be reevaluated and adjusted to promote long-term health and productivity.

The importance of nuanced, intentional approaches to rest and well-being cannot be overstated. 

Her insights make it clear that proactive measures and practical application of well-being practices are crucial to sustaining a healthy, motivated workforce and preventing the far-reaching consequences of burnout.