Identifying, helping & preventing burnout
‘Burnout is sneaky because you don’t realise, you’re borrowing from tomorrow to get through today’.
A poignant and very fitting quote I came across one day, on a popular social media platform. In my experience as a Rehabilitation Case Manager, burnout is very much a slow burner and something people do not realise they are suffering with until they are in the thick of it.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) have classified it as an occupational phenomenon and is defined in the 2019, 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as a ‘syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed’ and they characterize it by three dimensions which include:
- Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
- Increased mental distance form one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
- Reduced professional efficacy
Signs of a burnout to look out for:
- Unexplained Exhaustion
- Insomnia or change in sleep patterns
- Headaches/Stomach aches
- Irritability
- Becoming physically ill
- Neglect of self-care
- Feeling negative or overly critical
- Constant anxiety or feeling of overwhelm
- Feeling numb or apathetic about life
- Feeling detached from the world
Recovery & prevention guidance
Burnout can impact the employee’s health and wellbeing as well as an employer’s productivity; so is important to talk about, recognise the signs and support a recovery, as it is not something that will go away on its own. Below are some tips to help & prevent burnout (in no order):
1) Rest & Unplug
Getting enough rest can improve cognitive functioning and information processing.
If you are feeling physically and emotionally drained, it is important to take some time out to re-charge. That may involve taking leave from work and just relaxing at home or ‘unplugging’ with a digital detox to help clear your mind.
Below, Sue Swales, Registered Nurse and Senior Rehabilitation Case Manager at Zurich, takes us through a guided imagery to help de-stress:
2) Connect with others
We are social creatures and connecting with others is important for our wellbeing. In difficult times it can be beneficial to have people we care about and who care about us around for support.
3) Set Boundaries with work & reframe how you view work
If you are reaching burnout, try to take a complete break from work and remove yourself from the situation, so you can re-charge.
When in work, try to change your feelings about your role, so you feel a sense of purpose. Focus on aspects of the job you enjoy and try to find some value in your work. Make some friends at work to help break up the monotony of the day, as having a chat or laugh with a friend through the day can help to reduce the stress of a demanding job.
Split up big tasks into more manageable, smaller ones, to help prevent feelings of overwhelm and ask for help!
Ensure you have a balance in your life. Where you may find work demanding, try to balance that with satisfaction elsewhere, through family, friends, hobbies, or voluntary work.
4) Practice self-care and develop wellbeing rituals
Self-care is a conscious effort we make to promote our own mental and physical health; some ways to do this could involve maintaining a healthy sleep routine, regular exercise, drinking plenty of water or finding a fun or relaxing activity.
Additionally, it can be useful to develop some wellbeing rituals which again contribute to improving our health. Ideas can include meditation, keeping a diary, mindfulness and self-talk or affirmations.
Useful Resources & Signposting
NHS Support & Private Treatment
If stress is affecting your daily life or you feel like you are struggling, call NHS 111 or talk to your GP. In England, you can also refer yourself for psychological therapy through the NHS IAPT service without seeing your GP here.
Private treatment can be sourced too, and a common type of treatment used to help with burnout is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, as it focuses on giving you the tools to manage symptoms and to change your way of thinking. You may find accredited therapists here.
Workplace Support
If you recognise that you may be heading to burnout or indeed in the throws, ensure you speak to someone at work to make them aware and for appropriate support to be put in place; you can reach out to your manager, member of HR, a fellow colleague or you may have designated mental health first aiders, like we do at Zurich.
Some people have access to an employee assistance programme at work, which often offer some form of counselling support or guidance.
In the Zurich General Insurance Rehabilitation Team, employers can discuss with us difficulties they and their employee’s may be having, and we can look at how best to support recovery. If you have employer’s liability insurance with Zurich and would like to make a referral, please click here.
Apps to download and use
Headspace App: Headspace is a science-backed app in mindfulness and meditation, providing unique tools and resources to help reduce stress, build resilience, and aid better sleep.
Calm App: Like the Headspace app, it is useful for sleep and meditation.
Websites to access
- https://www.stress.org.uk/ At stress.org.uk their tag is ‘from distress to de-stress’. Here you can find plenty of resources and guides to support you.
- https://www.samaritans.org/ Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide throughout Great Britain and Ireland. They can also be contacted via telephone 24/7 on 116 123
Useful books
Suggested by NHS, Reading Well for mental health provides helpful information and support, with books on mindfulness and other subjects available free from your local library.
