What is burnout and how can it be tackled?

Posted 5 years ago

With absence and presenteeism estimated to cost the UK economy £73 billion annually, it is crucial that employers do what they can to take care of their employees mental wellbeing.

With that said, there is an increasing trend in cases of “burnout” among employees in the UK.

So, what is burnout, how can you prevent it, and how do you help somebody who is already suffering from it?

What is burnout?

Burnout is a state of exhaustion that is caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.

And this isn’t a made-up concept to over-exaggerate stress – in fact, burnout was officially recognised by WHO back in May 2019.

How to recognise burnout in employees

Although it may often be difficult to recognise the symptoms of burnout in employees, there are some signs that may give you an indication of whether they are suffering from burnout. If you notice any of the following signs in your employees, it is essential that you open a conversation with them.

Disengagement
Increased absenteeism
Being more isolated and distant

Quick tips to prevent workplace burnout

Although it is not an easy task to prevent your employees from burning out at work, it is easier to prevent it than to cure it.

Things you can do to prevent burnout in the first place are:

Provide greater clarity about career progression
Offer appropriate training
Write accurate job descriptions when hiring

However, if you do notice signs of burnout in any of your employees, here is what you can do:

Make employees objectives/tasks clear
Provide employees with all the support they need with their day-to-day tasks
Actively promote a better work-life balance

What has appreciation got to do with burnout?

There has actually been a study by PsychTests that suggests a link between appreciation and burnout. The study found that:

81% of unappreciated employees felt trapped in their job (compared to 20% of appreciated workers).
49% of unappreciated employees felt they could no longer handle the tasks their job entails (compared to 17% of appreciated workers).
54% of unappreciated employees felt the amount of stress they deal with at work is more than they can handle (compared to 13% of appreciated workers).

As a result of these statistics, the President of PsychTests stated:

The only thing worse than undervaluing the importance of appreciation is underestimating the consequences of a lack of it.

Dr. Jerabek, President of PsychTests

Online Stress Awareness Training

We offer an Online Stress Awareness Training course that was designed to help employees & managers alike recognise signs of stress in their colleagues and themselves.

The course also offers best practices when it comes to reducing and preventing stress in the workplace.

Claim your free no-obligation trial to the course today!