Burn bright, not out

An unprecedented number of people have quit their jobs in the past four years in a trend dubbed the ‘Great Resignation’.

The phenomenon is largely US-based, with almost 50 million people in America leaving their jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one in three workers in Australia, aged 18 to 54, have also contemplated resigning. The key reason? Burnout.

The World Health Organisation defines burnout as a syndrome “resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” It’s characterised by reduced efficacy, mental distance from one’s work and, most significantly, exhaustion.

Given the emotional and physical load of the last few years, it makes sense that many of us are reaching the end of our tether.

The 2023 State of the Future of Work report, which examined the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on work futures, found half of all prime-aged workers feel exhausted at work.

“We tend to know what we need more and less, then we ignore it and wonder why we feel so overwhelmed and depleted.”

Women in particular face a high risk of experiencing burnout. By taking on more than their fair share of unpaid work, women have less time to unwind and recover from workplace stress. Barriers to women’s career progression are also leaving them stranded in unchallenging roles that can provoke feelings of resentment.

“[Burnout] can show up as avoidance, negativity, exhaustion, poor sleep, conflict and criticism of self and others,” Sabina Read, an Australian psychologist and human behaviour expert, explains to FW.

Read says self-care is one way to reduce burnout symptoms, where even the smallest actions you take to nurture your mental and physical health can go a long way.

“The basics include daily physical movement, 7-9 hours of sleep, proactive help-seeking, finding ways to dial up joy and some downtime every day,” she says.

Reaching out to your support network is another simple way to alleviate emotional distress that many of us avoid because we don’t want to burden those we care about. If you feel uncomfortable asking for help, Read suggests engaging in honest conversations about what’s going on as a starting point.

Sabina Read breaks down the two key categories you should be on the lookout for when it comes to identify burnout

“Expressing and sharing feelings and needs is vital,” she says. “We tend to know what we need more and less, then we ignore it and wonder why we feel so overwhelmed and depleted.”

“Expecting others to mind-read only leads to assumptions being made which are often erroneous.”

Once you’ve got the tools to identify and cope with how burnout manifests, it’s time to tackle the source. There are two key categories when it comes to circumstances you should be on the lookout for.

The first kind originates from the work itself. Is your workload extremely monotonous or chaotic? Do you find yourself being micromanaged or otherwise lacking in control over what you’re doing?

If you answered yes to either of those, or if there’s something else that comes to mind, voice your concerns with your manager and try to organise a more suitable way of handling things.

“Identify what your ideal outcome looks like and then be ready to come with a solution-based mindset,” Read says.

“Using language that is non-confrontational and takes a collaborative approach will increase your chances of success and resolution.”

The other main category of stressful situations has to do with your relationships. Being in conflict with coworkers or feeling alienated from the rest of your team are a few examples.

Read proposes boundary setting as a preventative measure to help curb feelings of resentment whilst also giving you a stronger sense of agency.

Enforcing boundaries can be daunting, especially with higher-level team members, but it will ultimately do more good than harm.

“Tailoring your approach based on seniority isn’t usually as important as the way you approach conversations around conflict,” Read says.

“After all, it’s likely both parties will be feeling some level of distress and both parties will desire a better relationship.”

When it comes to having those conversations, Read says striving to be the bigger person is rarely a bad option so long as your understanding of what that looks like is not too narrow.

“[It] is useful if it comes from a place of authenticity and a genuine desire to connect and resolve the issues,” she says.

“Someone has to initiate the repair process so if being the bigger person means bringing tough topics to the table, then that’s a plus.”

In healthy doses, stress can be an incredible motivator that pushes us to accomplish things we may never have realised we could do.

If you’re able to harness its usefulness, riding the wave without letting it overwhelm you, you’ll be surprised by just how much you can achieve.