Feeling Burnt Out? Learn More to Cool it Down.
Many people talk about feeling “burnt out,” but what exactly does that mean? Professional burnout is a term used to describe a long-lasting type of exhaustion related to the stress of one’s occupation. People going through professional burnout may experience emotional, psychological, or physical symptoms.
Common symptoms of professional burnout are fatigue, cynicism, and a sense of lowered personal accomplishment. People experiencing professional burnout may have increased problems with depressed mood, anxiety, sleep, memory, and neck or back pain. There may also be an increase in alcohol consumption related to the burnout.
Certain professions are associated with higher rates of professional burnout. It occurs more often in occupations that involve helping others who are suffering in some way. We see this with the burnout experienced by medical providers such as physicians and nurses. Other helping professions such as psychologists, counselors, and therapists are prone to professional burnout, too. Teachers may also experience career related burnout.
Those in healthcare and other helping professions form empathetic relationships with the people they serve. These deep connections to people who are suffering is a factor related to professional burnout.
The exposure to the suffering of others itself is also relevant to understanding professional burnout. Often, the suffering that particular professions are trying to alleviate for their patients or clients involves exposure to some type of trauma. The type of trauma can come from a variety of sources including accidents and natural disasters, violence, grief and loss, serious medical conditions, and emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Trauma is any event outside of our normal life experience that is associated with great fear for one’s safety or even one’s own life.
Depending on the work environment and job duties, there may be risk for direct or indirect exposure to trauma. Indirect exposure to trauma involves taking in the traumatic stories of others as well as the deep empathic engagement with people who are suffering following a traumatic event.
Indirect exposure to trauma is not exclusive to clinicians like physicians, nurses, and therapists. Any member of an organization that helps people who are suffering in some way can feel the impact of vicarious trauma. For example, clerical staff may hear great details of pain and suffering when fielding phone calls or scheduling appointments. Lawyers are also at risk for indirect exposure to trauma given that many people seek legal representation following a traumatic event.
Indirect exposure to trauma may result in the development of secondary traumatic stress symptoms, vicarious traumatization, compassion fatigue, and, in the most severe of situations, a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may be warranted. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association decided that those who are exposed to traumatic material through the course of completing their job duties are actually at risk for developing PTSD. The risk associated with repeated exposure to traumatic material was incorporated into the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders.
Other occupations involve direct exposure to trauma. For example, first responders like police officers, emergency medical technicians, or firefighters on the scene of an accident or a violent crime are vulnerable to direct exposure to trauma. Such exposure could involve the development of critical incident stress symptoms, Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms, or PTSD.
How does indirect or direct exposure to trauma relate to professional burnout? First, it is important to note that any profession or occupation can experience burnout. Professional burnout it is not an experience exclusive to those who work with people have been traumatized in some way. On the other hand, if one is experiencing vicarious traumatization and it is not addressed, it can be a fast track to burnout.
Workplace factors can also contribute to the experience of burnout. For example, excessive workloads or not having the resources needed to adequately perform one’s job are both associated with professional burnout. Difficulty with work-life balance or one’s own trauma history are additional factors linked to professional burnout.
Changes in work-related behavior or attitudes about work are common signs of professional burnout. For example, excessive sick days from work, late arrivals to work, and early departures from work are all connected to burnout. A pessimistic or detached attitude about one’s current job is a common sign of professional burnout. Feelings of incompetence or uselessness at one’s job are also typical for those experiencing professional burnout.
Leaving professional burnout unaddressed is serious and could have negative consequences on physical and mental health. Professional burnout also negatively impacts one’s sense of overall well-being. In addition to the concerns felt by individuals experiencing professional burnout, the topic of burnout is also relevant at the organizational level of businesses given the undesirable impact on job performance and productivity.
Professional burnout can be addressed by engaging in self-care strategies. Self-care is any activity that supports physical, psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. The main goals of self-care for preventing or recovering from professional burnout are stress management, stress reduction, and enhancing overall well-being. Self-care can help with adverse effects of stress such as depressed mood, anxiety, and anger. Engaging in self-care activities can also help with symptoms like fatigue, headaches, indigestion, muscle tension, and problems with getting enough sleep.
For people who are experiencing professional burnout, it is helpful to take an inventory of what you require as part of your daily life and what actions if taken would help you feel better. Ideas for self-care are varied and personalized for each professional. Examples of self-care activities could include any combination of the following:
• Practice mindfulness by meditating or engaging in any activity that brings your attention to the current moment
• Physical exercise
• Spend time with loved ones
• Engage in self-improvement by learning something new
• Participate in a favorite hobby like reading a book or doing arts and crafts
• Engage the senses by listening to music or spending time in nature
• Volunteer for a cause that is meaningful to you
• Treat yourself to a massage or a trip to the nail salon
• Have a spa day at home complete with a bubble bath and candles
Once you have decided which self-care activities would be helpful, it is time to make a commitment to doing them. Prioritize your well-being by scheduling your self-care activities. That’s right. Put them on your calendar.
Self-care strategies can help prevent professional burnout. They can also help with professional burnout healing and recovery. Severe professional burnout, however, is not something that can be relieved quickly like over a weekend or even after a vacation. For example, in the most severe experiences of burnout the professional has lost compassion not just for themselves, but also for the very people they dedicated their careers to serving. A professional who is experiencing this extreme level of professional burnout would benefit from taking extended leave from work (if possible) or by focusing on another piece of their work that does not involve deep empathic engagement with people who are suffering.
People experiencing burnout may also wish to seek professional support in the form of therapy or counseling. Seeking professional help is highly recommended for anyone experiencing professional burnout at a level where there is also concern about PTSD due to either direct or indirect exposure to trauma.
Dr. Jennifer McManus is a licensed psychologist in the state of Florida who specializes in providing expert support to professional women and entrepreneurial women who are experiencing burnout. Free consultations are available. You can also email or call the office at 866-706-3665 for more information about available support.
