HAVING a sneaky cry in the toilets or snapping at your colleagues – we’ve all had days when work gets a bit much.
But completely crumbling is not to be ignored, and could indicate you’re heading for burnout.
Research published in 2022 revealed workplace burnout had impacted 88 per cent of UK employees to some level over the previous two years.
“One-third claimed to suffer from physical and mental exhaustion frequently due to workplace pressures,” says Dr Joanna Burrell, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Ultimate Resilience.
Contributors include too much work, staff shortages, poor management, toxic work culture and, above all, a lack of employee support.
For some, it is exacerbated by the idea that the traditional nine-to-five working day has become increasingly old-fashioned, with checking email on mobiles and working from home blurring boundaries between work and personal life.
The 4 main warning signs of burnout
Burnout is more persistent than the odd bad day at work.
The World Health Organisation defines it as “resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”.
Chartered coaching and counselling psychologist Dr Jo Perkins says signs of burnout can manifest in four key ways:
- Low motivation
- Disengagement in communication
- Unhealthy workplace behaviours
- Perceiving work tasks to be harder than they are
“Burnout is cumulative and early signs and symptoms are subtle, which is why we often attribute them to not being very organised, not coping well enough or needing to work harder, which tends to exacerbate the problem,” the psychologist adds.
Mental Health UK says burnout – a result of repeated and prolonged high demands in work or other parts of your life that exceed resources – can be felt physically, emotionally and behaviourally.
Physical symptoms can include:
- Feeling tired or exhausted most of the time
- Recurring insomnia and sleep disturbances
- Frequent headaches
- Muscle or joint pain
- Gastrointestinal problems, such as feeling sick or loss of appetite
- Frequent illness due to lowered immunity
- High blood pressure
- Issues breathing
Burnout can also manifest emotionally in the following ways:
- Feeling helpless, trapped, and/or defeated
- Self-doubt, feeling like a failure or worthless
- Feeling detached and alone in the world
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Feeling demotivated, having a cynical/negative outlook
- Lacking a sense of satisfaction and achievement
- Loss of interest and enjoyment
- Persistent feelings of dread, worry and anxiety
Carol Vordeman quits radio show after burnout 'warning'
Presenter and media personality Carol Vorderman revealed she was quitting her LBC radio show after being hospitalised to due to burnout.
“After working seven-day weeks for as long as I can remember, I finally burned out just over two weeks ago and I ended up overnight in hospital”, the 63-year-old star shared in an Instagram post.
“Luckily, after many scans and checks, we know that I don’t have any underlying health issues whatsoever.”
Carol said she’d made the decision to cut back her work to weekdays only in order to “slow down slightly”.
The presenter also revealed she’d started switching off her phone for 12 hours, usually at night time, to stop herself getting sucked into it.
Read more on Carol’s health scare here.
As a result, you may start to act differently too – procrastinating and taking longer to complete tasks, finding it difficult to concentrate, feeling irritable and short-tempered and even getting into work later and later.
Experts warn that ignoring burnout can cause lasting harm to your health.
“It can lead people to become so mentally, physically and emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted that they are unable to perform basic daily functions,” Dr Perkins says.
“It can also lead to, or be the result of, mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety.”
Below are six ways to avoid burning out from work.
1. Commit to change
“Burnout is often your body’s way of forcing you to stop and take a break,” says Thijs Launspach, psychologist and author of Crazy Busy: Keeping Sane In A Stressful World.
“It may feel like you don’t have time to stop and focus on yourself, but without doing so, burnout will persist.”
“Avoid the misconception of recovering from burnout and resuming your normal routine, as this will only lead to a recurrence,” adds Melissa Day, therapist and holistic medicine practitioner at Niroshini 360.
So, where should you start?
“Define the things in life that are personally and professionally important to you,” says Dr Lynda Folan, workplace psychologist and managing director at Inspired Development.
“Block out time to devote to this and stop simply defaulting to working.”
One of the simplest ways you can stick to personal goals is by having strict rules around digital use, for example.
Perhaps make your family’s lounge a no-phone zone.
The app Forest (Forestapp.cc) allows you to set a timer for staying off your phone and, during this time, plants in your own digital “forest” grow or – if you use your phone – wilt.
Habit trackers, such as Fabulous (Thefabulous.co) can help you stick to your goals during the day.
2. Start healthy habits
When your life feels hectic, it’s easy to forget basic needs.
“Do your self-care routines need improving?” asks Thijs.
“This includes sleep, diet, exercise, relaxation, recovery and space for play.”
One of the easiest things you can do is to make sure you get exposure to sunlight every day.
“Vitamin D is an exceptional mood stabiliser and arguably the most essential nutrient for producing effective hormones,” says Melissa.
Can you only spare a few minutes?
Apps such as Calm, WorkLife Central and Headspace provide quick stress relief.
A therapist can help you spot triggers of anxiety, stress and depression, and how to act on them fast.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy allows you to find accredited therapists in your area (Bacp.co.uk). Or see if you can get free help through your GP or workplace.
3. Identify your identity
Certain personality traits can make you more vulnerable to burnout.
“These include perfectionism, trying to be ‘the best’ and difficulty prioritising,” says Dr Perkins.
“If our self-worth is linked with our work identity, it can create an insatiable need for validation via our performance at work, which makes us push ourselves harder.”
A therapist can help you redress your work-life balance.
But you could also join the wellbeing platform The Anti-Burnout Club, which provides a wealth of both free and pay-what-you-can resources (Theantiburnoutclub.com).
4. Prioritise monotasking
Multitasking has been celebrated in the past, but now it is all about monotasking.
“You cannot put 100 per cent into one task if you are constantly juggling too many plates,” says Adam Butler, CEO of Officeology.
“Making a list of the key tasks that are most important and numbering them in order of urgency can help create a clear roadmap of your daily workload
“If you know a task will take an hour to complete, set a timer and move on to the next task once the hour is up.”
This can improve focus and, as a result, help manage workload. Want to drown out distractions?
The Noisli app (Noisli.com) offers free ambient sounds, such as rain, that could help you focus – and it has a built-in timer.
5. Suggest solutions
Avoiding burnout is a two-way street – your employer needs to meet you halfway.
“Conditions that can contribute to burnout include not feeling in control of your workload, lack of breaks or holidays, poor management, workplace conflict, lack of recognition, doing work that is not aligned with your values and lack of appropriate support,” says Dr Perkins.
She suggests telling your line manager how you feel, including any personal problems or mental health conditions at play.
Be clear on what is contributing to your burnout, and have suggestions on ways to fix it.
“If your line manager doesn’t take you seriously, confide in someone in HR,” says Dr Perkins.
“But if you don’t expect the conditions at work to change, it’s best to look for another job.”
6. Establish boundaries
“Boundaries are limits you set around how you allow other people to engage with you in order to ensure your relationships stay healthy and your mental health, energy, mood and time are protected,” says Melissa Urban, author of The Book Of Boundaries.
For example, you might outline how you prefer to receive feedback or set time windows when interruptions should be kept to a minimum.
“By clearly and kindly upholding your limits in a work situation, it is teaching people how to treat you,” Melissa says.
“But there are power dynamics that might make conversations delicate at work.”
She recommends using clear language and allowing people to digest what you’ve said.
In the moment, they may feel defensive or guilty.
When it comes to boundaries, Melissa says: “The more you practise, the easier it will become.”
What actually is anxiety and how can you combat it?
Anxiety is what we feel when we are worried, tense or afraid.
It is a natural human response when we feel under threat, and most people experience it at times.
Anxiety becomes a mental health problem if it impacts your ability to live your life as fully as you want to. For example:
- If your feelings of anxiety are very strong or last a long time
- Your fears or worries are out of proportion to the situation
- You avoid situations that might cause you to feel anxious
- Your worries feel very distressing or are hard to control
- You find it hard to go about your everyday life
- You regularly experience symptoms of anxiety
There are dozens of symptoms of anxiety that can affect the body and the mind.
This can be everything from a churning feeling in your stomach to sleeping problems to feeling like the world is speeding up or slowing down.
Around one in 10 people in the UK have anxiety at any one time.
There are various treatments available, including self-help resources, talking therapies, and medication.
Some of the most well-documented ways of combating anxiety are:
- Talking about your feelings – whether that’s with friends, family members, health professionals or a counsellor
- Calming breathing exercises – like breathing in for four seconds, holding for five, and breathing out for six
- Exercise – like running, walking, swimming and yoga to help you relax
- Managing your worries – this could be setting aside specific time to focus on your worries or writing them down and keeping them in a designated place
- Medication – including antidepressants, pregabalin, beta-blockers or benzodiazepine tranquillisers
- Improving how you sleep – like ensuring your bedroom is comfortable, dark and quiet, and not doing anything too stimulating before you go to bed
- Eating a healthy diet – including regular meals to keep energy levels stable
- Peer support groups – from local ones to online communities
- Listening to free mental wellbeing audio guides
- Cognitive behavioural therapy – online or in-person
- Applied relaxation therapy – which involves learning how to relax your muscles in situations when you normally experience anxiety
- Alternative therapies and techniques like meditation, aromatherapy, massage, reflexology, herbal treatments, Bach flower remedies and hypnotherapy
If you struggling with anxiety, speak to your GP or call Mind’s infoline on 0300 123 3393.