Understanding burnout

Dr. Rijusmita Sarma

(The writer is a counselling psychologist.

Can be reached at 8638716076

Shreya has been a student preparing for civil service examinations for around six months now. But for a few days, she has been feeling exhausted, finding it difficult to concentrate and assimilate whatever she reads, experiencing a lack of interest in initiating study sessions, and experiencing decreased performance in her mock tests. She is also feeling worried and gets irritated more often. Shreya could be experiencing burnout.

Burnout is a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion due to prolonged stress and an inability to cope. Burnout is mostly discussed in the context of difficulties in professional settings but can also be experienced by students, parents, carers, and even in relationships. The phenomenon of burnout can be understood in terms of its three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (irritation, feeling overwhelmed, feeling low in energy, loss of interest and motivation, difficulties in sleep, hopelessness, etc.), cynicism or detachment (lack of interest in work, negative view towards work, avoiding tasks, etc.), and reduced personal accomplishment (lack of productivity and poor performance). Burnout is said to have five stages, namely:

 The honeymoon stage is characterised by going beyond our limitations to prove our efficiency and ignoring problems and stressors.

 Stress onset may be characterised by experiencing the emotions of anxiety and irritability, finding it difficult to concentrate, and decreasing self-care to cope with stressful schedules.

 Chronic stress is characterised by physical symptoms like headaches and fatigue, increased irritability or aggression, a decrease in productivity, an increase in procrastination, and increased consumption of alcohol or caffeine.

 Burnout is characterised by a sense of dread towards work, physical symptoms like aches and fatigue worsen, social isolation, taking frequent leaves or avoiding work, and a lack of motivation, which further decreases the quality of work, creating a vicious cycle. There may also be trouble sleeping.

 Habitual burnout. In this stage, burnout becomes an integral part of our lives. There is chronic low mood and anxiety, mental and physical fatigue, and social isolation.

There is a difference between general everyday stress and burnout. Psychologist Haley explains, “Burnout looks and feels different from a stressful day or week in a way that episodic stress is typically followed by recovery and returning to a sense of equilibrium. While the experience of burnout may vary, people do not typically return to homeostasis during the burnout experience”.

Depression and burnout might also appear to be similar, but they are different in many ways. And knowing the difference is important to effectively deal with both conditions, as the interventions required are not the same. Some of the differences are:

 Depression is a mood disorder, but burnout is not considered a medical diagnosis. Burnout, as discussed, is mainly characterised by exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficiency, but the diagnostic criteria for depression are very different. In depression, there is a persistent low mood, a lack of interest in activities the person previously enjoyed, and persistent fatigue along with other symptoms for two weeks or more.

 Depression is more general. The person doesn’t feel better even if taken away from the stressors and is not able to enjoy activities that are interesting and/or relaxing, unlike burnout, where the person feels better when taken away from the stressors.

 Depression doesn’t always have a trigger, but burnout is triggered by prolonged stress.

 In depression, there is a sense of worthlessness, but in burnout, the sense of self is mostly intact. In burnout, we may feel frustrated and disappointed with ourselves, but this is only related to a specific stressor and doesn’t affect our general sense of self, unlike in depression.

 Burnout has specific stages, but depression may occur in different intensities and manifest in different ways, but it doesn’t have stages. Although there are a few suggestions that depression also has stages, there aren’t enough studies to support this.

 The treatment of burnout involves lifestyle changes, unlike in depression, where a person might need medications and psychotherapy.

How can we help ourselves during a burnout?

 Taking a break. Often, very long working hours leading to exhaustion are worn as badges of pride, but research shows that working for long hours without breaks does not only make us tired but also significantly decreases our productivity and quality of work.

 Setting boundaries and learning to say “no” can be helpful.

 Taking care of our sleep schedules

 Keeping some time aside to engage in things we enjoy

 Learning a new skill or enjoying a new hobby.

 Mindfulness activities like mindful breathing and relaxation activities like guided meditation can be extremely helpful. There are different apps like ‘Neend’, ‘Calm’, and ‘Headspace’ that are of great help to experience relaxation at your own time, space, and pace.

 Engaging in some form of physical activity of our choice can work wonders.

The detrimental effects of burnout extend beyond mental health. It is also found to be a contributing factor to physical health conditions like obesity and cardiovascular issues. Burnout also affects our relationships with our family, friends, and colleagues. We all have heard the saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup”. Hence, to be an effective contributing member professionally, personally, and socially, refilling and replenishing ourselves is not a luxury but a necessity.