Burnout

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​“Burnout” has become a bit of a buzzword, being used to describe feeling exhausted and stressed. Exhaustion and stress are real, but burnout is another level of collapse. 

I’ve seen more cases of impending or actual burnout in the last 6 months than I have in 17 years. Covid has meant that workplaces and people have had to turn on a sixpence but this doesn’t seem to be a foundational problem for people experiencing burnout.

If there’s one defining issue, it’s loss of meaning.

There will be a number of reasons for this, but since I have no control over how businesses operate it's probably not useful to go into them here.

​People can work extraordinarily long hours and not burn out because they’re gaining some reward. Money helps but this is seldom the problem. When you can see no end to pointless or even counterproductive activity it’s utterly demoralising. Your team's goals are X, you have particular skills and experience in X and your organisation is doing Y even while it’s saying it’s committed to X. You’ve spoken with whomever you need to, used all your interpersonal and managerial skills, and you become aware that nothing is going to change. But you can’t quite believe that superbly qualified people in a high status organisation are going down this route, you just haven’t communicated with them properly, so you work harder, learn more and chillingly, come to the same conclusion.

One of the signs of burnout is the belief that if you just work harder things will improve. From the hamster turning the wheel the wheel begins to turn the hamster. Sometimes this results in the hamster being thrown from the wheel - people having accidents that force them to take time off work - the midwife who falls and breaks both wrists, the producer who takes their first break in months who breaks a leg while skiing - fateful escapes that force them to realise that the world did not come to an end when they did not go in to work. People who aren’t thrown off the wheel can work harder and start achieving less, adding to their confusion and misery.

It’s worth looking at these two pages that describe burnout, one from the NHS, one a classic 1996 Harvard Review of Books essay.

The NHS page talks about “Individuals who are not emotionally self-sufficient” who “engage in avoidance coping strategies such as denial, disengagement, or substance misuse”  or who “react negatively to situations not meeting their high standards” who don’t have “the ability to reinterpret or reframe a challenging situation optimistically.”

The NHS, while superb at diagnoses, has ancient history of blaming people for their own suffering, something that many workplaces replicate.

The HRB is much more nuanced while being just as straightforward about “ (1) chronic fatigue; (2) anger at those making demands; (3) self-criticism for putting up with the demands; (4) cynicism, negativity, and irritability; (5) a sense of being besieged; and (6) hair-trigger display of emotions.” as well as being “indifferent to friendships and often hostile. They had become rigid, had short fuses, and were distant from their children.” 

but adds: “Understandably, managers tend to rely on their best people; but the best people are more vulnerable to becoming burned-out people. The overconscientious, in particular, need to take time off from the demands of their role and to spend that time in refreshing recreation. The military has learned this lesson, but management has not.”

Britain is well know for our lousy management skills and I don’t want to get into why that may be here. But creating scapegoats is a tried and tested way of turning the truth-teller into a sacrifice that makes everyone else feel temporarily good about themselves. Get rid of the troublemaker and the office can get back to normal. But now there is no truth-teller and so truths begin to be felt by everyone once more and the cycle continues.

If you’re seeing signs of burnout in yourself, think very hard about what you’re doing. Know that it can take many months, sometimes years, to recover and not infrequently that means not being able to physically do anything other than sleep and watch TV for weeks.

If you suspect you may be beginning to burn out and are in a role with decent sick leave and pay - most managerial and all executive roles do - take it now. If you’re stuck with statutory sick pay, don’t bother putting the extra hours in: do your job, go home at the end of your hours, look for ways to get a job where you’re treated with a little respect or at least earn enough to create savings to see you through a decent break. 

If you’re not yet at that point, how would it be to tell your manager that you won’t be looking at emails before and after set times? If you’re afraid of doing this, this is information: why would an adult be fearful of putting entirely reasonable limits around their workload? Globalisation is real and so is the need for R&R. UK productivity compares poorly with France who instituted the right to disconnect in 2016. 

Bullying is everywhere, especially in those professions that are linked with caring. Corporate and commercial organisations have learned that a culture of genuinely addressing abuses of power is linked to greater productivity and a better reputation. Even so, standing up to bullying often takes more energy than it’s worth. Consider if discretion might be the better part of valour: seeking a new role before your confidence is eroded may be the best choice.

If you find yourself asking why you’re trying to save an organisation that seems intent on wasting time, money and resources TAKE NOTE. Test the waters, ask for guidance and clarity and if, having received it, you still believe your employer or department is actually working against itself, think very hard about getting out. It doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong, if you simply do not believe in what you’re doing but remain, you are very likely to burn out.

Don’t wait until you hate your manager and divide your colleagues into enemies and allies, don’t wait until your manager asks to have an informal word with you about your attitude or productivity, don’t wait until your partner, children and friends get tired of your inability to be with them or of your irritability and ranting when you are.

Therapy can help you stand back, take stock, strategise on how to improve your life and gain some understanding of how you got here. Burnout can be devastating. Don’t wait for it to savage you before you acknowledge it.


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