I know we hear it frequently in the media, in the workplace and even in conversations, but what actually is Burnout and why should we be concerned about it?
Burnout is a severe problem affecting many facets of life. It can be described as a state of emotional and physical exhaustion.
It is a ‘psychological erosion’ emerging as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors affecting work and life.
There are 3 key dimensions;
- Overwhelming exhaustion
- Sense of ineffectiveness/lack of accomplishment
- Strong levels of cynicism
It can happen due to extended work stress, or perhaps when you have been employed in an emotionally or physically demanding position for an extended amount of time. Burnout and mental health decline are inextricably linked.
60% of employees who work in the oil and gas industry admit that they don’t feel in control of their lives, and 50 % of oil and gas workers are finding their work exhausting with 39 % feeling emotionally frustrated, with reasons why this could be being a poor balance between personal and work lives.
This persistent imbalance leads to an 89% more susceptibility to burnout with the knock-on effect being diminished mental health and wellbeing.
A recent global survey by the Workforce Resilience Council revealed that 80% of senior risk professionals predict significant employee burnout impacts in 2024, exacerbated by extreme weather and operational challenges.
Only 41% believe their organisations are prepared to address this threat. Mental Health UK’s Burnout Report 2024 indicates that 9 out of 10 UK adults experienced high stress in the past 121 months, with a quarter feeling overwhelmed by life’s pressures, highlighting a widespread issue.
Burnout causes include long-term job stress, excessive workload, unfair treatment, lack of recognition, inadequate teamwork, and misaligned values between workers and companies.
The consequences are severe, ranging from physical illness and impatience to hopelessness, irritability, poor relationships, and mental health decline.
What can you do to offset the risk of burnout?
Ideally, prevention is better than cure so these are some ideas to think about implementing;
- Start a stress diary; the causes, the whats and the whys
- Adapt Nutrition, exercise, hydration
- Role adjustment; delegating/share, add more autonomy
- Role change?
- Reassess your goals, purpose and values
- Look for balance, hybrid working
- Learn to say no, look for compromise
- Celebrate the small daily wins
- Promote wellbeing and the importance of self-care through leadership/ top down
- Implement mental health first aiders or mental health Champions programme into your organisation
As the wise Mahatma Gandhi proudly proclaimed, “be the change you wish to see in the world”.
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