Categories of Burnout
In this thorough analysis, we delve deeply into the classification of burnout symptoms, emphasizing their identification, manifestations, and successful strategies for tackling them within challenging environments conducive to burnout.
Emotional Exhaustion
According to Jessica Schrader, in an article on Psychology Today, emotional exhaustion is "the feeling of being worn out mentally concerning circumstances in one or more spheres of a person's life due to accumulated stress." Emotional exhaustion can affect anyone, but those at risk include "people with demanding jobs, caregivers, those going through major life changes, folks living with a chronic illness, or those dealing with financial stress."
What happens if you ignore the signs of emotional exhaustion?
Unhealthy levels of stress hormones
Physical ailments
Changes in social interaction
So, how can you manage or deal with emotional exhaustion?
Acknowledge its presence
Try to find the source of your exhaustion
Ideate solutions to reduce exhaustion or remove triggers of exhaustion
Take a break to recover and reshuffle
Prioritize self-care
Depersonalization
The next category of burnout symptoms is called depersonalization. A study by Prinz et al. defines depersonalization as an "impaired and distorted perception of oneself, of others and one's environment that manifests as an affective-symptomatic lack of empathy and lack of empathy" (2012).
This definition shows that a person's perspective when suffering from depersonalization is likely skewed. This worldview shift can further a "loss of motivation and, worse, a sense of self-isolation" (2012). "Depersonalization can also be a situation where a person feels life is less real or they feel numb" (Hou, 2022).
That person may feel detached from others or themselves and their identity. They may feel demotivated and isolated. "Depersonalization also has a ripple effect. If a caregiver is dealing with it, they may impart a negative or cynical attitude, employed for self-protection, to those in direct contact with them, including their subjects of care. So, what can we do to deal with depersonalization?
In an article for The Hill, Chia-Yi Hou recommends "taking the opposite action" to correct the feelings and shifts associated with depersonalization. Here's what that looks like:
If you are increasingly self-isolating, reaching out to close friends and family to reconnect may be helpful.
If you have a packed schedule, reducing the load and canceling unnecessary events might help.
Reduced Personal Achievement
The last category of symptoms associated with burnout concerns job efficacy and is called "reduced personal achievement" (Edú-Valsania et al., 2022). Reduced personal achievement is very much what it sounds like one doubts one's ability "to perform their job effectively and holds a negative professional self-evaluation." The negative self-view results in decreased productivity and capabilities, low morale, and lower coping skills.
In cases of reduced personal achievement perpetuated by job burnout, looking at the circumstances from a resources perspective may be helpful. The Demands-Resources theory suggests that "burnout occurs when the demands of a job are out of balance with the resources available to do that job" (Edú-Valsania et al., 2022). Suppose the demands of your job are high or increasing. However, the resources available to do your job effectively are lacking. In that case, this may cause the issues at hand.
What can we do?
Talk to your manager to procure help or the resources needed to do your job more effectively in high demand and low resources. Maybe re-dispersing workloads is required, or your leaders are unaware of how much you have on your plate. In either case, take a minute or two to figure out what would reduce the strain of your job and work with your managers to find a solution that helps everyone. You may not be the only one dealing with these issues, and you can help others by speaking up.
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-upside-things/201908/how-deal-emotional-burnout
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3296106/
https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/mental-health/3688483-what-is-depersonalization-and-how-does-it-relate-to-burnout/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8834764/
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