Health and Beauty

Burnout, how to overcome occupational illness?

Is waking up when your alarm goes off every morning a chore? Do you suffer from sleep problems, physical and emotional fatigue, and therefore difficulty concentrating? Do your colleagues put you in a bad mood and you don't feel enthusiastic about daily tasks at work? A state of extreme readiness! You may suffer from “burnout.”

A very common phenomenon

Burnt? I ? But if these are normal symptoms due to work stress! Unfortunately, you find yourself in a fairly common situation these days. Many people believe that work is an intrinsically unpleasant thing. normal ! That's why we get paid to do it!

In this productivity-obsessed culture, burnout has become an epidemic. The latest survey conducted in March 2022 by Empreinte Humaine, an independent company specializing in the promotion of quality of life at work (QVT) and prevention of psychosocial risks (RPS), reveals very alarming burnout rates.

In fact, 34% of employees suffer from this syndrome, and 2.5 million employees suffer from severe burnout. The report also notes that sick leave for psychological reasons is likely to continue to increase(1).

Despite these worrying data, we continue to normalize this state of constant fatigue and exhaustion. Often times we think this is normal and we end up ignoring the early indicators that tell us we are headed toward burnout at work.

How do I know if I'm suffering from burnout?

How can I differentiate this syndrome from just having a bad time at work?

The term “burnout” (“burn out” or fatigue at work) is a set of reactions following situations of chronic occupational stress in which post-commitment predominates.

Currently, the most accepted definition of burnout syndrome or “burnout” is the one given by Maslach and Jackson, who describe it as “a three-dimensional syndrome in which a worker exhibits emotional exhaustion, depersonalization or cynical treatment, a negative attitude toward clients, and decreased personal development.”

The World Health Organization also highlights these three dimensions previously mentioned(2):

  1. Feeling lacking in energy or exhausted. Feeling tired all the time, even at the beginning of the day.
  2. Increase mental distance from work. – Negative or sarcastic feelings related to work. This means not feeling engaged in one's own activities or those of others, and is often upset and not very motivated.
  3. – Feeling helpless and unfulfilled. Decreased sense of competence and success at work.

So, if you feel like these last three points define you, open your eyes! You are very likely suffering from burnout!

If in doubt, you can seek advice from a specialist or use the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire. This test consists of 22 questions in the form of statements that will allow you to calculate your degree of personal achievement at work. The questionnaire takes 10 minutes and measures three dimensions of professional burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal fulfillment.

Finally, don't forget to also pay attention to the following symptoms and signs of fatigue:

  • denial;
  • Slower ;
  • boring;
  • Sleep problems, either oversleeping or insomnia;
  • Difficulty concentrating;
  • Memory loss and disorganization.
  • Anger or aggressive behavior.
  • Radical differences in personality.
  • Changes in personal hygiene or eating habits.
  • Anxiety and fear;
  • feeling guilty;
  • Feeling of failure and helplessness;
  • frustration;
  • low self-esteem;
  • Low level of performance;
  • Permanent nervous condition;
  • Headache and tachycardia.

More serious cases can lead to self-medication with psychotropic substances, absenteeism from work, alcohol or drug abuse, isolation, breakdown, depression, and psychological symptoms that can lead to suicide.

Who are most affected by burnout?

Although it is not the only one, this syndrome usually occurs in people whose jobs involve a lot of social interaction. These employees suffer more from feelings of physical exhaustion that arise from contact with people.

Employees who work long days are also more likely to make mistakes on routine, repetitive tasks and those that require sustained attention.

This can also happen to students, especially in the health field. Burnout syndrome is the result of chronic exposure to the stressors typical of the training process(3)(4)(5).

What are the causes of psychological burnout?

Are you already thinking about leaving your job? Career change on your mind?

Take a step back before making the final decision! It seems that work is not the only one responsible for burnout.

In fact, poor working conditions are the main cause of burnout syndrome. On the other hand, high levels of chronic stress, excessive workload, decreased independence, lack of recognition, poor interpersonal relationships or lack of support are just some of the risk factors that can cause a worker to develop this disease.

Yes, your boss is not the only culprit!

This seems logical. In fact, for every two people who practice the same profession within the same company and benefit from the same working conditions, only one person may suffer from burnout. Yes! This is because the employee's personal characteristics, expectations, and private life can also influence and cause this syndrome.

“Of course, people with greater personal demands and less ability to set boundaries are more likely to burn out when they have to take on a greater workload,” says Rubén Flores Milat, a psychology graduate at the University of Barcelona and an expert in psychoanalysis. “I chose the nursing profession because it made employment easier and because I knew how to listen, but I admit it was not my great profession,” explains Thomas C., 33, a nurse in the suburbs of Paris. “After that, I found myself in a department where I was doing monotonous tasks, and more than That's because the patients were often not nice. Even several of my colleagues were assaulted… That's in addition to some personal problems… So I fell into a state of burnout and had to stop, because I didn't feel like I could guarantee quality care. “

Finally, burnout became a disease

If the psychologist Herbert Freudenberger was the first to point out in 1974 the topic of “occupational burnout syndrome”, this condition has only recently been recognized.

This syndrome has finally officially entered the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) of the World Health Organization (WHO), so all member states must consider it an occupational disease.

Thus, the diagnosis of this syndrome has entered into force as of 2022, allowing doctors and health centers, including insurance companies, to be able to treat the symptoms as of this year. The World Health Organization has clarified that “burnout” is not a “medical condition” and has defined it as “a syndrome derived from chronic stress at work that has not been successfully managed.”

What to do to get out of it?

Burnout is a very serious condition that can be difficult to recover from. It is very important to seek solutions quickly before symptoms worsen.

Here are some tips to get better:

Get physical activity

On the one hand, often in the treatment of burnout, exercise therapy is a good treatment, because it allows those affected to better cope with the stressors they are exposed to. The literature claims that combining cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, and exercise therapy has achieved good results(6).

On the other hand, exercising is also a good way to prevent burnout. A multinational study showed that physical activity is associated with reduced fatigue and improved quality of life among medical students. However, more research is needed to establish protocols regarding the optimal intensity, frequency, volume, and mode of physical activity.(7).

rest

Take some time to follow some practices aimed at relaxation and stress management. Practice yoga, meditate, pamper yourself with a self-massage, or simply set aside time to dedicate it all to yourself and listen to soothing music. Moreover, a study conducted on trainee nurses proved that regular relaxation exercises improve their stress levels.(8).

Take a break

Taking a few days off allows you to step back from the situation, relax, and regain your strength.

If this is not enough, make an appointment with your physician or occupational physician and, if the physician deems it necessary, stop taking the medication. As with recovery time, there is no standard length of downtime for fatigue. In some cases, a few days of rest are sufficient and in others, more time is needed.

If you are on sick leave, really use this time to disconnect from work. It is forbidden to open the mailbox or respond to work messages! Health first!

Consult a specialist

Your doctor can also offer you therapy and refer you to a specialist such as a psychiatrist or psychiatrist to begin treatment to treat your burnout.

As with other mental illnesses, burnout symptoms don't magically disappear. In fact, this syndrome is due to bad habits that do not reduce our stress, such as perfectionism or loss of self-esteem. Therapy with a psychologist can help you focus your attention on reducing stress and learning new positive habits that allow you to develop greater resilience.

Note that if you have a busy schedule, you now have the possibility to consult psychologists remotely 7 days a week and find one available on the same day.

Change what's wrong

Ask yourself and find the real causes or main origin of your fatigue.

If your job no longer motivates you, consider changing careers. There are specialized organizations that can guide you in the process of self-discovery and change. In addition, some of these skills assessments are funded by the State Training Account and may be free if you qualify.

If the work environment is the main reason or if you are a victim of bullying or harassment, report it and ask for a job change or apply to other companies.

If work conditions are the cause of your fatigue, you can try to negotiate changes or improvements with your boss. After sick leave, your physician and occupational physician can work together to adapt your situation or reduce your hours or workload so that you can gradually return.

“To overcome burnout, we need to realistically analyze how far we can go and set boundaries, both with ourselves and with our bosses. “Sometimes it is very useful to organize collectively, share experiences of overwork and demand better conditions together,” explains the psychologist. Ruben Flores Milat.

Burnout, how to overcome occupational illness?

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