Introduction to Burnout

Welcome to introduction to Burnout!

Before I started to write this blog, I had an outline in mind. However, the more I researched and the more I wrote, the more I realized that burnout is more complicated than it is typically depicted. This makes sense, as it’s consistent with what I’ve observed over the years. As with many psychological terms nowadays, burnout is overused. It’s not uncommon for these terms/labels to be used as if they are magically understood with little to no analysis or thought. Perhaps this is a result of a societal issue where people tend not to look past the headlines, missing a lot of details and important information. For example, from childhood we have been kept busy. Our schedules were full, with a lack of rest. We are not even given a moment to absorb life around us. Yet, this is rarely mentioned as a contributor to burnout. Another example, that is in this modern digital world in which we were told that technology was supposed to give us more time, it turned out to do the opposite, adding to burnout. Another example, is that there is an alarming increase in individuals (of all ages) who don’t feel a sense of belonging and feel empty. Perhaps burnout is playing a part in this or perhaps it is a symptom of burnout yet this is rarely explored. Something else that I noticed is that we really don’t look into the history of concepts and how they may have changed over the years. Lastly, when looking at how to resolve these issues, suggestions given seem to be vague and filled with strategies that most people have already tried which just leads to more burnout.

As mentioned in previous blogs, when I am trying to understand a concept I break it down to smaller pieces, so let’s start at the beginning. For me, it would be definitions and to look into history. According to the APA dictionary, burnout is physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes toward oneself and others. It results from performing at a high level until stress and tension, especially from extreme and prolonged physical or mental exertion or an overburdening workload, take their toll. Most of that I expected to find. What I didn’t expect, is that it suggests that workplace stresses are what leads to burnout. In fact after that it goes on stating that the first time it was used was in 1975, it was used in relation to clinical workers with heavy caseloads. Burnout is often observed in service oriented professions such as social workers, therapists, counsellors, nurses, doctors, correctional officers etc. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me, as I recall it being used like this before 10-15 years ago. It’s possible that I overlooked it since nowadays we apply it to everyone and in every circumstance.

As for the history, I found this one to be quite interesting. The original meaning of burnout was to describe fuel burning until it runs dry, which makes sense. It wasn’t until centuries later that it was then used in relation to work. The interesting part is that despite the fact that we began using it in the 70s, the concept dates as far back as ancient times. This didn’t surprise me. Unfortunately, I find that we frequently disregard anything that has come before us and approach it as if those individuals were ignorant. As a result, I believe that this approach has led to a significant loss of valuable information. In my opinion, we often try to reinvent the wheel and take credit for it. But ultimately, we are playing catch up.

So what is burnout? The definition makes it appear as a straightforward concept. Essentially, if you work too hard for too long then you burnout. In my opinion, this leaves many unanswered questions. What we do know is that we link it to mostly work related stresses. We know that more women experience it than men. We also know that some symptoms include exhaustion, fatigue, cynicism, irritability and getting sick more often. We know that there are different types of burnout. Some categories this by profession, while others state 3 common types, overload, under challenged and worn out. Also found additional types such as neglect and misalignment. While this is a good start, I still have more questions.  In future blogs I will be diving into all of it, trying to unpack it and trying to understand it more myself. I wish to share my experiences and resources that I have come across over the years. As well as any new information that I find and stories that I found helpful from others.