World Mental Health Day is happening on Thursday 10th October 2024. The official theme set annually by the World Federation for Mental Health is:

“It is time to prioritise mental health in the workplace“.

As we observe World Mental Health Day, it’s crucial to shine a light on one of the most pressing issues affecting modern workplaces: burnout. In our fast-paced world, more employees are experiencing chronic stress that leads to burnout.

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It’s gradual and can take hold before you’re truly aware of it. It doesn’t just affect individual wellbeing; it has far-reaching consequences for organisations too.

Burnout

The modern ways of life have drastically affected our work-life balance and stressors in life, causing many to experience burnout.

What is burnout?

‘Burnout’ is recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an ‘occupational phenomenon’. While it is not a medical or mental health condition, it has been classified as a syndrome, meaning a collection of symptoms or signs associated with a specific health-related cause. Burnout is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. It can occur when you experience long-term stress and feel under constant pressure.

Burnout symptoms

Burnout is a gradual process over time. Signs you have burnout could be attributed to stress, depression or anxiety and as such could go unnoticed and unaddressed.

Burnout symptoms can be recognised physically, emotionally and behaviourally. Most people will experience a combination of the symptoms below that includes severe exhaustion, feeling cut off from others, and feeling they have no hope, energy or reason for things to change.

If looking for signs that someone is burnt out, it can often be recognised by someone’s behaviour both at work and home.They might be less productive, absent from work, excessively tired or appear irritable. Sometimes people can rely on excessive alcohol or drugs and/or their eating habits could change.

Emotional symptoms

• Feeling helpless, trapped, and/or defeated
• Self-doubt, feeling a failure or worthless
• Feeling detached and alone in the world
• Feeling overwhelmed

Physical symptoms

• Feeling tired or exhausted most of the time
• Reoccurring insomnia and sleep disturbances
• Frequent headaches

Behavioural symptoms

• Procrastinating and taking longer to complete things
• Difficulty concentrating
• Decreased output and productivity
• Becoming isolated and withdrawing from people, responsibilities etc

Tips for dealing with stress which can lead to burnout

Evaluate your options

Discuss specific concerns with your employer/manager. Maybe you can work together to change expectations or reach compromises or solutions.

Goal setting

Try to set realistic goals for what must be done and allocate a future time for what can wait.

Seek support

Whether you reach out to co-workers, friends or loved ones, support and collaboration might help you cope. If you have access to an employee assistance program, take advantage of such services.

Try a relaxing activity

Explore programs that can help with stress such as yoga, meditation choir, or some other passive form of unwinding.

Get some exercise

Regular physical activity can help you to better deal with stress. It can also take your mind off work.

Get some sleep

Sleep restores well-being and helps protect your health.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness may help. It is the act of focusing on your breath flow and being intensely aware of what you are sensing and feeling at every moment, without interpretation or judgment.

Time out

For those who are completely burnt out, you need to take time out – a holiday or annual leave, or possibly other leave arrangements can be made so that you entirely remove yourself from the source of distress, even for a week or two. 

If you are struggling with burnout at work you should talk to your manager or employer. You can also seek support from your local GP or medical practitioner. 

Content sourced from Mental Health UK (mentalhealth-uk.org) and the Health and Safety Authority (hsa.ie). Click here to view our in-depth Mental Health content.