I’ve been thinking more about burnout lately, as several people from my private practice show signs of this, and as I hear from friends who work in agencies that fail to consider the health of employees.  What IS burnout?  Is it a real thing, or simply a buzzword that has come to have little meaning?

The experience we call “Burnout” has been described by Elliott Aronson and Ayala Pines in their classic book, Burnout: Causes and Cures.  I often recommend this book to those struggling with a sense of hurry and worry about their work life.  In short, burnout might be described as the experience of mental and physical exhaustion, accompanied often by negative attitudes and a sense of hopelessness.  Of course, physical symptoms may be present, making it harder for the person to sort out the causes of distress.  In general, we’re talking about burnout related to chronic job stress and unreasonably high expectations, in a workplace where “making a sacrifice” is the motto, or “giving 110%” is the standard.   Burnout unfortunately seems to be greatest for those who care most about their work—they are the ones most likely to pour heart and soul into organizational goals and agency missions.  These are the high performers who suffer the greatest sense of disillusionment when goals are not met, or in the face of chaos or failure in the executive leadership circles. Ironically, it can be the worker who begins as a highly motivated and idealistic employee who can burn out to become the cynical and embittered staff member that resents coming to work or feels most negatively about the company! In the earlier stages of burnout, however, the employee remains committed and hard driving.  In fact, the overwork becomes a “new normal” and the individual simply accepts that it must be accomplished, whether that is realistic or not.

In this early stage, a person will often attempt to work harder rather than to slow down or ask for help, thus increasing the burnout and making things worse.  What do I offer those patients suspicious that burnout may be at hand?  As Pines and Aronson have written, when burnout has actually claimed an individual so that exhaustion, cynicism and negativity are experienced over long periods—not just the occasional bad day or week—it is difficult to make a full and vibrant recovery.  Interrupting the gradual slide into a burnout experience may be the best way to reduce its inevitable reduction of life satisfaction, and workplace productivity, but the insidiousness of its gradual nature makes this a real challenge. However, I do have something to offer those feeling over-worked and undervalued in their high-stress and demanding jobs!

First, those of you who have attended my workshops, or read my articles over time, will recognize the phrase “deliberate practice” as it is something I mention a lot.  In this instance, deliberate practice relates to the responsibility we each have to create and maintain balance in our lives.  I’ll use myself as an example, because I balance life so very imperfectly, and have so many experiences with how things can go awry!  All kidding aside, I think of balancing my life in much the same way I think of balancing on a unicycle: forward motion is useful but some very basic skills are necessary for making that motion effective.

The basic skills for balancing life (in contrast to those for the unicycle) would be some form of relaxation.  Meditation or a muscle-by-muscle regimen of “letting go” is needed to keep tension from building in the structures that hold you together. Yoga works, progressive relaxation training works—see my articles on these.

Secondly, I am a proponent of a strong social network.  If you are making time to enjoy your friends, it is time that you’re not spending at work—and hopefully, you are not talking about work!  Friends are a gift you give to yourself, but your friendship is also of significant value to many around you, and you can afford to be more generous with your time.

Third, find flow.  Flow can be described as the experience of concentration and loss of self-consciousness that accompanies activity you enjoy alone.  For example, I am learning to play the guitar (badly) and when I sit down “for a few minutes” to just noodle around with the notes, sometimes an hour can go by without my being aware of it.  I can “get lost” in the experience of chords and small improvements in sounds that I produce.  I find a challenge, and an escape, in the guitar, and it delights me as well.  Some people tell me they find flow in their workplace, and I don’t disagree that it can happen for the lucky few, but I would urge you to look for those activities away from work where you find a challenge that intrigues you, and solitude that allows you to focus and “lose yourself” for an hour or two at a time.  See articles on the experience of flow here on the website, and look for research by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, originator of the term we use to describe this experience.

Banishing burnout is tough, particularly after it has taken hold in your life.  All the more reason for making a deliberate practice of finding a greater balance through relaxation, friends and flow.