An essential guide to saving your team from burnout

Too much work, little time, and no balance can lead to burnout. It’s a condition that affects both individuals and teams, and it’s something that needs to be managed carefully if you want your team to stay healthy and productive. In this blog post, we’ll explain what burnout is, its different types, the signs and symptoms of burnout, and how to help yourself and your team deal with it effectively. By learning about burnout and understanding the possible causes, you can start taking steps to prevent it from happening in the first place or recover from it as quickly as possible.

Definition of burnout

Teamwork is essential for success but can also be very demanding and lead to burnout. It is a condition that can occur when an individual’s work negatively impacts their health or physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. It is often accompanied by feelings of fatigue, anxiety, stress, and depression.

The effects of burnout are cumulative over time and can be challenging to overcome. It is essential to identify the warning signs early to take preventative measures. Some key indicators include delegating less responsibility or working longer hours than usual without a break, constantly feeling behind, experiencing decreased energy levels, difficulty concentrating; feeling stressed out even at home, and becoming moody or irritable with those closest to you.

The different types of burnout

Burnout is a serious problem that can affect anyone in the workplace. It’s caused by stress and can have serious long-term consequences. The three most common types of burnout in the workplace are :

Overload burnout

This is when an individual becomes overwhelmed by their assigned work and starts to experience symptoms of stress. They may become tense, have frequent headaches, have trouble sleeping, or have irritability. This type of burnout is most common among managers and leaders who are driven by the zeal to achieve all their goals and perform higher than the standards.

Under challenge burnout

Under challenge burnout happens when an individual is given too less notice. In the workplace, the typical attitude towards them is that of neglect. Their activities draw a limited amount of attention. Similarly, their efforts may go unrecognized. Employees have difficulty connecting with their peers without any appreciation or reward. Consequently, work becomes meaningless, and they become disengaged.

Neglect burnout

Neglect burnout is when an individual is given too much work without enough support. They may start to feel overwhelmed, and the lack of direction can often cause frustration. As a result, the employee is bound to feel helpless. Due to the lack of proper guidance and resources, the employee can question their self-worth and competency, leading to an existential crisis.

The signs and symptoms of burnout

The symptoms of burnout can vary from person to person. Still, they usually include feeling exhausted and unmotivated, having little interest in work or life in general, and feeling like you can’t function properly. Employees who are feeling burnt out usually exhibit one or more of the following signs:

• Feelings of detachment, cynicism, and a general feeling of emptiness
• Challenging to stick to any long-term goals or objectives
• Difficult to enjoy anything related to their work or profession
• Constantly feeling overwhelmed and overworked
• Feeling like you can’t escape work or the task at hand
• Feeling like you can’t get your mind off work
• Lost interest in hobbies and spending time with friends and family
• Insomnia or hypersomnia

Why do employees feel burnt out at work?

While we can note that burnouts are not rare, it becomes clear that their cause could be as common as their occurrence. The primary reasons that lead to employees feeling burnt out include:

High stress

Burnout can occur for a variety of reasons, but typically it is the result of prolonged stress. When constantly feeling overwhelmed, your body and mind begin to tire quickly. It leads to boredom and frustration, which in turn causes more stress. The cycle continues until you reach a breaking point where everything becomes too much to handle. Working in high-stress environments that require constant focus or involve high unpredictability can also lead to burnout. The presence of toxic people in the workplace also becomes a significant mental drag.

Lack of freedom

When you’re locked into a job or obligated to work long hours, you lose the freedom to do what you enjoy. You may find yourself stuck in a routine that’s not fulfilling and doesn’t give you the time or mental energy to explore new interests. Lack of freedom can also lead to stress, as it forces us to adapt our lifestyle around someone else’s wishes instead of shaping it ourselves. Lack of control over the work schedule and workload is another issue. The monotony of following orders that do not carry a visible rationale draws employees away from their passions.

Lack of clarity and support

It becomes challenging to stay motivated when we don’t clearly know what’s expected of us or when our work is poorly executed. We feel like we’re struggling in the dark, and nobody can help us. It can lead to helplessness and frustration, which only worsens things. Dissatisfaction with your job also leads to an increased risk for burnout because you become more likely to focus on the negative aspects of your work rather than finding solutions.

Loneliness at work

Loneliness is already a health risk in and of itself, but it can become even more problematic when we work in an environment where there are no friends to turn to. We may start feeling isolated from the rest of the world, which can make us feel lonely and depressed at work. This isolation affects our mental health and creates a negative sentiment toward the workplace, causing us to lose our sense of purpose.

What do to if you are feeling burnt out?

It’s no secret that work can be highly challenging and often takes its toll on the individual and the team. Burnout can quickly take over and devastate the entire organization if left unchecked. However, there is help available. Recognizing the warning signs of burnout is the first step. Next, take time for yourself to relax, recharge, and rejuvenate. Here are a few things that you do to kickstart burnout recovery for yourself:

Understand the causes

To lead a successful burnout recovery, it is essential first to understand what led you to burn out in the first place. It will help you identify and overcome any weaknesses or obstacles that may prevent your continued success.

Establish boundaries to protect yourself

Additionally, it’s essential to establish healthy boundaries and create effective systems of supportiveness within your work environment.

Practice mindfulness

Once you have identified these factors, it is time to focus on rebuilding your Burnout Recovery Plan. It includes developing healthy coping mechanisms such as exercise and meditation, seeking professional counseling or therapy if necessary, setting personal goals and objectives, establishing positive social connections outside of work-related activities, and taking care of yourself physically and emotionally.

Build a work-life balance

Lastly, balancing work with your personal life is vital to allow you the time and space necessary for a successful burnout recovery. Not only that, it is crucial to have a work-life balance for a fulfilling life to allow you sufficient time to process your emotions and actions instead of pushing you into burnout with loads of work on your head.

How to help your team members handle burnout?

Burnout hurts your team’s productivity, morale, and turnover. And while there is no single solution that will work for everyone, here are some tips to help manage burnout in your workplace:

• Institute a well-defined company culture that values employee satisfaction and encourages healthy competition. It will create an enriching environment where people are motivated to perform at their best. As a manager, you will need to take steps to ensure your employees’ psychological safety and well-being.
• Provide adequate workload flexibility so employees can balance family life with job responsibilities without feeling stress or resentment. To do this, you will need to do a couple of things. The first is building personal accountability in your team members so that they take ownership of tasks. It helps them find a purpose that keeps them engaged. Secondly, you will need to ensure that you delegate tasks effectively. The key to finding the right degree is to avoid too much workload to create a burden or too low to produce boredom.
• Establish clear communication channels between management and the workforce so problems can be identified early and resolved efficiently. Additionally, ensure that employees are comfortable discussing their concerns on teams or in one-on-one sessions. Maintaining a good reward and recognition mechanism will help you too.
• You can set aside time each week for informal feedback sessions where staff members can air grievances without fear of reprisal from superiors.

If you feel that your team member is experiencing burnout, a few things that you can do are:

• Rationalize their workload
• Help them create goals and set deadlines
• Offer words to affirmation
• Become a coach and ensure they have adequate resources
• Offer support and encourage them to seek professional help

Conclusion

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and your team suffers from burnout, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Burnout is a serious problem that can affect anyone at any career stage. In this blog, we’ve outlined the different types of burnout, the signs and symptoms of burnout, and how to overcome burnout for yourself and your team. If you want to help your team avoid burnout in the future, make sure to read through this blog and take action!