First of all, what is burnout?

Burnout, as described by Mental Health UK, is a state of "physical and emotional exhaustion" which occurs due to prolonged and extensive stress, usually (but not always) due to a job role.

Burnout was formally recognised by the World Health Organisation in 2019, characterised as a 'occupational phenomenon', but the term has been around since the 1970's. First coined by American psychologist, Herbert Freudenberger in 1974, the term was first applied to those working in Human Services - such as therapists, social workers, and child advocates - but in recent years has been expanded to apply to most careers.

In plain terms, if you're constantly feeling tired, are beginning to hate your job, and starting to feel less capable in your role, you're showing classic signs of burnout.  

COVID-19 has brought a whole new perspective to burnout, as our personal and work lives began to merge in a way that hasn't ever been previously seen. Home became (and still is for many) a place to work and relax, and any boundaries set soon came tumbling down. This has been reflected in recent studies, with YouGov poll with Mental Health UK finding 46% of UK workers said they felt 'more prone to extreme levels of stress' compared to a year previously (March 2020).

Know the Signs

What differentiates a normal amount of stress from burnout? Or other mental health issues which can often go hand in hand with the syndrome, such as depression and anxiety? Mental Health UK lists the most common symptoms as:

  • Feeling tired or drained most of the time
  • Feeling helpless, trapped and/or defeated
  • Feeling detached/alone in the world
  • Having a cynical/negative outlook
  • Self-doubt
  • Procrastinating and taking longer to get things done
  • Feeling overwhelmed

Physical symptoms are common too, with chronic stress leading to headaches, stomachaches, or even digestive and intestinal issues for some.

From their YouGov poll, Mental Health UK found that 68% of UK adults mistakenly identified the symptoms of anxiety as burnout; highlighting why it's increasingly important to start conversations around what burnout can actually look like.

The 5 Stages of Burnout

Herbert Freudenberger, who first coined the concept of burnout, has described the condition as a 5-stage process:

  1. The Honeymoon Phase - especially relevant in new job roles, you find you are full of enthusiasm for your new job, bursting with creative ideas and excited to be taking on new ideas and responsibilities.
  2. Onset of Stress - you begin to notice more stressful days, and start neglecting your own personal needs outside of work such as spending time with loved ones.
  3. Chronic Stress - as high-stress days become more and more frequent, your stress becomes chronic, with your productivity plummeting, procrastination rife, and things feeling more out of your control. In this stage, you'll notice increased physical symptoms, alongside more negative emotions and an increased sense of failure.
  4. Burnout - if you ignore or don't know how to properly address the previous stages, you'll end up here, at the stage of fully-fledged burnout. Your exhaustion means keeping up with work demands feels impossible, with despair and indifference taking over. A pessimistic outlook and constant fatigue are key signs of this stage.
  5. Habitual Burnout - the stage no one wants to reach, this is when burnout becomes a part of your everyday life. This effects every area of your life, from work to personal relationships, and often leads to a lack of joy from things you once loved. At this stage, it's important to reach out for help to overcome your symptoms.

Tom's Story

Our founder Tom Batting

Having left his consultancy job in 2016 to found Obby, Tom found the transition from working for an employer to being self-employed and running a brand new company a difficult adjustment:

"When I started as a founder, I thought the solution was simply work every hour of every day and you will smash it. The reality is far from that, it really is about working smarter."

I feel burned out, what now?

It's important to remember that, whilst burnout may feel like something that lasts forever, it is a reversible condition and there are steps you can take to both treat it and prevent you from falling back into the burnout cycle.

Tom's key tips for combating burnout are:

  • "Remove all non-essential meetings, if it is not core to the quarterly objective, do not do it.
  • Book in time in my diary for strategy and reflection, allow yourself some time in the day to not firefight or complete tasks but just think - I find going for a walk during this time to be helpful.
  • Be strict about your routine. What time I go to bed, wakeup and importantly time AWAY from your phone or device.
  • Pickup a hobby that has nothing to do with work (not that easy at Obby), but recently I started making large-scale lego. It totally frees the mind and is very relaxing
  • Finally, the most important, talk about how you feel to either a business coach, advisor or loved one."

Other advice from experts includes:

  • Talking to your HR department or manager about what you're experiencing, to see if they have any strategies in place that can help you recover.
  • If you're an employer, try putting a Wellbeing Plan in place to help support your team and ensure you can know the signs of burnout in the future.
  • Dedicating time to your personal self-care, such as eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep can help reduce the stress of work.
  • Taking holiday from work can help, but a few days off isn't enough to combat burnout in the long-run. Regular breaks from work, as well as incorporating self-care routines into your life, are most effective at combating it.

It goes without saying that if you are struggling with burnout, are experiencing feelings of hopelessness and being trapped, and suspect you may also have another mental health condition (such as depression) seek professional help.

Where to find support

We've put together a list of resources and advice if you're looking for further help in preventing and combating burnout:

  • Contact your GP/local mental health support to see what help is available near you
  • Mind offer support for a variety of mental health conditions, with their dedicated Mental Health At Work page offering specialist support for how to approach your employer if you are suffering from issues such as burnout.
  • If you're looking to speak to a mental health professional, such as a therapist, Mind also offers support in finding a professional fit that works for you and how to access help.
  • Mental Health UK offer a range of advice on burnout, such as dealing with 'pandemic fatigue', and have recently introduced their new Clic peer support service; where you can connect with others who are also struggling and share advice and stories.

Want to know more?

Interested in finding out more about the Obby Learning Community? Check out some blogs featuring our amazing Obby teachers and learn their stories below: