Podcast #10: Burnout Syndrome – how to recognize the symptoms and prevent it?
The new episode of our podcast On the Wave of Code was prepared in cooperation with the online platform Ksebe.sk. With Dominika Neprašová, an experienced psychologist and coach, we talk about what burnout is, how to prevent it and what to do when you feel it coming on. We wish you a pleasant listening or reading.
Burnout. A state where our intrinsic motivation goes out and the daily responsibilities that once fulfilled us and made us happy suddenly become a burden. Burnout has become one of the most frequently bandied about terms today. It is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that arises mainly as a result of prolonged stress, overwork or lack of support in work and personal life.
This phenomenon, which affects people in different professions and life stages, can have serious consequences for health, performance and quality of life. In this talk, we will discuss not only the causes of burnout, but also its symptoms, prevention and ways to get out of this challenging situation. It is time to open a discussion on this increasingly common problem that deserves attention and a solution.
Modern life places many demands on us. We are often expected to be available virtually all the time. Perhaps this is why burnout syndrome is a topic that is being talked about more and more. Dominika, is burnout a modern phenomenon or have we just learned to talk about it more openly?
I think burnout is really coming up a lot now. We can associate it with phenomena, but I think it has always been there. The fact that it is being talked about more now does not mean that burnout was not there before. The topic of mental health is coming to the fore.
To begin with, I would like to explain what burnout actually means. It is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion that most often arises as a result of long-term or chronic stress. It often occurs in people who, for example, have high levels of responsibility, a lot of contact with people or work under pressure.
But burnout can also occur in other areas, such as work. It can be interpersonal relationships, family relationships, parenting, personal life or hobbies.
Is this condition more a question of our psyche or is it caused by the environment in which we live and work?
Definitely both factors. With our psyche, burnout is related to the beliefs or cognitive conclusions we have about ourselves. What I need to do, what I need to become, what will happen if I don’t do it, how others will view me, how I will view myself.
But environment and other influences also play a big role. For example, social networks, comparisons, pressure to perform, perfectionism at work. The term toxic productivity is common. For example, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is also related to burnout, that is, the fear of not going somewhere, not participating in something, missing out. And if we have pressure to always be present sometimes, we can burn out from that too.
If we were to compare burnout to the state of a mobile phone, what would it look like? Maybe like a situation where we only have 10% of the battery left and everything is in power saving mode?
That’s a very nice metaphor, I like to use it. The metaphor of a dying flame is also ideal. Burning out comes in stages, we’ll get to that later. But the important thing is that it doesn’t come from one day to the next, but step by step – just like a flashlight in a cell phone dies. At the beginning it is charged to 100% and then it gradually goes down.
Sometimes we don’t recognise burnout because it can look like normal fatigue. In reality, however, there are signs that warn us that we are dangerously close to that threshold. What are the most common signs that tell us burnout is approaching?
I would divide these symptoms into four basic categories. The first category is emotional or feeling symptoms – feelings of exhaustion, frustration, loss of motivation, decreased empathy, outbursts of anger, cynicism, which can culminate in anxiety or depressive states.
Then there are the physical symptoms – fatigue, sleep disturbances, inability to fall asleep, headaches. A lot of clients mention, for example, weakened immunity or digestive problems, this is very common at the moment.
Next, cognitive symptoms, such as impairment of our cognitive, recognition functions. Memory or attention is a little bit impaired because we have so much on our minds that we can’t focus 100%.
The fourth category is social symptoms, which include isolation from other people, withdrawal from social activities, deterioration of interpersonal relationships. We don’t have the capacity for other people, so we withdraw into our bubble.
Why does burnout syndrome arise? And how can we distinguish it from other diagnoses such as depression, work frustration, or some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder?
Burnout syndrome is very closely related to anxiety and depression. These are real psychological disorders that are registered in the so-called Diagnostic Manual or International Classification of Diseases. They are treated with medication, in collaboration between a psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist. Burnout is more of a therapeutic issue. When it is caught early, anxiety and depression may not occur at all.
Burnout syndrome is most often related to chronic stress. Long-term stress kicks in, energy reserves are depleted, the immune system weakens. This is the most common basis. Burnout syndrome also occurs in the sense that we have no control over our life, our work, we feel helpless, frustrated, everything slips through our fingers because there is so much going on.
And then it’s the lack of social support. When we isolate ourselves, we don’t have the mirror of other people to tell us to slow down. Or we have a lack of space for ourselves. We are social creatures, we need to be with other people, but we also need to recharge ourselves. With Netflix, with a show, on a walk, doing crossword puzzles. That is, really being with ourselves.
And the very last thing burnout syndrome can be is even some excessive or unrealistic expectation. Something that is objectively higher that simply cannot be met. It may be an expectation of ourselves, of other people, or of general situations that we should work out. The whole package can lead to a burnout outbreak.
Are there also any groups of people or professions that are more prone to burnout?
As I mentioned at the beginning, it is a job in difficult conditions. That is, for example, long working hours, high work pressure, perhaps low financial evaluation. Lack of control over the work, but also, for example, conflicts in the workplace. Then there are professions where we care for other people – doctors, nurses, psychologists. Burnout is a very common theme here too.
However, caring for children or relatives, financial problems, debt, uncertainty of financial income and financial stress can also lead to burnout. Or then personality factors – perfectionism, pressure to perform. People who may have lower self-esteem cannot cope with stress. Or people who can’t set boundaries and can’t say no. These are all people who then struggle with burnout.
Why do we burn out and slide into it and not, for example, our colleague who has the same tasks at work?
We need to start by growing up in a family, in an environment that influences us. The upbringing style, beliefs and values of our family shape us as a person. From this, personal beliefs such as “I have to do everything perfectly, I have to be everywhere, I need things to run as I have planned” are formed. These are all personal beliefs that we may have, but our colleague has the complete opposite.
Then it’s just the kind of profession that our colleague can do something completely different from us. For example, you are an HR manager, so you have much more contact with people than someone who repairs computers. It’s just as important a profession, but the level of contact with people is completely different. At the same time, it’s the ability to relax, to take care of yourself. Some people have it very well developed, some people hardly at all. And then really it’s setting boundaries. I’m going to repeat myself, but those boundaries and the ability to say “no” are a running theme with the topic of making excuses.
What are the stages of burnout syndrome? How does it all start?
There are four basic stages. The first stage is the enthusiasm stage, when we have high expectations, we are very motivated, we are very enthusiastic about the work ahead of us, we are excited, we are full of energy. Then gradually, quite visibly, comes the stagnation stage, when the motivation drops a little bit, we are a little bit more exhausted, because it is really exhausting, sometimes even impossible, to be fully engaged all the time.
The third stage of burnout is the frustration stage, where there is increased irritability in people, a sense of ineffectiveness, a lack of acknowledgement that maybe what I’m doing doesn’t actually make sense, there is questioning. And then the last phase follows – apathy. That is to say, really a complete emotional and physical exhaustion and a decline in performance and overall interest in what we actually used to enjoy, find fulfilling.
Which area will burnout hit us first? Is it relationships, physical health, or is it overall enjoyment of life?
This is a rather difficult question to answer, but a very important one. It is very subjective, everybody has it differently. But it depends on how one has arranged one’s life, or particular areas of life. Because it is true that if we have a restlessness or something not quite comfortable and well arranged in one area of life, for example in work, social relationships, family and time for ourselves we can somehow manage.
But if it kicks in fully and two areas of life are disordered, that is, for example, work and family, the pressure builds up, heightened emotions build up, and many times we go over the edge. When it’s that one area of life that is affected, burnout comes more slowly. When it’s really two or more, somebody’s whole house of cards really comes crashing down, that’s where burnout is absolutely present.
What do you think about the claim that people who are more passionate about their work and love it more have a higher risk of burnout?
I think that’s debatable, because if a person loves their job, why would they burn out? If a person is doing something, they shouldn’t mind doing it first and last for that job, but there’s a big but there in my opinion.
Even though we love something, we still need to set some boundaries there, set some priorities, some goals, what to say yes to and what to say no to. And again, it comes down to those personal beliefs. So it’s not about whether or not I love a job and then I burn out, but it’s about the person in question, the bearer of those beliefs.
If we could see burnout, what would it look like in everyday life? For example, would it be a slowly dying flame?
The flame is a very nice metaphor. Also the mobile we mentioned earlier. It’s really something that’s gradually fading away from some great whole. In humans, it can also be, for example, the moon when it’s full and it gradually recedes from it, forming a C shape. That, too, is actually waning. Overall, the metaphor of having enough or too much of something and then gradually losing it is a metaphor of burnout.
Is there any way to intervene in time? For example, if I notice a drop in performance in a colleague, or a friend, an acquaintance, how can I help them?
It is very important that we notice this in ourselves. We have to take care of it, because it is about our mental and physical health. But self-reflection, at the great pace that leads to burnout, is sometimes not even in place. That’s why it’s very beneficial when we’re around people, when we don’t hold back and when they give us that mirror. When they say “I see changes in your behavior” or “you’re somehow often sick”, “what’s going on with you that this immunity is limping?”, “I feel like you’re always grumpy, angry, are you okay?”, “are you okay?” or “do you have a lot on your mind?”
These are all things that our friends or family can share with us. And then I think the easiest thing to do is to advise them to go to a professional. To a psychologist who can talk to them about it. Or to ask them what would help them, what they need, if we can lend a helping hand somehow. But that’s what you can also find out in that therapy room. So a psychologist and the topic of burnout is a pretty good functional combination.
We often neglect prevention, because until something actually happens, we do not pay any attention to it. Let’s look at simple steps we can take for ourselves every day.
Two things come to mind. The first one is – and this is how we work with our clients as well – I ask them the question, what is the smallest change you can make in what is currently going on in your life? Because even if the change is tiny, maybe minute, it can change the whole system, and that’s very important.
At the same time, the best prevention is – and more experts probably agree on this – learning to manage stress effectively.
What does this mean in reality? Firstly, to seek that support, that is, when I feel I am stressed, to share it with others – with family, with friends or a psychologist, to talk about my feelings. Maybe to have those other people validate it or just to get it out of ourselves.
At the same time, take care of yourself – eat healthy, drink, get enough sleep, move physically. These are all things that can reduce stress. In a work environment, it’s regular rest or, if possible, delegating tasks to colleagues, family members. We are not alone in this system, there are other people who help us.
And it’s also very important to set realistic goals in your work life as well as in your personal life. Not to take on too many tasks, not to have such inflated expectations of yourself. We simply have only one capacity and let’s give ourselves such goals and tasks that we can realistically handle. There is no art to always outdoing ourselves, the art is to manage it so that we are at ease.
How to find work-life balance, which we discussed inprevious podcast?
In my opinion, it’s actually happening in exactly the same way as I mentioned in the podcase. I won’t go into detail, but what’s important for us is priorities. Going step by step from goals, to rest, to dividing up time for both us and other people. These are all things that contribute to work-life balance.
Do you have any favourite tips that you recommend to your clients for recovery? Either after work or after a harder day, period?
Personally, I like to relax a lot, so I have a lot of those types. And in my type of profession I try very hard to do that, because the burnout is often there. For example, I really like to do different sports activities, sauna, or just sit down with a cup of tea and stare at the wall, but even that is quite so draining. That you just don’t think about anything, don’t do anything, just sit down and chill for a while. Or I really like to do crosswords.
I think everyone knows what rest means to them. The important thing is that we do things that we otherwise consider unproductive. That is to say, doing things that are unproductive or things that are meaningless is also productive.
When a person gets burnt out, the road back can be very difficult indeed. Is it then possible to find joy and balance in work, or is it better to look for a completely new type of activity?
I’m the kind of person who sees hope everywhere. It’s possible, because it’s not about the activity itself, it’s about the setting. It’s about how the person thinks about it all. For example, in sessions with a psychologist, a person can name why they burned out, what made them burn out, what influenced it, how they think about themselves and how they want others to think about them. And when he goes through all this and realizes some of his stuff and his themes in it, I don’t see why he can’t do the profession he was doing before.
Is there anything that can reliably wake up a person with burnout? For example, maybe the thought of missing all the new episodes of his favourite series?
I completely understand the vision in that question. It is very important that a person who feels burnt out or burned out needs to take a proper rest in the first place. That’s really the alpha and the omega. And get yourself together.
And when that happens, I gradually return to those ruminations of watching all those episodes of my favorite show or getting back to that normal functioning. It should be a step-by-step process, starting with that physical recharge first. Because you can imagine that a lot of times people end up in bed. That they have to go on sick leave because of physical collapse. So the fact that we miss a show, again, is that we would be chasing somewhere. We need to slow down, that’s the primary thing.
What are the paths to healing after burnout? Is it something that a person can manage on their own? Or is it better to seek the help of a professional? How long does burnout syndrome take to heal? How long does such a path of recovery take?
Those ways are different. Whether in cooperation with an expert, a person can also set something up on his own, because the change actually happens to him anyway. As far as sessions with a psychologist are concerned, there are different types of therapy that a client can attend. This way he can better find out why he is burnt out and what to do about it.
Then there are changes overall in his lifestyle. That is, sleep, diet, drinking, physical activity, rest – that’s actually what he has a direct influence on. The psychologist can’t help him with that, he can only support him in that. Then there are work shifts, which are very important if we are talking about burnout in the workplace – adjusting the pace of work, reducing the workload, introducing breaks and time-out periods when we can fully rest.
Further, it is the reality in our goals and expectations. And maybe, if it’s a good work environment, getting or soliciting support and help from others. From supervisors, like our boss or boss’s boss, open communication with the supervisor. Telling him how I feel, what my needs are, demands, that I feel I’m going to burn out and what can be done about it. It’s important to have open conversations in that workplace as well, because nobody wants to have dozens of burnt out employees.
Once we recover from burnout, is it likely that the condition can return? How can this be avoided?
Yes, it can happen, and it does happen. It can happen repeatedly, it is a natural thing. There it is just about that change of mindset. Our mindset has to change so that we don’t get into that state of burnout. But I really think that those work habits or work changes, assertiveness, taking care of our physical and mental health more thoroughly are really overall fine preventative techniques and ways to work with this.
If we could have a detox week away from work, what would it look like? Or alternatively, would we be fine with some sort of detox weekend?
Ja si myslím že aj víkend je fajn čas na zrelaxovanie a reset. Je to dostačujúce, keď vieme, ako ho správne využiť. Lebo veľa ľudí má víkend a zahádže sa rôznymi sociálnymi aktivitami, rôznym programom a upratovaním a tak ďalej. Všetko chce dobehnúť cez víkend, ale treba myslieť aj na to, že „len tak sa vyspím, len tak si oddýchnem, len tak budem tou sobotou, nedeľou plávať“. A vtedy je to ten oddych, ktorý to má byť. Ak by sme mali ten detox týždeň, tak by som povedala, že by sme mali oddychovať a robiť veci, ktoré chceme, nie ktoré musíme. Čiže možno urobiť zmenu v rutine a povinnostiach a naozaj ten jeden detox týždeň si viesť sami podľa seba.
Dominika, what advice would you give to those who feel that their torch is slowly but surely running out?
I guess I’d just close with one important sentence, I know it’s making the rounds on social media right now, that “if you can’t handle it, slow down.” Don’t. There’s no shame in slowing down. Slowing down is sometimes extremely important.
Today’s guest was Mgr. Dominika Neprašová, whom I would like to thank very much for sharing her valuable experience and advice with us. I hope that we will meet again on other topics.
My name is Ivana Hricová and I hope today’s episode brought you something new and inspiring. I look forward to seeing you on the next episode of our podcast On the Wave of Code, brought to you by msg life Slovakia. I wish you all a lot of strength and balance in your daily life.
- The best IT podcasts: both interesting and entertaining. Which podcast is worth listening to?
- Java vs C# – comparison of programming languages (2024)
- Book Review of Head First Java (3rd Edition)
- The latest IT news from the tech world
- Is AI really intelligent? What is artificial intelligence, types, trends, risks of AI
- Generations X, Y, Z and Baby boomers in the workplace: how to work with them?
