As a C-suiter or high-level business executive, you know that stress and an \u2018always on\u2019 work culture is part of most fast-paced work environments. However, the line between stress and career burnout is a fine one, and it can be challenging to know when you are at risk of crossing it.<\/p>\n
Stress is a natural response to a perceived threat or challenge, and in small doses, can be motivating and energising. Occasional or short-lived episodes of stress pose little risk, but chronic and relentless stress can result in several physical, emotional, and mental health problems.
However, job burnout resulting from prolonged periods of work stress, is a different battle altogether!
Leading occupational burnout expert Christina Maslach, professor of Psychology and core researcher at the Healthy Workplaces Center at the University of California remarks, \u201cBurnout is a psychological syndrome that involves a stress response to chronic job stressors. It\u2019s not something you experience occasionally or only a couple of times a year. You\u2019re facing chronic work stressors daily, and on regular high frequency.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking its toll<\/strong><\/p>\n As Maslach explains in a podcast presented by the American Psychological Association (APA), the three key dimensions of burnout are \u2018exhaustion, cynicism, and a lack of professional efficacy on the job.\u2019 Since burnout is mainly triggered by the chronic nature of stressors, people with burnout develop what she calls \u201can increasingly negative, hostile response to the job, to the work they’re doing and a negative sense of self.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Carole* (*not her real name), COO and Publisher of a global book publishing company, recalls her experience of ignoring burnout. In case you\u2019re wondering, the term burnout is not just another modern buzzword \u2500 it was first coined in the 1970s to describe job exhaustion in workers. Alarming burnout rates <\/strong><\/p>\n Despite a phenomenon described as \u2018an occupational epidemic in a culture of busyness\u2019, there is limited data on the prevalence of burnout among Some of the most telling revelations about burnout is from research by Deloitte and independent research firm Workplace Intelligence. Their 2022 survey involving more than 2,000 full-time C-level executives and employees from the US, Canada, Australia and the UK found that:<\/p>\n Contributing factors, early predictors and symptoms As for early burnout predictors, Dr Jeremy Sutton, specialist researcher in the human capacity to push physical and mental limits, remarks while burnout is unique for every individual, identifying these early predictors are critical:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n He comments, \u201cProactive effort to reduce workload can be highly effective at removing some stressors impacting burnout, because when workload and capacity are in balance, it\u2019s possible to get work done and find time for professional growth, development, rest, and work recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n Burnout manifests in both physical and emotional symptoms. The most common ones include: <\/strong><\/p>\n Winning the battle: Spotting the Warning Signs<\/strong><\/p>\n In a journal article in World Psychiatry<\/em> \u2500 which Christina Maslach co-wrote with organisational psychologist Dr Michael P Leiter, adjunct professor at Canada\u2019s Arcadia University \u2500 she remarks that \u201cburnout has a complex pattern of relationships with health, in that poor health contributes to burnout and burnout contributes to poor health.\u201d Health researcher Dr Sutton suggests identifying early signs by honestly answering the following questions:<\/p>\n He also recommends assessing how you\u2019re doing in each of the following activities:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Ripple effect<\/strong><\/p>\n The fallout from burnout doesn\u2019t just impact individuals \u2500 its ripple effects can easily affect your fellow C-suiters, employees and the organisation, causing decreased productivity and negatively impacting mental and physical health. Taking stock, fighting back<\/strong><\/p>\n Like many high-level executives, you may find it challenging to recognize the signs of burnout in yourself, especially if you are accustomed to heavy workloads, high-pressure situations and long working hours.<\/p>\n Even though many top-echelon execs are battling burnout, some C-suiters still perceive work burnout as a weakness not to be discussed. This perception can be particularly prevalent in industries or organisations that normalise a culture of competition and pressure to perform, no matter the cost. But burnout is a common and natural response to chronic stress, and as Maslach stresses, it\u2019s \u2018not a mental illness or individual flaw.\u2019<\/p>\n Seeking support or intervention is not a sign of failing, but rather a sign of self-awareness and strength. Moreover, consulting a doctor or a mental health professional can also rule out that your symptoms are not related to other conditions such as depression.<\/p>\n Ignoring the situation, dismissing burnout as part of the job or hoping it will go away is futile as burnout will almost certainly worsen if unattended. With experts agreeing that early identification and intervention is essential in treating treat burnout, Maslach and Leiter highlight various intervention strategies, which are mostly focused on individual strategies adapted from research into stress, coping and health. Recommended treatment strategies include:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you suspect burnout is affecting your physical and mental well-being, get help from a mental health professional who can provide you with additional coping strategies and recommend the most appropriate treatment options. There are also many online resources, such as positivepsychology.com that offers science-based burnout prevention methods and interventions used in coaching, teaching and therapeutic settings. Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a C-suiter or high-level business executive, you know that stress and an \u2018always on\u2019 work culture is part of most fast-paced work environments. However, the line between stress and career burnout is a fine one, and it can be challenging to know when you are at risk of crossing it. Stress is a natural […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":175,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. 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\u201cFor months at work, I\u2019d felt increasingly irritable, negative and frustrated every day. Like a malfunctioning robot, I felt numb, doing as little as possible, and using painkillers, endless cups of coffee and wine at night to \u2018fix\u2019 the continual headaches and debilitating exhaustion. With zero motivation,
I\u2019d stopped caring about the job. The wheels finally came off when I totally disengaged from everything and everyone. A concerned psychologist friend referred me to a psychiatrist, who diagnosed a severe mental and physical breakdown caused by burnout. Being booked off medically for eight weeks was a huge wake-up call. Since that experience, I\u2019m more mindful of early burnout triggers and signs. It\u2019s not easy, but I\u2019m making meaningful changes to my mindset and work habits to avoid a recurrence.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognised burnout as an occupational phenomenon with health consequences, defining it as \u2018chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.\u2019 Burnout has also been included in the 11th edition of the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), widely regarded as the global standard for diagnostic health information.<\/p>\n
C-suiters and high-level executives. Leadership development provider ExecOnline\u2019s report \u2500 in its survey on several thousand senior leaders \u2500 found that \u00a072% of leaders polled reported being burned out. Other studies confirming the considerable extent of burnout include:<\/p>\n\n
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(24%) and that no one would be able to cover for them while they\u2019re away (22%).<\/li>\n
<\/strong>So, what factors play a role in burnout? The Workplace Wellness Centre of Excellence<\/em> (WWCOE) reports that<\/strong> many contributing factors, which have become part of the executive job description, include:<\/p>\n\n
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Of the three burnout dimensions, exhaustion is typically correlated with such stress symptoms as headaches, chronic fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders, muscle tension, hypertension, cold\/flu episodes, and sleep disturbances.
A healthy dose of self-awareness helps to identify early signs of burnout, for example by doing a self-assessment using the widely used Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The MBI, developed by burnout pioneer Professor Maslach measures job burnout by including questions about emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment.
Access the Maslach Burnout Inventory here:<\/strong> https:\/\/mondiahealth.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Maslach-Burnout-Inventory-MBI.pdf<\/p>\n\n
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The Deloitte study confirms this in its findings, that 87% of respondents say burnout negatively affects employee retention and engagement, while 71% say it has resulted in increased absenteeism.
Taking stock and acting on burnout in yourself<\/em> is the first step. Next is leading by example, encouraged by the knowledge that 84% of C-suite leaders in the Deloitte study say it\u2019s important for them to see other leaders taking care of their well-being (84%), while 82% state seeing this would motivate them to improve their own well-being.<\/p>\n
The Mayo Clinic adds that aside from symptoms like stress, fatigue and insomnia, ignored or unaddressed job burnout can have other significant health consequences, including alcohol or substance abuse, heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n
Some try to treat burnout after it has occurred, while others promote engagement to prevent burnout. Moreover, complementing initiatives to moderate workload demands \u2500<\/strong> by improving recovery strategies such as better sleep, exercise and nutrition \u2500<\/strong> are directly relevant to the exhaustion component of burnout.<\/p>\n\n
In the end, the most important bottom line to succeeding and thriving in your career is YOU. Winning the battle against burnout is possible, but only if you tackle it head on.<\/p>\n\n