Last updated: May 2022

with Brian Forbes, PhD, R.Psych.
Forbes Psychological Services

Do you feel helpless, disillusioned and completely exhausted due to constant stress? If so, you may be on the road to burnout. 

Psychologists use the term “burnout” in work world contexts to define a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:   

• • feelings of exhaustion; 
  • increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism related to one’s job; and 
  • reduced professional efficiency. 

To find out if you are you suffering from burnout, answer yes or no to the questions contained in the Mayo Clinic’s Job Burnout Symptoms Questionnaire (2021): 

• • Have you become cynical or critical at work? 
  • Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started? 
  • Have you become irritable or impatient with coworkers, customers or clients? 
  • Do you lack the energy to be consistency productive? 
  • Do you find it hard to concentrate? 
  • Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements? 
  • Do you feel disillusioned about your job? 
  • Are you using food, alcohol, or drugs to make you feel better or to simply not feel? 
  • Have your sleep habits changed? 
  • Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, stomach or bowel problems or other physical complaints? 

If you answered yes to any of these questions you may be experiencing job burnout. 

Some of the factors that contribute to job burnout are: 

• • having a heavy workload and logging long hours; 
  • struggling with work life balance; 
  • working in a helping profession – health care, law, etc.; and 
  • feeling you have little or no control over your work. 

These factors are compounded by individual characteristics such as: 

• • lifestyle factors such as not getting enough sleep or excessive use of alcohol or poor diet; 
  • personality, such as perfectionistic tendencies (nothing is good enough); 
  • the need to be in control; 
  • having a pessimistic view of yourself and the world; or  
  • being a type A personality. 

Prolonged stress and burnout can have devastating consequences such as:  

• • fatigue, 
  • insomnia,
  • anger,
  • irritability,
  • depression and anxiety,
  • alcohol or substance abuse,
  • heart disease,
  • high blood pressure,
  • diabetes,
  • cancer,
  • arthritis and
  • increased vulnerability to illness.

When you are burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care, let alone to take action to help yourself. But you have a lot more control over stress than you may think. There are positive steps you can take to deal with the overwhelming stress and to get your life back into balance.  

Here are some suggestions: 

Turning to other people.

Social contact is one of nature’s antidotes to stress. Talking face to face with a good listener who is not distracted or judgmental is one of the fastest ways to calm your nervous system and reduce your stress. You may want to consider: 

• • being more sociable with your colleagues; 
  • limiting contact with negative people; 
  • connecting with a cause or community group that is meaningful to you; 
  • connecting with Assist’s professional counseling; and 
  • connecting with Assist’s peer support program. 

Reframing the way you look at work.

You may want to consider: 

• • finding value in your work; 
  • finding balance in your life — if you dislike your job, look for meaning and satisfaction elsewhere in your life that bring you joy and happiness, such as family, friends, hobbies, or volunteer work 
  • stopping catastrophizing; 
  • pumping up the positivity; 
  • finding friends at work to chat and joke with during the day can relieve stress; and 
  • taking time off — if you are feeling the signs of burnout, try taking a complete break from work to remove yourself from workplace stressors. 

Re-evaluating your priorities.

Burnout is an undeniable sign that something important in your life is not working. Take the time to think about the vision for your life and ask yourself: what really makes you happy? 

You may want to consider: 

• • setting boundaries — do not overextend yourself and learn to say no to requests on your time; 
  • taking a daily break from technology — set a time each day when you completely disconnect; and 
  • setting aside relaxation time and take mental breaks such as mindfulness breathing for 10 minutes two to three times a day or go for a walk outdoors. Research has shown that spending 20 minutes outdoors leads to more open thinking, helps control anxiety depression and stress, improves immunity and lowers the level of inflammatory chemicals in the body.

Supporting your mood and energy levels with a healthy diet.

You may want to consider:

• • minimizing sugar and refined carbs; 
  • reducing your high intake of foods that adversely affect your mood such as coffee, unhealthy fats and foods with chemical preservatives or hormones; 
  • eating more Omega 3 fatty acids to give your mood a boost such as salmon, sardines, flaxseed and walnuts;  
  • avoiding nicotine; and 
  • if you drink, drinking in moderation. Consuming too much alcohol can cause anxiety when it wears off.  

Making exercise a priority.

Exercise is another powerful antidote to stress and burnout. Research has shown that regular exercise is the number one factor in enhancing and maintaining mental and physical well-being. 

You may want to consider:  

• • Instead of focusing on catastrophizing and negative thoughts, focus on your body and what you experience during exercising. For example: the wind on your face, the sensations in your feet and legs, the ground underneath your feet, etc.  

Developing a sense of humour.

Research has shown that laughter lowers blood pressure and body temperature, breathing becomes deeper, serum oxygen levels increase; and stress and tension in the muscles is reduced. Laughter also boosts your immune system by reducing stress hormones while releasing endorphins which are chemical cousins to the opiates (pain killers). Laughter also helps us cope and gives us perspective.  

Engaging in acts of kindness.

Helping others is an effective way of reducing your own stress, in shifting your negative thoughts to more positive thoughts and in bringing satisfaction to other aspects of your life. 

If you are chronically stressed or burning out, I encourage you to take the steps necessary to address these issues including: contacting Assist’s professional counseling cervices at their confidential number 1.877.498.6898 or Assist’s Peer Support Program at 1.877.737.5508.