If you read my post How To Recognize Caregiver’s Burnout, you already know what burnout is and some symptoms associated with it. If you haven’t read it, check it out here. Burnout is a real phenomenon that occurs due to workplace stresses that we may or may not have control over. In this post, we will explore 5 factors that could lead to burnout at work.
No Control
There are a lot of work factors that are generally out of our control. Oftentimes, we are not able to tailor our schedules to meet our needs. We are told when we need to be at work, when we can take a break, when we can eat, and when we can go home. The inflexibility of some schedules can be a source of stress for a lot of people. We also tend not to have control over most aspects of our work responsibilities. For example, deadlines and workload are generally things that we cannot control. Lack of control in itself causes stress. When we experience it at a place where we are forced to spend a large portion of our day, the stress can be more pronounced.
Job Expectations That Are Not Clear
Have you ever worked at a job where you didn’t really know what you were supposed to do most of the time? This usually happens when there are no clear expectations for the job you were hired to do. Vague directions might be given for certain tasks or projects. There might be a lack of training that contributes to the feeling of being lost. Often when there are unclear expectations, we feel that we are getting in trouble regardless of what we do. The requirements of assigned tasks may change or not be clearly defined. Then, when you complete the work, it is not what management was expecting so they push back. Lack of clear expectations could lead to a build-up of stress at work and contribute to burnout.
Uncomfortable Workplace Dynamics
There are plenty of horror stories out there depicting workplace bullies, abusive bosses, backstabbing coworkers, and more. Working under conditions where you have to constantly be on guard can wear you down over time. However, it does not need to be that extreme to be an uncomfortable workplace. For example, an employee that is being micromanaged by their boss is far more likely to be stressed than an employee who isn’t. In addition, if there are coworkers that like to undermine others, this could also create large amounts of stress.
Activity Level
This may seem like an odd factor but the activity level of a job can really play a role in the amount of stress you feel. If your job is mind-numbingly monotonous, you would have to use more energy to focus on your tasks than if the job were to be a bit more varied. Monotonous jobs may seem easy on the outside. After all, you just have to do the same thing over and over. However, when you do the same thing repeatedly, you begin to stop paying attention to it. This could lead to decreased performance and even workplace accidents. On the other hand, a job that requires you to be active all the time, in a chaotic fashion, could result in the same or similar stress. Both activity levels require a large amount of focus which could result in the stress that causes burnout.
Not Enough Personal Time
People started talking about work-life balance in the 70s and it continues to be a topic of discussion today. There is no doubt that people who have achieved a good work-life balance are generally happier. This is because they have time to spend with friends and family and do the things that they like to do. The more hours a person works, the less time they have to self-care. Self-care is basically anything we do that helps to keep us mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy. If we don’t have time for self-care, we will not be able to mitigate the stresses of work. A lack of work-life balance coupled with the general stresses of work could cause burnout.
We have explored 5 factors that could contribute to burnout: lack of control, unclear expectations, uncomfortable workplace dynamics, activity level, and work-life balance. If you want to learn some ways to take care of yourself once you are in burnout read here.