An epidemic of burnout in the middle of a pandemic — six work areas you need to watch.

“Burnout is nature’s way of telling you, you’ve been going through the motions your soul has departed; you’re a zombie, a member of the walking dead, a sleepwalker.” ― Sam Keen

In more clinical terms, burnout is a psychological/ occupational syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion and reduced efficiency in the workplace. Those most likely to burn out set high expectations for themselves and often feel underappreciated.

Burnout affects our careers and personal lives. It is insidious and can sneak up on us. Sometimes we don’t recognize burnout until we start feeling like we have nothing left to give. It can be debilitating and long-lasting. That’s why prevention and mitigation strategies are so important.

This syndrome can affect our physical and emotional state of being. People affected by it feel drained and exhausted both mentally and emotionally from the strain that has been placed on them over an extended period without any relief in sight. People experiencing burnout may also become more skeptical about conditions, coworkers, clients, and patients, ultimately creating an overall negative outlook on life.

When we are burnt out, we lose a sense of belonging to our work communities. We feel disconnected with what’s happening around us and then all these bad feelings spill over onto other parts of our lives. This is not limited to employment settings — burnout may affect people in caregiving roles, as well.

Burnout Epidemic and Workers

We’ve been experiencing an epidemic of burnout since COVID arrived. Lots of factors lead to burnout in normal times, but the added stress and fatigue of the pandemic has exacerbated burnout amongst workers.

Suffice to say there is a burnout crisis going on in healthcare right now. A recent study by Mental Health Research Canada made that clear. More than 66% of nurses reported feeling burnout in 2021. Science Table COVID Advisory states, “In spring 2020, the prevalence of severe burnout was 30%-40%. By spring 2021, rates greater than 60% were found in Canadian physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.” Another factor to consider in healthcare is the compounded role of compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue has been described as the “cost of caring” for others in emotional pain (Figley, 1982). Burnout presents its challenges, but compassion fatigue is deeper and harder to recover from. It involves recovering from vicarious trauma. This is a topic for a future post.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) confirms these worrying findings and points out other sectors hit by waves of burnout. The BMJ states, “The demands of treating COVID-19 patients lead to significant levels of stress, burnout and symptoms of depression and anxiety among [healthcare workers]. However, workers in other sectors also experienced significant increases in psychological distress. Among the most affected were workers in professional and technical industries, hospitality, customer service, small employers and self-employed as well as female workers.”

This phenomenon seems to be widespread, and not just in healthcare. Forbes states, “seventy-six percent of U.S. workers admit to feeling burnout, with 37% citing stress about COVID-19 as a direct contributor to their fatigue at work.”

So what’s happening? Are workers stretched? According to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), up to 70% of newly remote workers have been putting in time on the weekends. Additionally, 45% note that their hours have increased since going remote as a result of COVID-19. Employees are feeling frustrated and overworked with the extra burden. In fact, 36% in the SHRM study noted an increase in workload as one factor causing them to feel frustrated, tired, and overwhelmed. Meanwhile, working parents have experienced some of the worst compounded effects due to COVID-19 with 80% of female workers and 72% of male workers reporting burnout.

Burnout doesn’t only affect the individual, but also the economy. The Harvard Business Review writes that workplace stress affects health costs and mortality in the United States. The cost to the American economy is nearly $190 billion — roughly 8% of national healthcare outlays — and nearly 120,000 deaths each year. The Mental Health Commission of Canada reports, “About 30 per cent of short- and long-term disability claims in Canada are attributed to mental health problems and illnesses. The total cost from mental health problems to the Canadian economy exceeds $50 billion annually.”

The Great Resignation or the Mass Burnout?

In the US and other western nations there has been a trend of mass resignations throughout the pandemic. Without controlled studies, it’s hard to identify the exact reasons why people are quitting their jobs. High numbers of resignations could mean a few things. It’s likely a combination of several factors including concerns for safety and health on the job with COVID-19-related risks, prioritizing their individual life values, not being amenable to meeting vaccine mandates, and added stressors of a pandemic. At the very core of burnout is a mismatch between work and the individual. There are areas of their work and life that don’t mesh.

Maslach Burnout Inventory

Burnout is an increasingly common problem, with models explaining its causes. The most well-known of these, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, was drawn from research by Christina Maslach and Michael P Leiter at UC Berkeley in California and Acadia University in Nova Scotia where they identified six areas that could lead to burnout. This model has become known globally for its accuracy when predicting burnout.

Here are the six areas that can lead to burnout and how you can attempt to remedy each one. Burnout happens when there is a mismatch in these six areas between the individual and the organization.

1. Workload

Good match: you can balance your workload with the amount of time available, so it’s easier to rest and recover from work.

Poor match: the workload exceeds your capacity.

The best way to manage your workload is by assessing how well you are doing in these key areas: planning, prioritizing tasks, and delegating work. Try saying “no” more often — this can cut down time spent worrying about things not worth getting worked up about. Watch for perfectionism. Sometimes things are just good enough.

2. Perceived lack of control

Good match: you have the right amount of autonomy to do your work, which provides you with a sense of accomplishment.

Poor match: you feel like you are micromanaged and don’t have much autonomy.

Are the priorities within your workplace constantly shifting? Or do you simply not have enough resources to effectively perform your job? Do you have the tools, space, or people to do the job?

Focusing on daily tasks can help you to get a sense of control. Once you’ve considered areas that need improving and the processes and resources required to do the job well, this may help you gain more control over your work environment. Even having limited influence can help you to gain a sense of control. This is a lengthy process, but worth the effort.

3. Reward

Good match: the work fulfills your need for reward.

Poor match: the work doesn’t fulfill your need for reward.

With reward you want to look within and determine exactly what you would need to feel properly appreciated. For example, perhaps you need to ask for a raise or promotion. Maybe you need more positive feedback and face time with your boss.

4. Community

Good match: you have strong and supportive relationships.

Poor match: you don’t feel trusted and supported.

Who do you work with or around? How supportive and trusting are those relationships?

In many cases you can’t choose your colleagues and clients, but you can improve the dynamics. It could be as simple as taking the time to ask others how their day is going, and really listening. Or you could send an email to someone to let them know you appreciated their presentation, or choose to communicate something difficult in a respectful, nonjudgmental way. Burnout is contagious, so to elevate engagement, organizations must look at ways to shift morale. If you’ve found that once you’ve done all you can, others can’t improve or don’t want to improve relationships, then you may want to consider changing jobs.

5. Fairness

Good match: you feel you are being treated fairly.

Poor match: you don’t feel like you are being treated fairly.

Do you get acknowledged for your contributions or do other individuals get praised while your work goes unnoticed? Does someone else get regular deadline extensions or access to additional resources when you don’t? How fairly are you treated?

6. Values mismatch

Good match: your values align with the company or organization.

Poor match: there’s a mismatch between your values and the values of the company or organization you work with.

If your personal values don’t line up with the values of your organization, your motivation to work hard and persevere can significantly drop. Assessing this element of burnout, you need to think carefully about how important it is to you to match your values with those of the organization.

There are many ways to make decisions and invest resources. Do you feel comfortable with the decisions, the investments, and the motivations of your company? If not, then there may be an opportunity out there with an organization that shares your values.

Conclusion

It’s difficult to say whether the pandemic caused an epidemic of burnout, but a crisis like a pandemic can certainly shift our thinking and force us to face and redefine our priorities. The increased workload like that experienced by nurses for example, the lack of control we all faced, and the disconnection from coworkers has taken its toll. Now, throw on top of that a lack of perceived fairness, feeling unappreciated, and not being in sync with the values of the organization and we have full blown burnout.

As an individual you have some control over burnout. To manage or prevent it, strive to build and find good matches in the six areas we just covered. This message goes for both individual workers and the entire organization. So, if you honestly reflect on these areas in your life and career, you can begin to build engagement and stop feeling like a member of the walking dead.