What is burnout?

Burnout is defined in the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization as follows:

“Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
• increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
• reduced professional efficacy.

Burnout refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.”

Exhaustion is the core symptom of burnout and indicates the overall feeling of being overwhelmed and fatigued by work duties. More and more research suggests that it is strictly related to depression. There are numerous resources on burnout that you can find on the web, including the World Health Organization web page. 

They provide some information on how to recognize burnout, its possible causes and consequences, and how to handle it.

Causes of burnout

Research shows that most important causes of burnout include:

• high workload that makes it difficult to meet the demands of job,
• lack of control at work: when you cannot influence decisions that affect your work, you have limited professional autonomy, and you do not have access to the resources necessary to do an effective job,
• lack of rewards: lack of recognition and financial, institutional, or social rewards,
• community: lack of good relationships with other people at work, lack of support from supervisors and colleagues, lack of trust, and conflicts at work,
• lack of fairness: when you perceive decisions at work as being unfair,
• values: when the goals and values of organization are in conflict with your own goals and values.

Prevention and coping with burnout

The recommendations concerning prevention and coping with burnout include:

• changing work patterns, e.g., working less, taking more breaks, avoiding overtime work, balancing work with the rest of your life,
• developing coping skills, e.g., cognitive restructuring, conflict resolution, time management,
• obtaining social support both from colleagues and family,
• utilizing relaxation strategies, e.g., mindfulness practice,
• promoting good health and fitness, taking care of good sleep,
• developing a better self-understanding by various self-analytic techniques, counseling, or therapy.