Burnout is everywhere right now. People are discussing it, people are scared of falling into it, and people are wanting to ensure their loved ones don’t succumb to its clambering grasps.
Also known as ‘hitting the wall’, burnout is common in Australia, with studies showing that around 68.5% of us feeling the heavy toll of it, particularly at work. In fact, reports have shown that ‘prime aged’ workers – so people between the ages of 25 and 55 – are significantly impacted by poorer mental and physical health at the moment, and are considering leaving their jobs.
Dr Brendan Churchill, senior research fellow at The University Of Melbourne said, “With high rates of fatigue and exhaustion among younger and middle-aged workers, it’s no surprise that over a third of prime aged workers in Australia are considering quitting their jobs.
So what is burnout?
Burnout is a state of complete mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion. If you are experiencing burnout, you may notice it is difficult to engage in activities you normally find meaningful. You may no longer care about the things that are important to you or experience an increasing sense of hopelessness.
Beyond Blue defines it as a result of, “too much stress at work, or stress that goes on too long. It can also impact people undertaking unpaid home or caring duties. Burnout is a combination of feeling exhausted. Feeling negative about (or less connected to) the work or activity you’re doing. And a feeling of reduced performance.”
What are the signs of burnout?
If you are facing demands and stress at work that seem to be intractable, and you have frequently experienced the following symptoms in recent weeks, it might be a sign that you are on the verge of burning out:
- You feel mentally exhausted at work.
- You struggle to feel enthusiastic about your job.
- You have trouble concentrating when working.
- You sometimes overreact at work without meaning to.
Early intervention is key
Studies have found that if we look for the signs of burnout early on, we have the best chance of mitigating the harmful effects.
Leon De Beer, associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), stated that, “Not addressing the risk of employee burnout in time can have long-term consequences.”
“The physical and psychological effects of burnout include cardiovascular disease, pain related to musculoskeletal injuries, sleeping problems, and depression. Organisations can also lose talented employees and experience an increase in sickness absence and lost productivity.”
What’s the new tool to detect burnout?
De Beer’s research group, which initially studied 500 working Norwegians – has trialed a new tool to measure and identify the early warning signs of burnout. This is welcome, considering there’s no international standard for assessing it.
The tool is still in testing mode in 30 countries, and is called the Burnout Assessment Tool – or the BAT! So far, the BAT has worked well to determine burnout in Norway, and more data on its efficacy will be released in due course as the trial progresses.
The BAT measures four main groups of risk factors: exhaustion, mental distancing, cognitive impairment and emotional impairment. Ultimately it can help to identify who requires the most urgent follow up so that the risk of burnout can be reduced.
“For entertainment and educational purposes, interested parties can use our online tool to test if they are at risk of burnout,” says Professor Marit Christensen at NTNU’s Department of Psychology.
“Please note that the tool only gives an indication of risk and does not provide any type of formal diagnosis or medical advice. If you are concerned about your levels of work-related stress, we encourage you to visit a health care provider to discuss the matter,” says Professor Christensen.
If you, or someone you love, is experiencing mental health difficulties, please reach out to your GP, a qualified health practitioner, Beyond Blue, or any of these listed support services.
