burnout

What One Person Can Do to Help with Burnout

Is there someone in your life who you think is on the verge of burnout? Maybe it’s a person you supervise or a friend or partner.

 How would you know?  The World Health Organization defines occupational burnout as a syndrome … resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

According to the WHO, burnout has three dimensions: 1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and 3) a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.

Is Your Team on the Verge of Burnout? Here’s How You Might Be Contributing (and What to Do About It)

I’m working with several organizations that have invested heavily in initiatives designed to enhance the wellbeing and psychological safety of their employees. In spite of that, they still continue to report high degrees of burnout among their workforce.

 Why is it burnout still so prevalent?

 One clue might be a little recognized change in how people must do their work.

Is Your Team on the Verge of Burnout? Here’s What to Do About It

Arianna Huffington has weighed in on The Great Resignation. She writes, “The Great Resignation is really a Great Re-evaluation. What people are resigning from is a culture of burnout and a broken definition of success.”

That sounds about right at the big picture level: fundamental changes are needed in the way people work and live. But what if you’re a leader who is feeling burned out but you don’t want to resign or have your people resign? What do you do then?