You're feeling overwhelmed at work. How can you tell if it's burnout?

1 What is burnout?

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by chronic stress at work. It can affect your performance, motivation, health, and well-being. Burnout can make you feel cynical, detached, and resentful towards your job, your colleagues, and your clients. You may also feel drained, overwhelmed, and unable to cope with your responsibilities.

2 What are the signs of burnout?

Burnout can manifest differently depending on an individual's personality, work environment, and coping skills. Common signs of burnout include feeling constantly tired, sick, or depressed; losing interest and passion for work; having difficulty concentrating or solving problems; making more mistakes or having more accidents; avoiding or conflicting with coworkers, managers, or customers; feeling isolated, helpless, or hopeless; using alcohol, drugs, or food to cope; and neglecting personal or professional goals, values, or standards.

3 What are the causes of burnout?

Burnout can result from a combination of factors that create a mismatch between your expectations and your reality at work. Common causes include having too much or too little work, or work that is too easy or too hard; unclear or unrealistic goals, roles, or expectations; little control or autonomy over your work; poor communication or feedback from supervisors or peers; insufficient resources, equipment, or training; conflicting or inconsistent demands or policies; low recognition, reward, or appreciation for your work; and high pressure, competition, or risk.

4 How can you prevent or cope with burnout?

Burnout can have serious consequences for your health, happiness, and career, so it's essential to prevent or cope with burnout before it worsens. To do this, recognize and acknowledge your feelings and symptoms of burnout, seek support from those around you, set healthy boundaries and prioritize tasks, take breaks to recharge your energy, practice self-care and manage your stress, find meaning and purpose in your work, seek feedback and appreciation for your efforts, and learn new skills or explore new opportunities.

5 How can you help others with burnout?

If you notice someone you work with showing signs of burnout, you can help them by expressing your concern and empathy, listening to their problems and feelings without judging or criticizing, and offering practical assistance or solutions. Appreciate and acknowledge their work, give them positive feedback and recognition, invite them to join you for a break or a social activity, and respect their boundaries and needs. Burnout can happen to anyone in any profession, but those in high-stress and high-demand environments like construction are particularly vulnerable. Being aware of the signs, causes, and coping strategies of burnout is key to protecting yourself and others from its negative impacts. Remember that you are not alone and that you deserve to enjoy and thrive in your work.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?