Here is how to talk to your boss about burnout

If you're feeling burnt out, you're in a good — though fatigued — company: a recent poll of U.S. employees revealed that 34 percent are more burnt out on the job now compared to a year ago. "2020-21 has been an unusually challenging year," says career consultant Vida Thomson.

Burnout may harm your physical and emotional health. But it may have professional ramifications, too: It may lead to anything from general work malaise to professional blunders and even absence.

That’s why, experts say, if you’re feeling burnt out, it’s crucial to communicate with your boss.

“Despite the fact that telling your boss you're having these feelings may be difficult, the consequences of not doing something are much too serious for you to ignore,” adds Thomson. And as career consultant Alyssa J. Mullett points out, if you express what you’re going through, your supervisor may be able to assist. “It’s quite probable that not only will your supervisor have some tools or resources to share with you," adds Mullett, "but your boss may even be bold enough to share their tales of work burnout."

Here’s how to have that important conversation

Make an appointment for a one-on-one meeting.

According to Thomson, this dialogue should take place in a private location, whether it is in person or by video conference. According to her, it is possible to bring up the subject at this meeting if you already meet with your supervisor on an individual basis (for example, during a weekly one-on-one meeting). “A half-hour meeting with your management is preferable to no meeting at all, but in the event that this isn't feasible, request a meeting time from your manager."

Make a list of what you want to say.

Prepare about what you want to say and expect to get out of the meeting in advance. To overcome feelings of burnout, Thomson recommends that you first identify the source of your distress. If you're feeling burnt out, it's unlikely that your supervisor would be able to anticipate why, and you shouldn't put the onus on them to figure out why you're feeling this way and what you should do about it."

If you're not sure what's causing your depression, Thomson recommends that you "take some time to think on what's going on in your life." "It's possible that there are many causes of burnout. Once you've discovered the difficulties, you should consider how you'll express these concerns to your superior."

Make your concerns and solutions as explicit as possible.

Mullett advises against just declaring oneself "burned out." Prepare yourself to communicate whatever it is that is overpowering you. As an example, Mullett suggests that you express your displeasure with "five Zoom meetings a day" or that you disclose a "component of a project that is truly dragging on you." After that, make suggestions for improvement. In the case of an increase in your workload, do you have any recommendations for handling this more effectively? Is it possible to streamline operations to make them less time-consuming?" enquires Thomson.

Mullet and Thomson believe that by the time you leave the session, you should have put in place some solutions to reduce your burnout and do your work duties more efficiently.