What causes burnout, and how can stoicism help?

Burnout is an occupational phenomenon caused by prolonged or chronic stress, usually in the workplace.? We would contend there are three main categories for the multiple and varied causes of burnout:

? The environment?

? The workplace

? The individual?

The environment

Digital distraction is caused by the 21st century ‘pingdemic’. In the workplace, we have a tendency to respond to every ping as if it is urgent, infusing a frantic, always-on culture. In our personal lives, we are also affected by the ‘pingdemic’ environment, responding to news alerts which, at the moment, seem to be highlighting unrelentingly bad news.

The workplace?

If you feel you’re working in a toxic culture, this is a source of burnout. Amber Pereria from Helios HR defines a toxic workplace culture as a working environment where people feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, or unable to focus. Toxic cultures result from structural problems, such as overwork, lousy communication, or poor HR processes.

From an employee's point of view, a toxic culture can take many forms. Your team members might complain about experiencing any of the following poisonous work culture examples:

? Cliques: closed groups that isolate other team members

? Discrimination: unfair treatment because of things like race, age, or gender

? Alienation: team members fail to form interpersonal bonds

? Silos: individual teams that act as a company-within-a-company

? Non-co-operation: colleagues failing to assist each other on tasks

? Harassment: workplace bullying or abuse against team members

Any of the above could be a sign of a toxic work environment. Many of these problems are visible to the team, but for senior leaders and HR professionals, the symptoms of a toxic culture might appear much later.

The senior leadership team's responsibility is to design work that pays equitably, provides a sense of purpose, offers appropriate autonomy, and develops people. The culture should challenge and support in equal measure, responding to well-intentioned mistakes positively as individual and organisational learning opportunities.

The individual

Do you let your work define you as a human being? Are you more concerned about what you do rather than who you are?

Many individuals suffer from impostor syndrome, a psychological occurrence in which someone doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalised fear of being exposed as a fraud. If you recognise yourself in this, you are in an extensive group of people called human beings! Unfortunately imposter syndrome can lead to a lack of confidence and perceived status compared with your peers. You might feel that you need to work a lot harder to prove your worth.

The much talked about ‘quiet quitting’ phenomenon can also be a sign of burnout, as individuals retreat from the workplace knowing they are not realising their potential for the job as individuals or the team and organisation.

How stoicism can help

Stoicism is a school of philosophy that hails from ancient Greece and Rome in the early parts of the 3rd century BC. It is a philosophy of life that maximises positive emotions, reduces negative emotions and helps individuals hone their character virtues. One tool that we have developed from stoicism is what we call ‘CIA’ - Control, Influence, Accept. So if you feel burned out, we need to work out how much is within our control, the things we can influence, and what we need to accept.

Most aspects of environmental stresses come under the ‘accept’ category. A useful acronym here is SUMO (a clever bit of self-talk) which stands for Shut Up, Move On! By which we mean moving on to those things that I can control and influence. This can help us stop catastrophising about things outside our control and influence, and refocus on those things we can control.

In the workplace, stoicism might help us have a courageous conversation with a boss or colleague about what we can do to move away from a toxic culture. Having a difficult conversation can be challenging when the more straightforward course of action is to do nothing. We can hold ourselves responsible by trying to address issues in our sphere of influence in a conducive and mutually supportive manner. We can't and shouldn't hold ourselves accountable for how others react and behave. And ultimately, we can change our environment and where we work.

We can also take responsibility for enhancing our mental well-being by building supportive habits such as mindfulness, gratitude, and journaling. Our Thriving Sales Professional Framework covers the full range of these - the course will soon be available online and on demand.??

?In conclusion, if you are feeling the effects of burnout, it is good to recognise the causes and effects and work on yourself first - this is the basis of emotional intelligence. This serenity prayer is therefore a good mantra to keep 'front of mind’:?

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.