The feelings and symptoms of burnout are typically very similar, whether the causes lie in personal life or at work. However, for identifying risk factors and guiding treatment, it is essential to recognize when the root causes of exhaustion stem specifically from the workplace.
In this article, we will go through the specific factors that pose a risk for burnout in the workplace. As you read, you can try to identify which aspects you should pay particular attention to in your own work or what kinds of desires for change you notice arising within yourself.
Burnout is a disturbance affecting both the employee and the workplace
Burnout typically affects both the mind and body. People often seek medical attention because of somatic symptoms (e.g., insomnia, stomach problems, headaches, or back pain). Burnout feels like mental and physical fatigue that cannot be alleviated by a good night’s sleep or normal recovery. It also affects your mood, turning a positive attitude into cynicism and irritability over even the smallest things. You may have started to question your own actions and abilities, your memory may have started to fail, and your ability to concentrate may seem non-existent. Prolonged stress depletes your energy reserves, which will inevitably run out at some point unless action is taken.
Why is it important to distinguish burnout from other life situations that cause exhaustion, such as overtraining or challenges in personal life?
Because it allows for choosing the right methods to address the situation effectively. The root causes of burnout can generally be traced to work and its compatibility with the individual. These underlying causes should primarily be addressed in the workplace, in collaboration between the employer and the employees.
“Burnout is never just an individual’s flaw or the result of personal factors. That is why simply ‘fixing’ the individual does not resolve the situation.”
Burnout is never just an individual’s flaw or the result of personal factors. That is why simply “fixing” the individual does not resolve the situation. Burnout is a disturbance affecting the entire workplace, which is why addressing it requires workplace-level interventions at the same time as the individual’s state of exhaustion is treated.
What causes burnout?
Research shows that burnout is influenced primarily by work and working conditions. Read the list below and identify the risk factors for exhaustion that may be present in your own work.
The following work factors are negatively associated with burnout:
- Workload: A heavy workload often leads to—or stems from—the feeling of not being in control of one’s work, and when the work doesn’t feel rewarding or offer opportunities for a sense of achievement.
- Low social cohesion and unresolved conflicts: Experiencing little social connection at work or ongoing unresolved conflicts within the work community drains energy.
- Perceived injustice: Experiences of unfairness contribute to exhaustion.
- Value conflicts: Long-term conflicts between personal values and workplace values increase the risk of burnout.
- Daily obstacles and inefficiencies: If work disruptions or obstacles hinder daily functioning and no solutions are found, work ability is at risk.
- Prolonged remote work: According to the latest research, extended periods of primarily remote work can also increase the risk of burnout.
Why does one person develop burnout while another does not?
Personal resources and personality have also been found to be linked to burnout. Jari Hakanen has studied the connection between two personality dimensions—conscientiousness and sense of coherence (the feeling of having control over life)—and burnout as well as life satisfaction. The results support the view that individual personality factors are related to burnout and life satisfaction, but their significance for work well-being is smaller than that of psychosocial working conditions.
Thinking and behavior patterns refer to the recurring, almost automatic ways we think or act in everyday life. They are the result of learning: what we acquire through upbringing and experience can be useful both in life and at work. Psychotherapist and licensed psychologist Liisa Uusitalo-Arola writes in her book Uuvuksissa (Exhausted) that our relationships and attitudes toward work are one part of the broader work-life context. Everyone can likely identify a personality trait or way of acting in themselves that, under favorable conditions, can be a strength, but under unfavorable conditions can become a source of strain and even lead to burnout. Personal life can either act as a protective force that enhances work capacity, or challenges in other areas of life can drain energy and resilience at work.
Still, actions against burnout should primarily take place at work and in the workplace. There are numerous opportunities at work to adjust how tasks are performed, organize things differently, enhance skills, reduce working hours, and so on.
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What is burnout?
- Burnout is never solely the fault of the individual; it is a disturbance affecting the entire workplace. Therefore, alongside supporting the individual, it is important to implement workplace-level measures, which can be quite practical ways of adjusting work so that it better supports employees’ well-being.
- Your personal resources and personality also play a role, although less than psychosocial working conditions. Attention should be paid, among other things, to conscientiousness and the sense of control over your own life. Excessive conscientiousness and a lack of perceived control can increase the risk of burnout at work.
Remember to seek help and support for even early signs of exhaustion as soon as possible, for example from your supervisor or occupational health services. Short-term therapy can also typically help address burnout and work through the factors underlying it.
Sources:
- Lappi, T. 2022. Getting rid of burnout: Managing coping at work.
- Uusitalo-Arola, L. 2019. Exhausted: A book for you who want your strength back.
About the author of this article
I am Tanja Lappi, occupational health psychologist and non-fiction writer specializing in burnout and prevention.
