How To Recognize Burnout, And What to Do About It

As workplace stress becomes more common and the boundaries between work and personal life blur, many professionals find themselves drained and spiraling towards burnout. As an employer, you may have been wondering how to identify the signs and step in to help. 

Today’s article explores strategies for recognizing burnout in employees, as well as action steps for preventing and mitigating it.

Recognizing Signs of Burnout

#1 Physical symptoms

Workers experiencing burnout may struggle with physical manifestations of stress. They may complain of persistent headaches, exhaustion, or muscle tension. But even if they don’t admit to feeling stressed, there are physical symptoms associated with stress that you should watch out for, such as: 

• A reliance on caffeine.
• Regularly taking painkillers to tackle aches and pains.
• Dark circles under the eyes, which may suggest that they’re struggling with sleep problems caused by a work-life imbalance. 

#2 Increased irritability and negativity

Burnout can significantly influence an individual’s response to stress. Increased irritability and negativity may look like:

• Perceiving all feedback as criticism.
• Clashing with colleagues.
• Regularly complaining or displaying a cynical attitude.
• Focusing on obstacles rather than solutions.
• Disinterest or lack of enthusiasm for tasks they previously enjoyed.
• Remarks about work and life imbalance. 
• Decreased morale and skepticism of leadership.

#3 Productivity and performance start to slip

Burnout makes it challenging to stay focused and efficient. Employees struggling with burnout may have decreased concentration, leading to: 

• Frequent mistakes. 
• Overlooked details.
• Missed deadlines. 

#4 Increased absenteeism

Employees experiencing burnout often take more sick days or are absent from work more frequently than employees who are not experiencing burnout.

What Can You Do to Prevent Burnout?

Employers’ and managers’ efforts are crucial in reducing workplace stress and promoting healthy work environments. Implementing the following initiatives can often help reduce burnout. 

#1 Promote work-life balance

• Offer flexibility by creating hybrid and remote work options.
• Implement policies that prevent excessive overtime and encourage employees to take time off.
• Redistribute tasks and set realistic deadlines to ease strain. 
• Consider bringing in extra help during busy seasons to give permanent employees the space to recover from burnout.

#2 Encourage open communication

Frequent team meetings, one-on-one discussions with managers, and open-door policies can all reduce stress.

#3 Pay attention

• Notice changes in working patterns – keep an eye on whether team members are sending emails outside work hours.
• Be aware of workloads and deadlines – make sure workloads are manageable and notice when employees are asking for help with their work.
• Notice behavior changes – be aware of mood swings, energy levels, and how employees are interacting with other team members.

#4 Provide adequate support

Provide your employees with the necessary tools and resources they need to do their jobs adequately. This includes technology, information, and mentorship.

#5 Offer tools to help employees navigate challenges

Resilience training, mindfulness sessions, and time management workshops can help your office build coping skills. 

#6 Utilize surveys

Regular surveys offer valuable insights into gauging employee satisfaction and the effectiveness of well-being initiatives.

#7 Track progress and adjust strategies.

Monitoring progress over time helps determine the success of strategies companies implement and allows you to adjust your approach accordingly. Continual evaluation and adaptation are essential in permanently eliminating the burnout cycle.

#8: Practice what you preach.

As a leader, you need to model the behavior you want your employees to follow, so don’t be the one working 24/7 and expecting responses outside of office hours!

Conclusion

Burnout is not just the problem of a single individual. When an employee experiences burnout, the negative consequences can significantly impact the entire organization, affecting productivity, morale, and overall performance. When employers and team leaders can identify early signs of burnout and implement strategies to address and prevent it, they can produce a resilient, engaged, and loyal workforce, helping their entire organization thrive.