In this news article, Martin Preston, founder, and chief executive at Private Rehab Clinic Delamere, discusses signs of burnout in the workplace.
Nicola Sturgeon confirmed earlier this morning (Wednesday) confirmed that she is stepping down as First Minister of Scotland, which came as a shock announcement to many.
After serving in the role since 2014, the leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party has said that the decision came as she felt she had less energy to give to the job and wanted to spend more time with her family.
During her speech, she also noted that leading Scotland through the Covid-19 pandemic and other challenges over the past few years is one of the toughest things she had to do, with the weight of responsibility having taken its mental and physical toll on her.
The announcement comes after Jacinda Ardern also announced her resignation from her role as Prime Minister of New Zealand last month, citing burnout and also not having ‘enough in the tank’ to do the job justice anymore.
While experiencing burnout and mental exhaustion from a highly stressful role are not uncommon, knowing when things get too much can sometimes be hard to recognise.
In this article on That’s Farming, I will outline the signs to recognise when your job might be getting a bit too much and how you can manage how you are feeling.
What are the key signs of burnout in the workplace?
Burnout is recognised in three signs: feeling exhausted, negative feelings about your job role and reduced effectiveness.
The key component to preventing burnout is identifying the symptoms as early as possible before the demand becomes too much, leading to depression.
Feeling worn-out is quite normal, but it is easy to recognise when you or a colleague are beginning to display symptoms of burnout.
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Feeling exhausted
Employees on the verge of burnout, due to either stress or increased workload, can begin to experience and display emotional and physical signs of exhaustion.
People begin to feel a lack of physical energy, but they also develop feelings of being emotionally drained and depleted.
A common sign of exhaustion is the lack of motivation to get out of bed in the morning, or day-to-day work life becomes more challenging than normal.
Over-exhaustion and extreme tiredness can result in sickness among employees. The shortage of energy from burnout can lead to common colds and cases of flu.
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Feeling sensitive and irritable
Aggressive behaviour is also a common indicator; this could be both within the workplace and outside of office hours.
Irritable employees may experience a level of sensitivity and aggression towards their family, friends, and colleagues.
While everybody experiences some negative emotions within their job roles, it is vital to recognise when these feelings are becoming unusual.
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Feeling unmotivated
Employees may begin to feel more socially withdrawn and find themselves disconnecting within the workplace.
This could be recognised as not getting involved with colleague discussions, negative attitude towards work and slipping job performance.
Changes to work motivation can lead to employees having additional days off or turning into work late. This is something employers should look out for before it becomes untenable.
