It only takes minutes to perform a wellness check to ensure you are not headed towards burning out. According to PR NewsWire, 65% of employees say they have experienced burnout this year. Further, the report found that burnout is causing productivity implications, with 72% of employees saying it has impacted their performance. You want to make sure you prioritize your wellness and your health – before you reach a point where you are exhausted and feel extremely stressed. This brings me to the question, have you done your burnout checkup this month? 

What is Burnout?

The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:  

• feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;  
• increased mental distance from one’s job, feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and  
• reduced professional efficacy.  

Spotting Early Signs of Burnout 

If you or your coworkers are experiencing the following signs, it’s time to slow down and reevaluate your schedule and lifestyle to help you focus on your health. 

• Isolation 
• Low performance 
• Change in emotions – e.g., constantly anxious, or irritable 
• Poor health – e.g., taking more than usual sick leave 
• Lack of boundaries 

What Factors Cause Burnout? 

Dr. Christina Maslach, a leading burnout researcher and author of The Burnout Challenge: Managing People’s Relationships with Their Jobs, identifies six factors that add to stress. 

1. Workload – How much are we taking on at work? The increased amount of workload can lead to more stress which leads to burnout. 
2. Fairness – Are we treated equally at work compared to our coworkers? Fairness is what helps us stay engaged and avoid feelings of cynicism. 
3. Reward – Rewards are attributed to what we get from our jobs. These are usually financial rewards, which include salary or bonuses and social rewards, which include recognition. 
4. Control – When we feel like we have more control of our work and schedules, our stress levels are manageable. The less in control we feel, the more likely we are to burn out.  
5. Community – How have we built relationships with our coworkers? Having professional relationships helps improve engagement and happiness and reduces stress. 
6. Values – The more aligned we are with our companies’ values, the more engaged and sense of belonging it brings us. 

Burnout Checkup 

Doing a quick and simple checkup can help you avoid burning out and manage your stress levels if you are starting to feel low. There are many ways to do a checkup that will ask you questions about your feelings at work, your mood, whether you are recognized enough and other questions to diagnose how you are doing.  

Take a quiz online at the options below: 

• Psychology Today has a quick and simple one with 20 questions at this link.
• MindTools has a free quiz with 15 questions at this link. 
• HBR has an option for you and more information at this link. 

Putting your health first is the best step to take to maintain your wellness and keep you from being exhausted to the point where you have damaged your overall health. Self-care is important and nobody should question you for prioritizing your health.