The Burnout Gamble #2: Top Things Causing Employees To Burnout

Sometimes, when we try to overachieve and accept more tasks, we can stress ourselves out to the point of exhaustion. Every employer appreciates a hardworking employee. Unfortunately, when we try to overachieve and do better than average by taking on more tasks… we can stress ourselves out to the point of exhaustion. In fact, we can reach burnout. 

What is Burnout? 

In Canada, 96% of managers say that their staff is experiencing some degree of burnout. Burnout, according to World Health Canada, is an occupation phenomenon resulting from workplace stress. Burnout can impact your work performance, social life, habits, and general well-being. The symptoms of burnout can range and vary from person-to-person. There is no set amount of symptoms every single person will feel. However, the stress of undertaking too much at once without giving yourself a much-needed break tends to be a key factor.

What Causes Burnout Among Employees?

There are a number of reasons for burnout to happen; however, research indicates that it’s more likely to happen for the following reasons: 

You’re Overly Attached to Work

When your job eclipses essential everyday tasks, it can hinder your ability to live. Not only can this develop into an unexplainable need to make every task you complete perfect, but it also distorts our identities because we place our success at work at the expense of both our physical and mental wellbeing. This dangerous way of thinking can lead us to take on far too much, dedicate far too much time to each assignment, and isolate ourselves from our friends and loved ones. This also means we don’t prioritize time for ourselves to wind down. The best way to push past this issue is to consider whether or not we place our work above our wellbeing because most of the time it’s a gradual issue that goes unnoticed. 

You’re Taking On Too Much

It’s good to say “yes” to tasks that you can keep up with but if you’re overloading yourself, it feels like you’re drowning under a sea of work that you will never keep up with. Taking on too much at once can lead to more stress, depleted energy levels, and even exhaustion. Additionally, you can find yourself growing detached from your work or your coworkers/friends as a result. A way to deal with this is to step back and identify what is causing the most stress in your daily activities. If you can cut back on certain tasks that are stressing you more than others, you may discover a better balance in your routine. 

You’re Not Dealing With Your Exhaustion

Just because you ignore the fact that you’re tired all the time does not mean it will disappear on its own. You have to allocate enough sleeping time at night to let your body relax after a stressful day in the office. If you don’t, you will find yourself getting sick more often while dealing with lower energy and brain-functioning levels. Additionally, when that sickness passes and you’re dealing with intense levels of anxiety for weeks at a time, your body may be trying to tell you to slow down. It’s equally important to give yourself some severely needed “me time” for relaxation. Make sure you treat yourself to your favourite TV show, a cup of tea, yoga, meditation, or whatever else you need for downtime. 

In Conclusion

In the end, a number of factors come into play to cause burnout. And the roots of it are embedded in our work environments where we aim to overachieve and be better than the next person. We want that promotion, account, etc. so we strive to work hard. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when we push ourselves to the point of exhaustion or build up so much anxiety that we can’t breathe without stress, then it’s time to reevaluate.