A

BURNOUT
JOURNEY
MEANING, SIGNS,
REFLECTION,
PREVENTION, &
RECOVERY
GOGPAC.COM
From definition to recovery, understanding burnout is key to managing
mental health not only in the workplace, but in our daily lives as well.
Read through for helpful guidance and clarity about the impact mental
awareness and wellness has on professionals.

What is burnout?

PART 1 · Work-life balance and

self-care awareness

Red flags

PART 2 · Identifying
problem areas

Questions for clarity

PART 3
· Are stressful
professional settings
getting the best of you?

Practices for prevention

PART 4
· Promoting a positive
work environment

Overcoming Burnout

PART 5 · Relief and recovery

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
BURNOUT IN THE
WORKFORCE
Let’s face it, burnout is not new and people have
been experiencing it for years now.
Professionals have especially been feeling the
weight of burnout when in a system that values
work hours, results, and performance over
wellness, growth, and self-care. This, of course,
is not to say that work and professional
responsibilities should be demonized or
shamed, but there’s a reason why “work-life
balance” has become a major trend over the last
year.

After the initial shock of the pandemic, and the

shift in mindset that followed, people have
become hyper-aware of the role that wellness
needs to play in their everyday lives, and even
more so at work.

For the future of work, this has been a root

cause of an astounding amount of people
leaving their jobs or switching careers since
early 2021 in search of a balanced work-life.
Burnout is still at an all-time high and it's
important for professionals and companies alike
to take a closer look at the next steps towards
health and balance in professional settings.

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
PART 1
WHAT IS BURNOUT?

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
Understanding what it means to be "burned out"
As mentioned before, burnout is not exclusive to the workplace. In fact,
there’s some debate out there on whether burnout is work-related at all
or just an overall accumulation of overwhelming struggles.

However, now that the line between work and life has become blurred by
a large portion of professionals working from home, there are areas of
our working lives that are under the microscope. With the spotlight on the
workforce, the World Health Organization defines burnout as an
occupational phenomenon “resulting in chronic workplace stress that has
not been successfully managed.”

It’s safe to say that burnout is a consequence of exhaustion, whether it be

mental, physical, or emotional. And since we spend most of our time at
work, it’s understandable that typical burnout triggers are easily found in
workplace environments. Such as:

Feeling overwhelmed and undervalued.

Lacking time to disengage and recover from stress.

Suffering from attention overload and constant changes.

Lacking healthy social connections (remote or otherwise).

Feeling unable to meet goals or expectations despite effort.

Another burnout trigger for professionals is being spread too thin,

which is sadly often found in personality types such as the hard
worker, the perfectionist, or the high performer. Although we tend to
champion or idolize high-performing employees, when not provided with
a balanced work environment we run the risk of burning them out.

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
PART 2
RED FLAGS

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
Why might red flags in the workplace be hard to recognize?
Physical signs of burnout include fatigue, exhaustion, stress, foggy mind,
a weakened immune system, and more. However, spotting these or other
behavioral signs of burnout isn’t something that comes easy when we're
so focused on workplace responsibilities and performance. Analyzing red
flags could mean digging deeper into how day-to-day feelings and
actions are managed while working at the office or from home.

A big concern related to burnout is that it’s not always

identified until it’s too late. Burnout symptoms can
sometimes overlap with other mental health issues,
like anxiety and depression, and can even be
confused or dismissed as becoming lazy. Which can
put burned-out people at risk of either not asking or
DISGUISED getting help because it lessens the need for it.
BY LAZINESS
When someone is burnt out, there's a decrease in
passion and motivation. Suddenly feeling like laying
around and doing nothing because there is no
motivation, meaning, or joy in one’s work or hobbies is
a sign of burnout. Especially if the person feels guilty
or frustrated about their lack of liveliness.

What happens at work doesn’t magically go away

when the workday is over and can often build up if not
addressed or managed. One of the classic signs of
burnout is a decline in productivity and creativity.
When engaged employees slowly begin to fall
behind it’s probably time for them to get some rest,
not more work.
FLAT TIRES
AT WORK The problem is that sometimes either their teams,
boss, or even themselves will add pressure instead of
releasing it. And this may be because they believe
they are just being lazy or unable to fulfill their job,
despite their previous and excellent track record.

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
 Feeling emotionally depleted or numb is a big part of
being burned out. One of the main symptoms
experienced among those suffering from burnout is
that they feel detached from themselves or
disconnected from their lives. Other people describe
it as an emotional void that is related to the lack of
motivation previously mentioned.

ON On the other hand, others experience a rush of

AUTOPILOT uncontrollable feelings in between those periods of
OR OUT OF numbness. Any situation could be triggering,
CONTROL? especially if it’s related to the original cause of
burnout. While on this rollercoaster of emotions, it's
important to try and stay grounded, understanding,
and compassionate.

Another sign of burnout is when people voluntarily

isolate themselves. This could have been a far more
obvious sign before the pandemic accelerated
remote scenarios, and some people got so used to
the isolation that being withdrawn from everyone else
is not as obvious anymore.

People experiencing burnout may feel like talking

FEELING
FAR FAR with others leaves them completely drained.
AWAY Ironically, the more we shut people out, the easier it is
to feel depleted. We have to remember that we need
people in our lives. That is meaningful relationships
beyond large party groups or shallow friendships.
Having someone we trust to air out our feelings and
concerns can help us get back on track and regain
control of our lives.

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
PART 3
QUESTIONS FOR
CLARITY

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
What does a stressful professional setting look like?
Here are four questions that can be asked to help identify work
environments that can be improved upon in favor of workplace health
and happiness.

Are you constantly exhausted

or sleep-deprived?
Experiencing burnout can feel like you’re completely drained of energy.
And that’s because it gets exhausting just going through the motions of
typical workdays.

If you feel like your batteries run out every day and it keeps you from
getting sleep at night, analyze if it’s because your mind is consumed by
your work environment.

Meetings blocking out schedules, approaching time-sensitive deadlines,

disorganized project management, and even attempting to avoid difficult
coworkers or supervisors can hinder the quality of your work and the
quality of your life.

Is your mental or physical

health being compromised?
Stress is your body’s natural reaction to challenging situations or feelings
of being under pressure. However, when you can’t lower your stress
levels or it becomes your default mode at work, your physical and mental
health becomes at risk.

If you begin feeling “off,” or not quite like yourself, try taking time for a
wellness check to see if there’s a lack of balance in the personal and
professional areas of your life.

Prolonged stress doesn’t only lead to burnout, but can manifest

physically through intense headaches, stomach problems, muscle
tension, and mentally through added anxiety, messed-up concentration,
and even depression.

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
 Did you used to love your job,
but feel enjoyment wavering?

If you’ve stopped enjoying your job, even when the work done is
something you genuinely feel passionate about, then maybe it's time for
a pause. Reflecting on what’s been working and what isn’t when it comes
to productivity and performance helps professionals narrow in on
overlooked problems.

Whether your dissatisfaction stems from added responsibilities, who you

are working with, or a stressful work environment in itself, it’s up to you to
not only recognize but also take measures in resolving issues before
calling it quits.

Map out your professional goals and priorities to see if they still align
with your current position and role or if instead, a toxic work environment
is turning your passion into something you dread.

Have problems at home

increased?
A toxic work environment is awful, and the worst part is, it can find its way
into your personal life. Especially for those whose work has taken up
physical space in their home.

Stress caused by work-related negativity and frustration can start getting

in between you and your family or friends. Having a double dose of
negative environments and interactions can wear you out even more.

An unmanaged work overload can make you irritable, and if

conversations with family and friends only revolve around work
problems, your quality time with your significant others will eventually
wear out.

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
WORKPLACE WELLNESS IS
NOT A ONE-PERSON JOB!
Before moving to the recovery stages of
burnout, there’s something we need to
settle: There is not one person solely
responsible for creating and maintaining a
healthy work environment.

One's attitude and the way we choose to

conduct our work life and interactions have
both a positive and negative impact on the
people and environment around us, but
there's more to it than just that.

Making sure professionals have a nurturing

work environment and positive employee
experiences is a shared responsibility
between organizations and their teams.

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
PART 4
PRACTICES FOR
PREVENTION

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
Easing the journey back to balance
While getting out of burnout starts with whoever is experiencing it,
companies and organizational leaders also have an opportunity to get
involved and promote balance. For instance, how about pairing
performance reviews with self-care updates?

If you are a company leader, caring for your employees should be

explicit, evident in each strategy, and frequently reinforced as part of
your company's culture. Maybe you already offer an amazing benefits
package with quality healthcare and PTO, but you can demonstrate your
care double-fold just by encouraging your teams to actually use them.

There are plenty of ways in which upper management can improve on

their healthy and happy work environment and boost job satisfaction,
which in turn keeps teams and peers from feeling burned out. Happy and
well-balanced employees make a successful company.

Help your company, superiors, and peers maintain workplace

happiness and professional balance by suggesting and promoting
healthy practices, expectations, and boundaries.

How professionals and managers can deal with warning signs of

burnout in the workplace:
Great transformative changes can begin with even the smallest actions.
Here are five fun and easy practices that can be tested out to help
nurture a healthy work environment and help prevent burnout.

There are employees who feel like their

paychecks might suffer if it looks like they are
having fun and enjoying their time at work. While
EMBRACE it’s true that having a “class clown” or company
HUMOR jokester could disrupt a productive environment,
humor can also improve employees’ and peers’
team dynamics, help defuse workplace tension,
and reduce a good deal of stress.

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
 Since the pandemic, many scheduling practices
were questioned as the world adapted to a
digital and remote work environment. Employees
working from home and even those back at the
INTRODUCE office can benefit from time blocks to simply
FLEXIBILITY disconnect and regain energy after a long
strategy session. For highly committed teams, a
little flexibility won't hurt.

A lack of recognition and job fulfillment in a high-

performing environment leads to burnout. And
that’s not just the case for productivity and
results. How about giving a shoutout to a team
ACKNOWLEDGE member that solved a reoccurring problem, or
OTHERS' something as simple as saying, “Thanks for your
WORTH work today.” Recognizing a team member for
their great attitude or teamwork, will make them
more likely to keep up that effort and maybe
even do the same for others.

Pick a game for the team to play or an activity

that encourages interaction beyond work-related
chit-chat. Maybe staff and employees could
benefit from an hour at the end of the week to
SUGGEST hang out, have fun, and recharge their creativity.
PLAYTIME Playful engagement helps promote and
strengthen soft skills like communication,
planning, and problem-solving among your team.

Are peers, co-workers, and employees less than

thrilled when you announce an upcoming review
or meeting? It’s never bad to have sessions for
CONNECT feedback, but you can also use meetings to learn
WITH YOUR more about individuals that make up your teams
TEAM and give them a space to voice their ideas and
concerns. This time and space is essential for
letting renewing their energy and motivation, and
getting to know one another.

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
PART 5
OVERCOMING
BURNOUT

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
The road to burnout recovery
If you already feel burned out, take control of the wheel so that you can
start your journey back to wellness and avoid triggering other physical or
mental health issues. Though getting help and feeling supported is great,
you have the final say. You can decide whether you stick with burnout or
leave it behind.

One of the simplest but most effective things you can do to relieve
burnout is practice self-care. Take a mental health day, keep a gratitude
journal, practice mindfulness every morning, dive back into your hobbies,
use your paid time off, etc. These small actions make a huge statement.
According to researchers, Yu Tse Heng and Kira Schabram, self-care is a
big part of combating burnout, stating:

“We found that engaging in self-care activities

(such as a 10-minute meditation session, cooking
a nice meal, or even taking a nap) correlated
strongly with reduced levels of reported burnout
the following day.”
Harvard Business Review, 2021

To sum up, show up for yourself and replenish your sense of self-
worth, which doesn’t have to be tied to one's job. Finding a way to
nourish and satisfy your goals and purpose on a daily basis, whether from
work or home, helps quench exhaustion.

Don’t forget about the human factor:

Express your feelings and concerns to your loved ones.
Go to HR or your leader at work and ask for help.
Seek professional help through therapy.
And, whatever you choose, do not isolate yourself!

A BURNOUT JOURNEY
 LEAVE BURNOUT BEHIND
No matter your environment or whether your burnout is stemming from
personal or professional roots, it’s ultimately up to you to take steps
toward recovery. After getting some insight into what could be done to
reduce stress and promote a healthy/productive work environment, find
out if these solutions also align with your company’s interest and
commitment to employee wellness. After all, this isn't a journey that
needs to be traveled alone.

If all else fails and you feel like your back is against a wall when trying to
manage burnout, it's ok to start looking for a job elsewhere. And when
that time comes, for whatever the reason may be, our teams at gpac are
ready to help.

Visit gpac's homepage to view career opportunities, talk to a recruiter for

advice, and gain access to our Knowledge Center for growing
professionals and job seekers.

VISIT GOGPAC.COM