While stress at work is expected to a certain degree, adopting effective coping strategies to reduce stress can build resilience and prevent burnout. Here are some stress management techniques you can try if you are feeling overwhelmed.
Does stress cause burnout?
While stress does not always lead toward burnout, prolonged stress and chronic stress based upon the following six key factors can lead to burnout. 1
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Common workplace stressors:
Excessive workload
Heavy workloads that surpass our capacity to complete tasks can lead to burnout. Feeling chronically overloaded causes undue stress and reduces opportunities for complete restorative rest. Having work that fits our skills and resources can be an effective antidote to burnout when paired with healthy company culture.
Lack of control
Autonomy is critical for keeping burnout stress away. When we feel a lack of control over where, when and how we work, it impacts our well-being. Knowing we have the power to make decisions and access reliable resources makes a tremendous difference to our mental well-being.
Lack of reward
The rewards of our job must match the output of time and effort we put into our work. Intrinsic rewards include feeling meaningfully connected to the mission and vision in which we invest ourselves. Extrinsic rewards include monetary compensation, benefits package, vacation time, and recognition.
Absence of fairness
Inequitable treatment can cause undue stress and emotional exhaustion. When our contributions are not recognized, or we experience a glass ceiling due to gender or orientation, it can lead to a burnout experience. When our ability to climb the ladder is diminished due to ethnicity, these and other unfair disadvantages can lead to psychological distress and exacerbate burnout.
Unmatched values
When we find our personal values and workplace values in conflict, it largely affects our ability to stay motivated and engaged and contributes to our level of stress. If we feel we must set aside intrinsic values, invest in unsavoury resources, or cause societal harm to accomplish our work, the resulting stress can lead to burnout.
How to tell the difference between stress & burnout.
We inherently experience stress throughout the day. Our bodies and minds are naturally equipped to deal with stress effectively and efficiently. However, in our modern lifestyles, with increasing demands, concerns about world events, and a constant barrage of notifications from texts, emails and social media, we can find ourselves experiencing an overwhelming level of stress often. These inputs put us in a fight, flight, or freeze response regularly rather than in the occasional emergency for which these survival mechanisms were designed. 2
When we notice the stress causing us to become exhausted, cynical and less productive, those are the signs we are moving toward burnout. 3 Learn more about the warning signs of burnout, including mental, emotional, and physical signs of burnout, as well as how burnout can affect our professional life here.
Are you on the road to burnout?
While stress and burnout are closely related, you can watch for signs and symptoms of burnout in your daily life. Learn about common burnout symptoms such as emotional and mental exhaustion here. To learn your risk of burnout, download our free Burnout Assessment.
What is Compassion Fatigue?
Compassion Fatigue and burnout are again closely related but have significant differences. For instance, Compassion Fatigue is stress resulting from exposure to secondary traumatic stress, also known as vicarious trauma, expressed by suffering people. 4,5
Whereas the World Health Organization's definition of burnout is associated with unsuccessfully managed workplace stress, Compassion Fatigue is related to exposure to another person's trauma. 6 However, burnout and Compassion Fatigue are both stress-related and can co-exist.
Stress management techniques:
By employing effective stress management in our everyday lives, we can take control over stress and prevent burnout's extreme exhaustion.
1. Create a healthy work-life balance
The most common cause of burnout is overwork, which can ultimately lead to burnout. So if you’re feeling stressed about the amount of time you spend at home or with friends and family compared to working hours, take some time to reflect on what matters in life more than just working hard and accomplishing tasks. First, take a deep look into what success means to you. Then, develop healthy habits that put your life more in balance, including the ones listed below.
2. Develop an exercise routine
Regular physical activity improves your overall mood and helps manage the stress that crops up in everyday life. You don’t have to run marathons to reap these benefits, although as a former marathoner, I can attest it certainly helps. Even 30 minutes of brisk walking every day will improve your mental well-being and overall health status.
There are many ways you can incorporate exercise that naturally meshes with your lifestyle. Consider setting your day up well with a walking meditation first thing in the morning. Take a walk during your lunch break or incorporate walking meetings into your day. Make a clear delineation between work and home life by exercising immediately after completing your final task of the day.
Additionally, incorporate a healthy diet that provides you with the nourishment you need to support your health status.
3. Take breaks throughout the day
If you’re constantly trying to keep up with deadlines and never taking a break during the day, this could contribute to your risk of burnout. So instead, make sure you take breaks throughout the day on a regular basis so that you can clear your mind and recharge.
Schedule ten-minute breaks between meetings to engage in mindfulness practice. Get up and stretch between tasks. After performing creative or detail-oriented work, switch to an activity that gives you an easy win.
4. Take small and consistent measures
If you’re constantly worrying about big projects, conflicts, or other issues at work, they may be affecting your ability to cope with stress. Find ways to deal with problems head-on so they don’t consume too much of your thoughts and energy. Break the issues into small increments and decide what parts you can control. Then, create bite-sized, measurable actions to help you feel you are moving ahead. Finally, consistently recognize and celebrate the movement you are making and keep the momentum going to support your mental and emotional health.
5. Avoid unnecessary conflict
Interpersonal conflict can take a toll on your physical, emotional, and mental health. While conflict among co-workers can at times be difficult to escape, try being a peacemaker while upholding your integrity and position. Seek to listen and understand others' perspectives. Develop a curiosity and be willing to consider another view.
When conflicts continue ongoing, engage in healthy conflict resolution. Surround yourself with wise people who can give you sound advice. When necessary, reach out to experts who deal with conflict resolution, diversity and inclusion, and other specific services. Keep watch for the signs of burnout and when conflict creates excessive stress, seek professional support.
6. Get enough sleep
Getting adequate sleep each night is essential to managing stress and promoting good health. Try to go to bed earlier and give yourself more time to unwind and practice self-care. Develop good sleep habits, including turning off your tech an hour before bedtime to reduce stress and limit exposure to blue light. Create a sleep oasis with blackout curtains, a comfortable bed and bedding, and keep your phone outside of the bedroom. Upon waking, get active to increase blood flow, get some sunlight, whether real or from a sunlamp, and begin your day with a restful routine free from technology.
7. Relax and unwind
You probably already know how relaxing music or mindfulness can help ease stress, but there are many other ways to relax as well. Spend some time doing something you enjoy, like reading, cooking a meal, participating in physical activity like yoga or soccer. Incorporate relaxation into every day. Spend time with a loved one, hug your pet, get a massage, practice deep breathing, do a crossword puzzle. Whatever allows you to unwind healthfully in a daily routine will help you manage your stress levels.
8. Avoid unnecessary worry
Much stress comes from rehashing the past and worrying about what might go wrong in the future. Recognize what you can control and what you cannot. Make small and specific goals for dealing with what you can manage to improve yourself and your situation, and try letting go of what you cannot. This is easier said than done and is a significant challenge for many. Consider engaging in a faith tradition that resonates with you. Read inspiring books and sacred texts that fill you with hope while bringing you peace. Reach out to a friend for comfort and a fresh perspective. Talk to a mentor, coach, or counsellor for additional resources.
9. Be crystal clear on requirements
Speak to your manager to establish a role description with clear objectives and timelines. Then, ask for human and technology resources to help you accomplish your work efficiently and effectively. Finally, ask clarifying questions, understand the underlying vision and values, and stay in your lane.
If you find yourself wondering if you are doing enough or producing work at the expected standard, talk with your supervisor. Discuss expectations and strategies for completing them. Knowing what you are and are not responsible for can relieve stress for both of you.
10. Turn off your notifications
According to research conducted by Corey Keyes 7 and popularized by Adam Grant in his article entitled, “There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing,” 8 constant interruptions to our thinking cause fragmentation, leading to a lack of mental well-being.
The dings, pings, and buzzing indicating incoming text, phone, email and Slack notifications cause such fragmentation by interrupting our thought processes. Likewise, social media notifications can cause a fight, flight or freeze stress response and create an unhealthy internal desire to respond immediately.
By turning your notifications to silent, you can decide when to engage with incoming tasks, asks, and conversations. That way, you take control of your tech rather than letting it control you.
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About the author
Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention Strategist, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.
References:
1. Saunders, E. G. (2021, August 27). 6 causes of burnout, and how to avoid them. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://hbr.org/2019/07/6-causes-of-burnout-and-how-to-avoid-them
2. Nunez, K. (2020, February 21). Fight, flight, or freeze: How we respond to threats. Healthline. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/fight-flight-freeze#:~:text=Fight%2C%20Flight%2C%20Freeze%3A%20What%20This%20Response%20Means&text=The%20fight%2Dflight%2Dfreeze%20response,causes%20hormonal%20and%20physiological%20changes.
3. Poghosyan L, Aiken LH, Sloane DM. Factor structure of the Maslach burnout inventory: an analysis of data from large scale cross-sectional surveys of nurses from eight countries [published correction appears in Int J Nurs Stud. 2014 Oct;51(10):1416-7]. Int J Nurs Stud. 2009;46(7):894-902. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.03.004
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5. Cocker, F., & Joss, N. (2016, June 22). Compassion Fatigue among Healthcare, Emergency and Community Service Workers: A Systematic Review. Retrieved January 27, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4924075/
6. World Health Organization. (2019, May 28). Burn-out an "Occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases
7. Corey L. M. Keyes. "The Mental Health Continuum: From Languishing to Flourishing in Life." Journal of Health and Social Behavior 43, no. 2 (2002): 207-22. Accessed May 5, 2021. doi:10.2307/3090197
8. Grant, A. (2021, April 19). There's a name for the blah you're feeling: It's called languishing. The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html