“Burnout” has been defined as “a state of mental or physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.”

Job burnout is an insidious problem in the American workforce, among all levels of employees.  Frequently undiagnosed, burnout may appear in job statistics of absenteeism statistics, in suicide rates, or in the development of chronic illnesses that keep employees from working.  Ultimately, working oneself to death can be the disguise for job burnout.

Job Conditions That Lead to Burnout

The following conditions have been found to lead to burnout.  Obviously, the more of these that a person has to deal with, the more the likelihood of burnout occurring:

• Heavy workload
• Long work hours and difficult deadlines
• Little participation in decision-making
• Poor communications within the organization
• Conflicting or uncertain expectations from supervisors
• Job insecurity
• Lack of recognition
• Poor advancement opportunities
• Minimal support from supervisors or co-workers
• Unpleasant or dangerous working environments or conditions

Three Stages of Job Burnout

Now, all of the person’s defenses are worn to a frazzle.  She/he may be overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness and/or helplessness.  A lack of motivation, fatigue, cynicism and even suicidal thoughts may be present, along with major physiological symptoms.  Frequent trips to medical specialists who run many tests and find nothing are common occurrences .

Preventing Job Burnout

Of course, being examined my a mental health professional is a wonderful preventive technique.  But what steps can the employee take in order to avoid the symptoms of job burnout?

• Feel comfortable delegating responsibility at work
• Find outlets for frustration, like a brisk walk at noon, reading, listening to music, etc.
• Become assertive and be able to say “no” to excessive demands on your time
• Feel good about your accomplishments even if you don’t get recognized by supervisors
• Avoid excessive alcohol, prescription drugs, nicotine and caffeine
• Look everywhere for humor
• Remain optimistic in the face of frustration
• Learn to organize your time
• Take frequent breaks
• Practice good nutrition
• Get plenty of sleep
• Have a friend, spouse or colleague who is a good listener

**You have permission to reprint in your publication or to your website/blog any articles by Dr.Jack Singer found on this Website as long as Dr. Jack Singer’s name and contact information is included. Jack Singer, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Pyschologist, Sport Psychologist, Marriage, Family & Relationship Therapist, Professional Motivational Speaker. http://dr.jacksinger.com, toll free 800-497-9880.

Amazingly, 50% of American workers would not choose same career if they had a chance to start over. On an average work day, more than a million employees are absent because of stress-related problems. The American Medical Association estimates that at least 75% of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related problems.

These astounding statistics are not only found in the U.S. Stress related problems are the most common causes of sickness absenteeism all over the world. In one study it was found that 13 million work days are lost every year in UK due to stress and related problems.

Causes of Stress in the Workplace

The most frequently cited causes of workplace stress are:

Unreasonable demands for performance

Poor  interpersonal communication between the employer and the employees

Balancing working hours and family time

Under-utilization of skills

Management styles

Job insecurity issues

Stress Management Worksite Programs

Most programs incorporated by companies concentrate on dealing with stress symptoms of employees.  Corporate wellness programs and employee assistance programs (EAP’s) are geared toward teaching employees how to understand the warning signs of stress and how to deal with stress.  Individuals can obtain psychological help and treatment via EAP’s.

But the most beneficial stress management programs are preventive, rather than reactive.  Teambuilding exercises, communications skills workshops, bringing fun to the busy workplace training, trust building and problem solving workshops are examples of proactive programs that eliminate the sources of stress in the workplace.

Preventive stress management has dramatic effects on the bottom line of any corporation.  Health insurance costs, worker compensation claims, absenteeism, poor work quality and substance abuse are just some of the costs that the proactive corporation can reduce significantly.

**You have permission to reprint in your publication or to your website/blog any articles by Dr.Jack Singer found on this Website as long as Dr. Jack Singer’s name and contact information is included. Jack Singer, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Pyschologist, Sport Psychologist, Marriage, Family & Relationship Therapist, Professional Motivational Speaker. 800-497-9880.