{"id":40519,"date":"2019-09-25T06:00:42","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=40519"},"modified":"2019-09-24T12:44:10","modified_gmt":"2019-09-24T19:44:10","slug":"are-you-experiencing-job-burnout-or-something-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/are-you-experiencing-job-burnout-or-something-else-0925197","title":{"rendered":"Are You Experiencing Job Burnout or Something Else?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-40520 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/burnout-or-something-else-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Tired man working on laptop\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/burnout-or-something-else-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/burnout-or-something-else-800x600.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>According to a recent Gallup poll, 44% of full-time employees experience occasional <a href=\"\/blog\/psychpedia\/job-burnout\">burnout<\/a>, with an additional 23% reporting frequent or constant burnout. A person\u2019s desire to work hard, be productive, and succeed at work may come into conflict with their need for time with family and desire for a fuller life that isn\u2019t just defined by work.<\/p>\n<p>Most workers say work is more demanding today than it was a generation ago. Research consistently shows Americans face higher burnout rates than people living in other nations. This suggests burnout is widespread cultural problem, not just an individual struggle.<\/p>\n<h2>Burnout Basics<\/h2>\n<p>The World Health Organization now recognizes burnout syndrome as a clinical syndrome. Because burnout is closely related to <a href=\"\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/workplace-issues\">working conditions<\/a>, however, burnout may not get better until a person changes jobs or their workload becomes more manageable. While therapy can help a person identify burnout and work toward solutions, their distress may continue until their working environment improves.<\/p>\n<p>A Gallup study looking at employee burnout identified five factors that best predicted burnout:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Unfair treatment at work<\/li>\n<li>A workload that feels unmanageable<\/li>\n<li>Poor communication and low support from a manager<\/li>\n<li>Inadequate clarity about one\u2019s job role or tasks<\/li>\n<li>Time pressure and unreasonable deadlines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>People experiencing job burnout may worry the problem is their inability to handle the workload or to fit in at work. The evidence suggests otherwise. Employer and management practices are a major predictor of job burnout. But sometimes, what feels like burnout is actually something else.<\/p>\n<h2>Depression vs. Burnout<\/h2>\n<p>Distinguishing <a href=\"\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/depression\">depression<\/a> from burnout can be difficult, because both cause emotional exhaustion, <a href=\"\/blog\/psychpedia\/motivation\">low motivation<\/a>, and <a href=\"\/blog\/psychpedia\/anhedonia\">anhedonia<\/a> (difficulty finding pleasure). Moreover, burnout is a risk factor for depression. So it\u2019s possible to be both depressed and burnt out.<\/p>\n<p>Some factors that may distinguish one from the other include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Burnout is closely linked to work. So a person may feel better after a vacation or during less stressful times at work.<\/li>\n<li>While burnout can affect motivation to do most tasks, a person is more likely to feel unmotivated at work. Depression affects motivation even to do tasks a person enjoys.<\/li>\n<li>The negative emotions of burnout center around a person\u2019s job. A person may feel cynical or frustrated at work, less effective in their role, or frequently feel angry about work.<\/li>\n<li>Burnout symptoms tend to get worse during times of high work <a href=\"\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/stress\">stress<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Anxiety vs. Burnout<\/h2>\n<p>Burnout can cause immense <a href=\"\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/anxiety\">anxiety<\/a>, especially when a pile of work accumulates and a person does not feel equipped to tackle it. When anxiety extends beyond work or does not get better when a person\u2019s working conditions change, the culprit might be an anxiety diagnosis such as generalized anxiety or <a href=\"\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/ptsd\">posttraumatic stress (PTSD)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Some signs that the problem might be anxiety and not burnout include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The anxiety does not improve when a person\u2019s workload gets more manageable or when they take time away from work.<\/li>\n<li>The anxiety is not limited to work-related matters.<\/li>\n<li>A person has a history of anxiety or trauma unrelated to work.<\/li>\n<li>Anxiety causes problems at work, such as when a person is too anxious to say no to a request from a boss\u2014especially if there\u2019s no reason to believe the boss will react unreasonably.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>When Job Burnout Comes with Company<\/h2>\n<p>Burnout is more than just frustration with work. It\u2019s a serious affliction that can affect a person\u2019s physical and mental health. Possible <a href=\"\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/health-illness-medical-issues\">physical health<\/a> effects of burnout include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A weaker immune system<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/blog\/psychpedia\/insomnia\">Insomnia<\/a> and chronic exhaustion<\/li>\n<li>Heart disease<\/li>\n<li>Type 2 diabetes<\/li>\n<li>High blood pressure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These symptoms can compound the stress of job burnout and may even make other mental health symptoms worse. Physical health issues may also make a person less effective at work. Symptoms can force people to take time off, potentially making the stress of a hefty workload even worse.<\/p>\n<p>People experiencing burnout should know there is also significant overlap between mental health diagnoses and job burnout. A person with a mental health condition is more vulnerable to job burnout, and a person with job burnout is more likely to develop a mental health condition.<\/p>\n<p>Mental health interacts with workplace challenges in complex ways. For example, a person with generalized anxiety may struggle to discuss unfair job expectations with their boss. A person with depression may be unable to take pride in workplace accomplishments.<\/p>\n<p>Mental health is complex, with biological, social, psychological, and environmental roots. It rarely has a single cause. The more risk factors a person has for mental health issues, the more likely it is that burnout will lead to a mental health condition.<\/p>\n<h2>When to Get Help<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s not always possible to leave a bad job. That doesn\u2019t mean a person has to struggle with burnout forever though. <a href=\"\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/self-care\">Self-care strategies<\/a> such as using the vacation time one has earned, separating one\u2019s identity from work, doing enjoyable hobbies, and getting plenty of rest can protect a person\u2019s mental and physical health.<\/p>\n<p>A therapist can provide a healthy outlet, brainstorm solutions, and offer strategies that may help mitigate burnout. When a person is ready to leave their job, the right therapist can support them during their job search. A therapist can help with common job search challenges, such as impostor syndrome, anxiety, and <a href=\"\/blog\/psychpedia\/self-confidence\">low self-confidence<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>People struggling with depression and anxiety may believe medication is the only option. Yet therapy can also prove invaluable. When a person uses medication, therapy increases its efficacy. And when a person prefers to avoid medication, therapy is a viable alternative that can help a person master new coping skills. <a href=\"\/blog\/talk-therapy-can-change-connectivity-in-the-brain-long-term-0125171\">Research shows<\/a> therapy can even change the brain.<\/p>\n<p>When burnout and other mental health issues collide, it\u2019s even more important to get quality mental health care. A therapist can help a person sort through their emotions, develop viable solutions to workplace challenges, and steadily work their way out of the hole of burnout, depression, or anxiety.<\/p>\n<p>GoodTherapy can help you <a href=\"\/find-therapist.html\">find a therapist<\/a> who specializes in burnout.<\/p>\n<p><strong>References:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Job burnout: How to spot it and take action. (2018, November 21). Retrieved from https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/healthy-lifestyle\/adult-health\/in-depth\/burnout\/art-20046642<\/li>\n<li>QD85 burn-out. (n. d.). Retrieved from https:\/\/icd.who.int\/browse11\/l-m\/en#\/http:\/\/id.who.int\/icd\/entity\/129180281<\/li>\n<li>Schonfield, I. S., Bianchi, R., &amp; Palazzi, S. (2018). What is the difference between depression and burnout? An ongoing debate. <em>Rivista di Psichiatria, 53<\/em>(4). Retrieved from https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/30087493<\/li>\n<li>Smith, S. B. (n. d.). Americans tend to burn out faster than other countries\u2019 workers\u2014Here\u2019s why. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.rd.com\/advice\/work-career\/american-workplace-burn-out<\/li>\n<li>Wigert, B., &amp; Agrawal, S. (2018, July 12). Employee burnout, part 1: The 5 main causes. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.gallup.com\/workplace\/237059\/employee-burnout-part-main-causes.aspx<\/li>\n<li>Wigert, B., &amp; Agrawal, S. (2018, July 16). Employee burnout, part 2: What managers can do. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.gallup.com\/workplace\/237119\/employee-burnout-part-2-managers.aspx?g_source=link_wwwv9&amp;g_campaign=item_237059&amp;g_medium=copy<\/li>\n<li>Wigert, B., &amp; Agrawal, S. (2018, July 18) Employee burnout, part 3: How organizations can stop burnout. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.gallup.com\/workplace\/237185\/employee-burnout-part-organizations-stop-burnout.aspx?g_source=link_wwwv9&amp;g_campaign=item_237059&amp;g_medium=copy<\/li>\n<li>Workplace stress. (n. d.). Retrieved from https:\/\/www.stress.org\/workplace-stress<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Job burnout is a common issue that can cause many of the same symptoms as depression or generalized anxiety. How can you tell which condition you have?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2555,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[542,623],"tags":[183,161,653,424],"class_list":["post-40519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured-articles","category-issues-treated","tag-anxiety","tag-depression","tag-job-burnout","tag-workplace-issues"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2555"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40519\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}