Burnout syndrome: the next pandemic?

We live in a society of immediacy. When we have doubts, Google answers us; if we want to learn something, YouTube teaches us; and if we need something, Amazon sends it to us within a few hours. All this means that both the level of demand and personal ability had to adapt to a very short time, increasing our levels of stress and mental load.

Technological innovations have made our daily lives easier, but they also have detrimental effects. In this sense, burn syndrome (also known by Anglicism burn out) becomes one of the main causes of health loss. Prevalence rates exceed 10% in Europe and reach 17% in other continents.

work that burns

To fully understand how this happens, you first need to define what exactly we are talking about: burnout syndrome is classified as a burnout syndrome according to ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization). It is defined in this guide as a psychological problem related to employment.

Thus, we understand the burnout syndrome as a long process in which there is an imbalance between the requirements of the task and the capabilities of the person. The emotional damage it causes always entails a series of negative physical and psychological consequences.

Although it is related to the workplace, there are similar phenomena in the processes that take place outside of work. This is a case of bullyingintimidation in English), with similar effects in children and adolescents who suffer from it.

Both the individual and the organization can suffer the consequences of burnout. Personal consequences can be psychosomatic (fatigue, discomfort, problems with digestion, heart, breathing, etc.), behavioral (mood swings, depersonalization, substance abuse), emotional (emotional exhaustion, anxiety, guilt, irritability), attitudes (apathy, cynicism, irony) and social (family conflicts, isolation, lack of communication).

On the organizational side, burnout syndrome can worsen communication and relationships between employees. Errors, complaints, accidents or absenteeism are also on the rise.

Good Stress, Bad Stress

Unlike stress, which is punctual and sometimes positive (the so-called eustress), burnout is always damaging, always negative. The best moments of our lives are marked by high levels of stress (birth, wedding, graduation…) and yet we remember them as unique moments.

What happens if this emotional tension drags on, if we cannot manage it, control it? Well, as if an athlete overtrained: when he exceeds his capacity, he can get injured. In this case, the injury is mild and is corrected in a week or two of rest (or vacation).

However, if this athlete plans the whole season poorly and trains beyond his capacity for several months, it is very likely that he will be seriously injured, will not recover from rest and will require treatment.

The same thing happens with burnout syndrome: putting your mental abilities to the maximum for a long time causes deep damage that neither a vacation nor a break can solve. Only medication can fix this.

From the mind to the rest of the body

When training is poorly organized, muscles and bones are often damaged. But when our mind shrinks, the consequences are much more varied. A burnt person may experience cardiovascular, digestive, emotional, personal, or productivity problems, as we saw earlier.

The range of symptoms of burnout syndrome is very wide. We must be aware that our mind controls our entire body, and psychosomatic symptoms can manifest at the level of the muscles, bones, heart, digestive or respiratory organs.

We just need to think about how our lifestyle changes when we are exposed to a certain level of stress. Something as simple and important to health as our way of eating is influenced by our emotions (called emotional eating).

The fact is that the prevalence of this syndrome is systematically increasing. And especially in professions with high demand, such as healthcare, pedagogical or social work, it becomes one of the main causes of loss of health.

This is an activity in which people who apply for a service always expect excellent results. We are not 95% satisfied with treatment or education: when it comes to health, education or social issues, we demand perfection.

As reset stress

It is in our hands to manage demand. First of all, we must be aware of how far we can go, just like an athlete knows his limits. And as soon as we realize this, we demand from ourselves in accordance with our real capabilities. If we can adapt requirements and capabilities, we will achieve greater productivity and satisfaction. And that means health.

My advice is to identify what situations in our lives cause us stress (threats) and find out what actions are beneficial. reset that stress. The gazelle must recognize the lion (threat).

Finding an activity that allows us to have fun, escape problems, and ultimately give our minds a rest will increase our resilience. We must look for what allows time to flow quickly and prevents us from thinking about anything else. Everyone will have to search within.

In this sense, there are several strategies for dealing with burnout syndrome. These include cognitive restructuring (changing how we face problems), managing anxiety effectively, establishing a healthy lifestyle, empowering self-awareness (becoming aware of our limitations), relaxation techniques, or managing free time.

After all, the body is not so different from the mind. If we force them, they warn us, but if we abuse them, they end up hurting themselves. Knowing our limits and understanding the impact daily stress has on our abilities is essential to maintaining our health.

Let’s remember that all injuries leave consequences (more or less serious) and that our mind is always more important than our muscles.

Ivan Fernandez Suarez, professor with a master’s degree in occupational risk prevention, UNIR – La Rioja International University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original.