The term work burnout first emerged in phycological literature in the 1970s and was initially dismissed as pop psychology. As more researchers got inspired to study it, burnout became a serious occupational hazard for HR managers to worry about. In some European countries, such as Sweden and the Netherlands, burnout is even an established medical diagnosis. Is work-life-balance going to save you from work stress or is it time you start looking at it from a new perspective? Here’s what the science has to say.
When burnout began to be studied, it was primarily in human services, such as health care, social work, psychotherapy, legal services, and police work. The research painted a vivid picture of the experience of people losing their energy and the sense of value of their job. Burnout was viewed as a risk that applied to idealistic, service professionals who became exhausted and cynical, due to their experiences in cold bureaucratic systems serving entitled, unresponsive “clients”.
The evolution of burnout research
In the twenty-first century, scientists realised that they might have got it wrong. With the emergence of television and the internet, people had less illusions about work life and yet they seemed equally vulnerable to work burnout. What burnout research found was that, although idealism can increase the chances for work stress, it was not the driving factor. It was now time to look elsewhere.
Nowadays, studies no more describe work burnout as exhaustion and an inability to spin many plates at once. Instead, scientists have observed that work burnout starts with the wearing out of engagement.
Stressor at work Nr. 1 – High demands
The first basic factor that drives burnout is disproportionate demands over a prolonged period. Simply put, too much work, too few people. From “hiring freezes” and “maternity leaves” to “sudden business growth” and “seasonal demands”, sometimes work stress is just inevitable. But this is a practical problem that employers and managers soon become aware of and are forced to find a solution before it starts costing the business.
Stressor at work Nr. 2 – Conflict of motives
The second and by far bigger and sneakier contributor to work burnout is conflict of motives. Employees in the twenty-first century look at company missions and visions with scepticism. They may even hold personal values that differ substantially. For example, a retail salesperson may be more motivated by the quality of customer service than meeting sales targets. Another salesperson may only be driven by maximizing personal sales over developing strong relationships with customers. Another form of conflict arises when a company’s values and actions are inconsistent, also known as company hypocrisy.
And as loyalty between companies and employees keeps eroding, the potential for conflicts increases further. Individuals are now expected to chart a course through complex, contradictory, and sometimes unfriendly work environments, making them vulnerable to the exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy that define burnout.
The best way to beat work stress
If scientists are right, the way to beat burnout is not by trying harder to tick off your to-do list, taking a walk, or practicing mindfulness. Instead, take an honest look in the mirror and realize that unless you get clear about where your heart lies and go after a profession or a work environment that is in alignment, work-related stress is inevitable.
Key takeaways
Work burnout is much more than just a long to-do list and a difficult manager or co-worker
If your personal values don’t align with your work environment values, you are at high risk of burnout and no amount of meditation can shift that
Things don’t improve with time. Things improve when you do the right things. Otherwise, you are settling for coping.
If you simply don’t know what work values make you tick or how to find out, eft tapping therapy can get you there fast. Check out what is possible here.
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