Unpacking Burnout: Identifying, Understanding, and Overcoming It
Becky Wolfe, Leadership & Health Coach
Burnout. This term has spread like wildfire over the last several years - understandably so. Since the pandemic in 2020, we started hearing about this phenomenon called burnout, mostly among front-line workers in healthcare, manufacturing, and any industry that required people to be in person during one of the scariest times in history. The interesting thing, though, is that the conversation about burnout didn’t dissipate and fade like the talk about the COVID-19 virus did.
Why, in a time when things should have gotten better, did burnout stay at the forefront of the news and media?
What is Burnout?
Burnout is characterized by three things:
- Depersonalization
- Decreased professional efficacy
- Emotional exhaustion
When true burnout occurs, it can take months or even years to improve. It is a formal medical diagnosis that your doctor or clinician can make. Currently, burnout is related only to occupation. Simply put, burnout is chronic stress along with a loss of hope that anything will change in your reality. This, in turn, causes physical manifestations such as high blood pressure, chronic disease, headaches, and more.
What Burnout is NOT:
Burnout is not fatigue or tiredness, laziness, something that can be fixed by taking a vacation, nor is it all in your head. It is real. It is difficult to go through. However, it's something that can be managed if you understand it and are willing to take action.
I suffered from burnout when I practiced medicine as a physician assistant. I loved helping people in my clinic, but I also felt this sense of hopelessness because I saw that patients wanted to get well. However, we were exclusively treating chronic disease. The root of burnout for me was a lack of self-awareness regarding my future tendencies and also something called social cognitive theory and structural theory.
There are a number of theories about what causes burnout. The ones we have control over are:
- Social cognitive theory – lack of belief in our capabilities.
- Social exchange theory – being focused on what others are doing (promotions, work equity, etc.).
- Structural theory – trying all the self-care modalities and finding them ineffective.
- Emotional contagion – mirroring the emotions of others around you.
In addition to these theories, there are organizational theory and job resource theory, which are the larger systemic issues you may hear about when people talk about burnout. There are some societal and systemic things that need to be fixed; however, I don’t think we can fix these without first getting to a place of health for ourselves.
In my coaching practice, I help leaders understand the root causes of burnout, focusing on the first four theories, their personalities, and their current reality. I also have the privilege of working with organizations focused on creating healthy cultures, guiding people to become the healthiest versions of themselves. Together, we create an entire system of healthy, high-functioning leaders.
So, what can you do if you are experiencing burnout now and want to find ways out of it? Here are three practical tips on what to do if you're feeling burnout:
- Consider where you might be able to lead yourself better. Self-leadership is the intentional act of knowing what we need and taking actions that align with those needs. If we need rest, we take it. If we need support, we ask for it. We intentionally go after our own peace. We look for tendencies that keep popping up and start taking alternative actions if they aren’t bringing out the best versions of who we are. When I work with clients and do personality work with them, it’s a fast-track way of giving them language for these tendencies they may notice in themselves. If you’re looking for a quick way to learn these for yourself, here is the assessment I use with clients.
- Look for patterns. Do you notice times when you say yes to things too often? Do you notice when you’re tempted to isolate and not ask for help? Do you notice that sometimes you are over capacity, but still continue to give? I had this tendency several years ago. I was at capacity but would still say yes to things. I didn’t realize it, but it was causing significant stress to those around me. When I started noticing this, I began to really look at my capacity, what it was doing to me, and how it was truly affecting those around me. It was eye-opening!
- Get curious. This is my favorite phrase. Instead of self-judgment or negative self-talk, what if we got curious about our actions and reactions? This is the best way to implement long-term change. When we look at ourselves through the lens of curiosity, we neutralize our inner self-talk, cool down our amygdala, and engage our frontal lobe to make real change. We need emotion and logic to make change happen. Emotion is the stimulus for change, and logic is the action.
Burnout is a complex phenomenon, but it can also provide clarity into what we need to be our healthiest and best if we allow the challenge to welcome the opportunity for greater self-awareness.
Want to learn more about burnout? Read this article from the Mayo Clinic: Job burnout: How to spot it and take action
Becky Wolfe offers leadership coaching for individuals and groups. Her mission is to empower women and men to be healthy and confident through high quality coaching. Benefits include scalable, relatable tools that can be used and taught to others on your team for improved communication and efficiency. Learn more at www.beckywolfe.com.
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Role of the Board
Akron Community Foundation and BVU are hosting a free training session to help participants excel in their responsibilities and sharpen their leadership skills. Whether you're an experienced board member, nonprofit employee, or considering joining a board, BVU's acclaimed "Role of the Board" training will provide insights from an expert panel of board and staff leaders, covering the roles and responsibilities of board members, as well as best practices for building a better board through thoughtful recruitment efforts.
EVENT DETAILS
Host Provider: Akron Community Foundation & BVU
Date: Thursday, April 10, 2025
Time: 8:30-11:00 am
Location: Akron-Summit County Public Library Auditorium (60 S High St, Akron, OH 44326)
Cost: Free
*This program is presented in partnership with BVU, the Akron-Summit County Public Library, and Akron Community Foundation. The session is free to attend but an RSVP is required.
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