Ok, so burnout affects work-life and every member of it, but what does it actually mean? Let’s make this clear with the following definition.
Burnout is classified as an occupational phenomenon by the World Health Organization in their International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). That means burnout is not a disease but can lead to serious health risks. These can be depression, sleep disorders, and stress-related somatic diseases, such as migraine or chronic stomach aches.
WHO defines burnout as “a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Three dimensions characterize it:
feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and
reduced professional efficacy or decreased professional self-esteem.
The tricky thing is that burnout refers to phenomena in the work context, not experiences in other areas of life. We do have, hopefully, a life outside of work, too. Everything in our relationships, our health, and other responsibilities affect our ability to manage work. Our struggles outside of work naturally impact how chronic workplace stress eventually leads to burnout.
Managing your life as a whole greatly impacts how resilient you are toward burnout. You might not always be able to impact your company culture or change the shared ways of working, but the keys to your well-being are in your own hands. That's excellent news, isn’t it?
Test if you’re at risk of burnout
Now that you understand burnout as a phenomenon, test if you’re at risk of burnout yourself. Take the test by downloading this template and filling it in.
