{"id":13043,"date":"2021-06-15T08:50:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-15T12:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alifeofproductivity.com\/?p=13043"},"modified":"2023-12-28T09:03:43","modified_gmt":"2023-12-28T14:03:43","slug":"the-6-burnout-triggers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chrisbailey.com\/the-6-burnout-triggers\/","title":{"rendered":"The 6 Burnout Triggers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Takeaway:<\/b>If you\u2019re feeling burnt out or worried you\u2019re heading in that direction, check on the six areas of your job that are most likely to contribute to that state: your workload, level of control, how rewarding your job is, how much community you have, how fair things are, and whether your work aligns with your values. Estimated Reading Time:<\/b>2 minutes, 45s.<\/div><\/div>\n

\"The<\/p>\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I\u2019ve\u00a0recently\u00a0been poring through the research surrounding how and why we burn out\u2014and have stumbled on a couple of fascinating ideas I think are worth sharing. Burnout is what we experience when we face too much chronic stress\u00a0over an extended period. It\u2019s characterized by three attributes: exhaustion, cynicism, and\u00a0a lack of productivity, all at the same time. (It\u2019s for this reason that,\u00a0technically speaking, exhaustion\u00a0alone does\u00a0not\u00a0qualify as\u00a0burnout.1<\/a><\/sup>)\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The first curious lesson from the research\u00a0relates to\u00a0where burnout comes from<\/strong>. Burnout is the result of one thing and one thing only: too much chronic stress in our work and life. Chronic stress is simply stress that we face repeatedly\u2014and can come from anywhere, including constant demands at work,\u00a0strained\u00a0relationships, financial worries, or\u00a0anxiety around\u00a0what our post-pandemic future looks like. Unlike acute stress, which is one-off and temporary, chronic stress feels like it\u2019s never going to end.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The second interesting idea is about\u00a0what causes burnout<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Burnout is\u00a0technically\u00a0a workplace phenomenon. Research conducted by\u00a0Christina Maslach<\/a>\u2014perhaps the world\u2019s foremost burnout researcher\u2014has\u00a0found that six main areas of your work serve as\u00a0a\u00a0breeding ground for chronic stress. The worse you are in these areas, the more likely you are to burn out.2<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

These six areas\u00a0are:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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  1. Workload<\/strong>. How sustainable your level of work is over\u00a0time.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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    1. Control<\/strong>. How much autonomy you have and whether you\u00a0can choose\u00a0which projects you work on. The less control you have over your work, the more likely you are to burn out.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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      1. Reward<\/strong>. You need to be properly rewarded for the work you do. This means\u00a0monetarily, but also socially, where you\u2019re recognized for your contributions, and intrinsically, where you find your projects rewarding in and of themselves.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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        1. Community<\/strong>. The stronger your relationships at work and the more supported\u00a0you feel, the less likely you are to burn out.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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          1. Fairness<\/strong>. Maslach defines this as \u201cthe extent to which decisions at work are perceived as being just, and people are being treated with respect.\u201d3<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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            1. Values<\/strong>. Whether\u00a0you\u00a0connect with\u00a0your work\u00a0at a deeper level.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

              When it comes to these\u00a0variables, no job will be perfect\u2014even\u00a0if you work for yourself. But if you have been feeling more burnt out than usual\u2014especially with pandemic stress layered atop your day\u2014you might want to\u00a0consider\u00a0these\u00a0six areas.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

              I also recommend either:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n