Don't burn yourself out

In our “always-on” work culture, it’s no surprise that employee burnout is on the rise. According to a recent Gallup study, nearly 70% of employees experience occasional or frequent burnout on the job.

At work, this leads to decreased engagement and productivity, but it can also negatively impact a worker’s mental health or personal life.

So how can you tell if you’re headed for burnout? Below, the members of Forbes Coaches Council share 14 signs you might be experiencing burnout at work, and how you can overcome it.

1. Exhaustion

Feeling exhausted and tired all the time is one sign of burnout syndrome. First identify the stress factors at work you are not able to manage anymore: negative job characteristics (workload, lack of feedback, high demands, work conflicts), personality traits (perfectionism, poor self-esteem) or continuous organizational changes. Then try to reduce them with the help of your manager or a coach. -Silke Glaab, SilkCelia

2. Forgetfulness

A burned-out employee can be underproductive, which could lead to social loafing and presentism. One of the signs can be forgetfulness or being disoriented. One way to overcome burnout is taking some time off and doing something you like (outside of job tasks) at leisure. A well-rested brain is a productive and witty one. -J. Ibeh Agbanyim, Focused Vision Consulting, LLC

3. Frequent Sick Days

Burnout is accompanied by lethargy, high-stress levels and susceptibility to poor physical health. So if you notice that you or your colleagues who are usually never sick and always putting in long hours at work are suddenly taking more sick days, that’s a warning sign for burnout. Take the necessary time off to recharge (a few days at least) to gain perspective and get into optimal health. – Daphna Horowitz, Daphna Horowitz Leadership

4. Poor Relationship With Manager

A poor relationship with your manager can fuel burnout because it can feel like no one is in your corner. When we feel alone in our work, we may also feel left out. Work to strengthen your relationship with your manager to stave off burnout. Ask your manager how they can support you better. Your boss cannot improve things they are not aware of. -Stacey Staaterman, Stacey Staaterman Coaching & Consulting

5. Missed Commitments

Missed commitments in combination with a pressurized demeanour are leading indicators of employee burnout. The best way to help is to identify the hours in the day when you are at your best. These may be a couple of hours in the morning or evening. This is when you should be encouraging yourself to focus on proactive and important. Additionally, you should learn the art of saying “no.” -Venkataraman Subramanyan, Tripura Multinational

6. Doing More While Delegating Less

There is a common saying that “if you want to get something done, give it to someone who is busy.” Leaders who are experiencing burnout take on more while delegating less. Overcoming this is an exercise in awareness. If you are convinced that you have to do everything yourself and/or you are the only one who can get it done right, think again. Step back, look to your team and reset expectations.   – Felice Tilin, GroupWorksConsulting LLC

7. Declining Health Due To Stress

Get professional medical and psychological help to talk about, identify and confront the stressors. Ask yourself: Where or who do I try to please to the extent that I risk my health, the foundation of my life? Understand the connections between childhood upbringing, outside pressure, internal and external motivation and your own personal behaviour to learn how to enforce crucial boundaries. -Sharesz T. Wilkinson, The Speech Improvement Company

8. Lethargy

One sign that is clear is lethargy, which results in tiredness, lack of enthusiasm and low spirit. Whatever the issue is, always go back to basics. The thing you can (nearly) always control in your life is your state of mind. Think holistically and get your health back by recognizing that you have the power to transform yourself if and when you choose—but you must do some work along the way. – Jon Michail, Image Group International

9. Inability To See Progress Or Success

When employees can never see the end of the tunnel or feel the sweet taste of success, they have a tendency to get burned out much faster. While running my agency, we defined daily, weekly and monthly success metrics. If they achieved those metrics, they would win an award and a trophy to set on their desk. They also got an extra day off to use for a three-day weekend or extra family time. – Lee Goff, Lee Goff – Your Marketing Agency Coach

10. Losing Composure Easily

A top sign of burnout is losing your composure or “blowing up.” To avoid losing your composure, first recognize that stress is a part of our lives. The best way to overcome stress is not to try to “manage” it but to build your resilience to it. Resilience can be built through a variety of practices like exercise, meditation and intentional development. -Michael Couch, Michael Couch and Associates Inc.

11. Never-Ending Email

A sure sign that a team is headed for burnout (if not already there) is never-ending email. Day, night and weekends, messages are coming in. Each individual works frantically to clear their boxes—loading up others. Establish team hours when email should not be sent, with consequences when individuals break the rule. Use delayed send or place in a draft folder to send when the “time out” is over. -Faith Fuqua-Purvis, Synergetic Solutions LLC

12. Low-Quality Work

Burnout can certainly result from overwork—the “quantity”—but it can also stem from the “quality” of work. Performing work that is energy-depleting, such as repetitive tasks, work that requires you to sacrifice your values or work that doesn’t play to your strengths and interests may lead to burnout. Aligning your work to areas you find stimulating, and for which you have a passion, can be a key antidote.  -Patricia Carl, Highland Performance Solutions, LLC

13. Constant Stress

With the rise of expectations of being responsive at work, it is getting harder and harder to find balance. Instead, offer a “How are you?” or take a walk with your peers around the building. Sometimes just getting out of the stressful environment can help someone open up.  – Maresa Friedman, Executive Cat Herder

14. Misalignment Of Work And Values

One of the key reasons that employees feel burned out at work is because their top values are consistently being violated. To overcome this issue, they can become conscious of what is most important to them in the context of their career, and then look for creative ways to honour those priorities, both in or out of work. When we align with our top values, we naturally feel more joyful and energized.  – Vered Kogan, Vered Kogan Coaching, LLC

What do you do to make sure you get enough breaks and don’t burn out?

This article was first published on Forbes.com on 20 April  2020

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