Today''s world is 24/7, wired and always on, often cycling between upgrading and reorganizing (if not outsourcing and downsizing). And the company mantra: "do more with less." Big surprise...many folks are feeling "lean-and-MEAN" at the burnout battlefront. But have no fear (well, maybe a little) the "Stress Doc" is here. With insight, humor, and clear concepts and practical skills, this three-part series will help you survive and thrive in these turbulent times:
Part I: The Four Stages of Burnout: A Self-Assessment Tool
Part II: A Three-Step Model of Burnout Recovery
Part III: Developing Psychological Hardiness and Natural SPEED: Prevention Strategies
The Erosive Spiral
The classic setup for burnout is a professional or personal situation that places ongoing high demands and responsibilities upon you while restricting your sense of control, autonomy and/or authority. Inflexibly high expectations and elusive goals only add fuel to the fire. Consider my Vital Lesson of the Four "R"s: If no matter what you do or how you try, Results, Rewards, Recognition, and Relief are not forthcoming and you can''t say and mean "No" or won''t let go...trouble awaits. The groundwork is being laid for apathy, callousness and despair. Have I captured your attention?
Let me now provide a working definition: Burnout is a gradual process by which a person detaches from work and other significant roles and relationships in response to excessive and prolonged stress and mental, physical, and emotional strain. The result is lowered productivity, cynicism, and confusion...a feeling of being drained and having nothing more to give. Whew!
It''s time to examine some of the progressive signs of being caught up in this erosive spiral. Here are "The Four Stages of Burnout":
1. Physical, Mental, and Emotional Exhaustion. Do you recognize this sequence? Maybe you are still holding it together at work, but as soon as you get home it''s right for the fridge. You get out the Ben & Jerry''s or the light beer, turn on the tube, hit the sofa, and then you''re comatose for the rest of the evening. Normally you pride yourself on doing a thorough job, a high quality performance. But all the budget cuts have you looking for shortcuts, if not cutting corners. And this gnaws at your self-esteem; maybe you waver between resentment and pangs of guilt. A case of the "brain strain" is developing, accompanied by an energy shortage and feelings of exhaustion. If stress continues unabated, you may be ripe for the second stage.
2. Shame and Doubt. At this stage, for example, when a supervisor asks you to take on a new assignment your first reaction is to be helpful, but suddenly a voice inside silently screams, "Who are you kidding!" So what''s happening? You''re feeling shaky in the present and losing confidence about managing the future. You can even start discounting past accomplishments. Remember, this is not a logical process but a psychological one. Will colleagues, friends, or family members sense that something is wrong. Are you being exposed as an impostor?
And then you catch yourself emitting heavy, labored sighs. (When do people often engage in heavy, labored sighing and breathing...other than when calling those 1-900 numbers? Just kidding.) But seriously, the sighing stress smoke signal can occur when experiencing a deep sense of loss, or when ego-relevant change is perceived as uncontrollable. Is chronically grappling with a profound sense of vulnerability or uncertainty your favorite state? It''s certainly not mine. No surprise that some folks progress to the third phase: "Cynicism and Callousness."
Are you starting to feel I''ve been looking in your window? Don''t bail out; two more stages to go. And next we''ll check out your "tude."
3. Cynicism and Callousness. Not surprisingly, in response to these vulnerable feelings some people put on their heavy armor. Do these expressions sound familiar: "Look out for # 1," "Cover your derriere," "Get out of my way," "No one''s getting to me," and "That''s that!" And in the short run this strategy may work: you become sufficiently abrasive people start avoiding you. But over time this hard exterior can become a heavy burden. Ironically, it''s often "nice" people who like to accommodate others, that are susceptible.
What can''t nice guys and nice gals do? They can''t say "No!" They lack confidence in setting limits or establishing boundaries, especially with authority figures. They are indiscriminately pleasing and often try to avoid conflict. In moderation, being a people pleaser can be endearing and helpful; in excess it leads to dysfunctional relating and exhaustion. Remember, burnout is less a sign of failure and more that you gave yourself away. Not surprisingly, you can become resentful; people are taking advantage of you. And the sensitive individual begins developing a calloused skin for self-protection.
And there''s another salient issue. Burnout doesn''t just facilitate a hardening of the psyche, that hard attitude. When your stress starts to smolder and turns to frustration, seething anger, and then "why are they trying to do this to me" mistrust...this is also a formula for a hardening of the arteries. High blood pressure, hypertension, cardiovascular complications, even heart attacks and brain attacks (or strokes) are potential health risks. Which is why, sometimes, I''d rather have people hit the fourth stage, than be trapped in the third: "Failure, Helplessness, and Crisis." While it sounds terrible, consider this: hitting bottom means there''s no more downward spiral. And if you can reach out, there''s nowhere to go but up.
4. Failure, Helplessness, and Crisis. Being caught in that "Career Catch-22" often signals the final stage: Damned if you do; damned if you don''t. Damned if you stay, damned if you leave. Your coping structure seems to be coming unglued. Next stop, the Stress Doc''s couch. Hopefully not, but the crisis smoke signals are billowing big time. Why is that? Burnout is like trying to race a marathon - 26 miles, full speed, nonstop...no way. Even Olympic marathon runners must pace themselves. Without pacing the body parts wear out and the mental apparatus breaks down. In fact, one reason the fourth stage is so disorienting psychologically is that there are cracks in your defensive armor. Painful memories and old hurts, normally under cover, are pushing to the forefront of our consciousness, coloring our everyday perceptions. Now a mate''s occasional, somewhat annoying behavior really irritates as it reminds you of a mannerism of your father. Or jealousy towards a colleague reeks of sibling rivalry.
Before throwing up your hands, remember, burnout is not for wimps. A lot of other folks would have jumped ship much earlier. Many reach the farther stages of burnout because of a sense of responsibility, tenacity, and dedication. Noble qualities unless paired with a too rigid or "one right way" of thinking. Then, especially in times of overload, uncertainty, and major change, a performance benefit can quickly turn into a professional liability.
And finally, there''s the question of the millennium: Why is Prozac and its chemical cousins so popular these days? It''s not rocket science, just plain medical science. Prolonged stress over time will do a number on the functioning of your hormonal and biochemical systems, influencing the workings of such neurotransmitters as Serotonin. Serotonin is instrumental in mood stability. While these new psychotropic medications, especially when combined with counseling, bring real symptom relief for many (usually without adverse side effects) the moral is clear. Prolonged stress over time can lead to mood instability, and even clinical depression, especially if there is some genetic predisposition, early childhood loss, or unresolved post-traumatic stress.
Fourth stage burnout is the crisis point; it''s crunch time. Are you ready to step up to the plate and reach out for the help and resources you need? A person recovers and expands his or her strengths and possibilities through a crisis when:
1) getting proper support from a professional trained in crisis intervention and loss
2) confronting denial, false hopes, cynicism, and helplessness
3) grieving past and present losses while turning guilt and hurt, anxiety and aggression into focused energy
4) acquiring skills and technology for transforming new awareness and motivation
My poetic anthem to burnout and beyond:
For the Phoenix to rise from the ashes
One must know the pain
To transform the fire to burning desire.
Four stages of burnout. Four steps for recovery and rejuvenation. Are you ready to experience creative burnout? Stay tuned to Part II for a burnout recovery model and until then...Practice Safe Stress