The Burnout Doctor

Doctoring burnt out working professionals to manage stress and achieve career success

The 6 work factors that cause burnout, and how you can successfully stop them now- part 2

Welcome to part 2 of the 6 work factors that cause burnout. If you work a stressful job, or if you are feeling burnt out then knowing the root cause of your stress is essential. Only then can you start to truly tackle burnout. There are 6 work factors that cause burnout. Burnout is caused by a problem with just one or more of these factors. That’s right, just one.

As there is too much to cover in a single post, the 6 work factors that cause burnout are split into 2 parts. Part one covers control, reward and values. You can read part one by clicking here. You might also enjoy reading the Harvard Business Review’s take on the 6 work factors too- click here for more.

Let’s crack on with part 2, which covers the remaining 3 work factors that cause burnout. This will help you to understand how and why they cause burnout. Following on from this, you will also learn how you can effectively tackle them! 

Burnout workplace factor 4: Community

The 6 work factors that cause burnout: community
The 6 work factors that cause burnout: community

It will probably come as no surprise to learn the being part of a healthy and supportive team at work greatly helps in protecting against burnout.  Achieving this can be as simple as evaluating how your teams function and making small, evidence-based changes. Whilst these suggestions might seem obvious and small (some of them really are low hanging fruit), but their impact is significant.

Equally, if there is a toxic work culture where people are not supportive of each other, then burnout will be common.

How to build better teams to prevent burnout:

Take a look at these effective, simple, and scientifically proven strategies for preventing burnout by building a better team. Incredibly, these strategies are easy to implement, but have huge benefits in creating good communities at work.

Socialising with colleagues outside of work

Providing positive social support, such as sharing and celebrating successes within the team

Expressing gratitude within teams

Simple changes like the ones mentioned above can significantly strengthen your community and protect against burnout.

Step One:

Take a moment to reflect. What small changes could you make in your work team make to improve socialising, provide positive support, and express gratitude?  

Step Two:

Next- consider how this could be achieved. Read on to get some inspiration!

How you can feel less isolated at work:

Here are 3 things you can do today to make a difference!

3 small changes you can make at work to feel less isolated (and reduce your chances of burnout)- 1. organise a team lunch or coffee break, 2. start a kudos board, 3. express gratitude in meetings. Read on..
3 small changes you can make at work to feel less isolated

Organise a Team Lunch or Coffee Break:

Invite your colleagues to join you for lunch or a coffee break. This provides an opportunity to socialise and build stronger relationships outside of the usual work environment. Even a virtual coffee break can foster connection if working remotely.

Start a “Kudos” Board:

Create a physical or digital “kudos” board where team members can post notes of appreciation for each other’s contributions and successes. This simple act of recognising and celebrating achievements can boost morale and provide positive social support.

Express Gratitude in Meetings:

Begin team meetings by taking a few minutes to express gratitude. Each team member can share something they are grateful for or acknowledge a colleague’s help. This practice can create a positive atmosphere and strengthen team bonds.

Implementing these small, practical actions can help build a supportive community and reduce the risk of burnout.

Burnout workplace factor 5: Fairness

The 6 work factors that cause burnout: 5- fairness
The 6 work factors that cause burnout: 5- fairness

When employees are treated fairly, everyone wins, and it’s a very effective tool in protecting individuals from burnout. Yet, in some companies it feels like treating employees fairly is very difficult to achieve. 

A fundamental part of creating a safe and fair working culture is being able to create an environment where employees can raise concerns in a way that doesn’t jeopardise their safety at work. There are lots of ways that this can be achieved, such as tackling incivility on an organisational level and building a culture of psychological safety. If you’re not familiar with this term, psychological safety simply means being able to raise concerns and the ability to feed back without fear of negative consequences.  

This is a difficult work factor to manage successfully as an individual. If you feel that you are not being treated fairly at work, ask yourself if you feel that you are safe to ask for change- and if not, perhaps now’s the time to think about moving on. 

What to do if you’re not being treated fairly at work:

Here are 4 practical pieces of advice which are perfect if you are stressed, burnt out, and feel that you are not being treated fairly at work:

4 ways to successfully raise issues of unfairness at work (and reduce your chances of burnout) 1. document everything, 2. find allies, 3 get outside help, 4. evaluate your career options
4 ways to successfully raise issues of unfairness at work
  1. Document everything

Keep a detailed record of instances where you feel you are not being treated fairly.  Note dates, times, people involved, and specific details of each incident, but keep it factual rather than opinion (even if you are justifiably upset).  This documentation can be invaluable if you decide to raise your concerns formally or seek external support.

  1. Find allies

Connect with trusted colleagues, a mentor, or a supportive supervisor to share your experiences and seek advice. Having allies within the organisation can provide emotional support and might help amplify your concerns to management. Additionally, consider reaching out to your company’s human resources department or employee assistance programs (if available).

  1. Get help from outside your organisation

If you find that internal avenues for addressing fairness issues are ineffective or unsafe, consider seeking external advice. This could include consulting with a union, a legal advisor, or a professional organisation related to your field.  ACAS is a useful place to start if you are UK based. 

  1. Evaluate your career options

Even if it feels against your ethical or moral compass, sometimes the fight just isn’t worth it. Consider whether it might be time to look for a new job where the work culture aligns better with your values and where you feel fairly treated.

Burnout workplace factor 6: Workload

the 6 work factors that cause burnout: 6 workload
the 6 work factors that cause burnout: 6 workload

To prevent burnout, it’s essential that your workload matches your skill level, knowledge base, seniority, job description, career plan, and life stage. Your capacity for workload is often influenced by factors outside of work.  For instance, bereavement or illness can temporarily reduce your capacity for your workload. It’s crucially important that your employer is responsive and sympathetic to this.

It is essential that you feel pleasantly stretched and challenged by your workload, rather than persistently overwhelmed and unable to manage. In burnout, workload becomes problematic when it is either too much, or too complex for your skills and knowledge.

It’s okay to face an increased workload temporarily. For example, in retail, the holiday season can be extremely busy, but once the season ends, the workload lightens, allowing for recovery.  Burnout occurs when the pressure is sustained over a long period.

Productivity hacks and time-management skills can only go so far if your workload is persistently overwhelming. Employers must take responsibility for adjusting expectations and making reasonable accommodations. When workload issues contribute to burnout, generally speaking individual coping strategies alone are not enough.

Common Workload Problems and Solutions

Here are some common workload problems and possible solutions:

Problem 1: You are frequently interrupted during your work, leading to difficulty completing tasks and increased stress.

Solution: Discuss with your manager the possibility of setting designated quiet times or implementing a “do not disturb” policy during critical work periods.  Put this time in your diary.  Perhaps consider working in a quiet area in the office, if this is possib;e, or changing your online status to be unavailable and turning off your Slack notifications temporarily.  This can help you focus and manage your workload more effectively.

Problem 2: You are regularly assigned urgent tasks with unrealistic deadlines, causing constant stress and overtime.

Solution: Keep a detailed record of these urgent tasks and their deadlines. Present this information to your manager and discuss setting more realistic deadlines or delegating some tasks to other team members to balance the workload.

Problem 3: You are handling administrative tasks that take up a significant portion of your time, detracting from your primary responsibilities.

Solution: Request administrative support or suggest the implementation of more efficient processes or tools. This can help free up your time to focus on your core responsibilities and reduce stress.

How to raise workload problems in a way that brings about changes:

Whatever your workload problem is, it can be very difficult to raise this issue with your boss.  Here are some top tips for doing this well:

1. Prepare and document your case

  1. Keep a detailed record of your tasks, the time each takes, and any overtime or missed deadlines. This helps illustrate the extent of your workload.
  2. Clearly outline the main problems you’re facing, such as excessive hours, unrealistic deadlines, or tasks outside your job description.
  3. Think of potential solutions beforehand, such as redistributing tasks, extending deadlines, or hiring additional help. Presenting solutions shows that you’re proactive and committed to finding a resolution, and this is more likely to be received well than being presented with a list of problems alone. 
What do you do when you realise your work is too stressful? you start here.
What do you do when you realise your work is too stressful? you start here.

2. Schedule a dedicated meeting

  1. Ask for a dedicated time to discuss your workload, rather than bringing it up in passing. This ensures your boss is prepared to give you their full attention.
  2. Try to schedule the meeting during a calm period rather than a busy or stressful time for your boss. This increases the chances of a thoughtful and productive discussion.
  3. Let your boss know the purpose of the meeting in advance, so they understand the importance and can come prepared.  This also means that you will worry less about telling them the issue for the first time face to face.

3. Communicate effectively 

  1. Clearly explain how the workload is affecting your performance and well-being. Use specific examples from your documentation to illustrate your points.
  2. Approach the conversation calmly and professionally. Focus on finding constructive solutions rather than just expressing frustration.
  3. Express your commitment to your role and your desire to find a workable solution. Emphasise that you’re seeking a balanced workload to maintain high performance and job satisfaction.  

These steps can help ensure your concerns are taken seriously and lead to effective changes that will reduce any burnout you are experiencing. 

As always, if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments. If you’re a working mom then you’ll love my email newsletter, the Phoenix. Sign up below.

The 6 work factors that cause burnout, and how you can successfully stop them now- part 1

There are 6 work factors that cause burnout. Burnout is caused by a problem with just one or more of these factors, in the context of prolonged and unsuccessfully managed stress. That’s right, just one. That’s all it takes. 

Very few of us are fortunate enough to have control over our company culture and working environment. So, you might be wondering why it’s important for you to know the work factors that cause burnout.  

It’s because these 6 work factors that cause burnout form a key aspect of how to both prevent, and recover, from burnout.

–> If you work in a stressful job, but aren’t burnt out yet, then identification of which factors are directly impacting you at work means that you can take effective steps now to reduce the chances of burnout in the future. 

–> If you already identify as being burnt out then working on these factors is crucial for you in your recovery journey.  You need to be aware that if you don’t tackle the root cause of your burnout, then the cycle will just keep continuing.

–> If you’re not sure if you’re burnt out, click here to access a burnout quiz to find out.

The 6 work factors that cause burnout are: 

The 6 work factors that cause burnout: control, reward, values mismatch, community, fairness, workload

Let’s go into each of these 6 work factors that cause burnout in a bit more detail. This will help you to understand how and why they cause burnout. Even better, you will also learn how you can effectively tackle them! 

As there is a lot to cover, the 6 work factors that cause burnout are split into 2 different articles. Part 1 (this post) covers control, reward and values, and part 2 covers community, fairness and workload.

Burnout work factor one: Control

A sense of control over aspects of your work is essential for both burnout prevention and recovery.

In the jobs that burn people out, often the stressors that cause the burnout are far beyond the control of the individual.  This might look like your company expecting you to always be available, even into the evenings and at weekends, or huge pressure to hit targets that are set by people who have no idea what the job actually involves.  Or, perhaps you’re working in the public sector with a huge caseload, tight budgets, and not enough staff to meet demand.

However, you might well be able to take control over some of the smaller issues instead. Crucially, this will help protect you from burnout.

Now, before you dismiss this as something that isn’t going to help you, scientists have found some fascinating things about control in burnout. They have found that control over the small things is just as effective as control over the bigger things.  And, even better, believing you have control is just as effective as having it. 

Mind. Blown.

How can simply believing you have control over aspects of your work change burnout? Well, it’s because the people that believe they have control are more proactive in changing how they work and how they cope with stress, thereby reducing their burnout risk. 

How to regain your power at work

Here’s how to work out what is within your control at work, and take steps to regain your power.

Step One:

Grab a pen and an A4 piece of paper and draw two concentric circles on it- like this:

In the largest/outer circle, write down your list of concerns about your current work (or life). This is your circle of concerns. 

When you’ve filled in the larger circle, go through each item again. Next, write down in the smaller/inner circle those things from the larger circle that you have some influence or direct control over. This is your circle of control. 

Here’s an example to help.  You are a social worker with a huge and complex case load. You have lots of targets to hit but you are finding it hard due to the emotional toll of the work, and the fact that your team is short staffed (ironically because your team members are off sick with stress) and you have had to take on extra work. 

In the circle of concern you might write: 

Team member sick leave

Caseload volume and complexity

Organisational policies, targets and expectations 

In the circle of control you might write: 

Personal time management (how you organise and prioritise your work)

Professional boundaries – establishing clear boundaries about what you can reasonably take on 

Peer support from colleagues (be it formal or informal). 

Here’s that list shown as an illustration:

Step Two:

Look at what you have written.

Forget about the things in the bigger circle.

Focus your efforts on the things in the smaller circle, ie- the things you can control. You must take steps to implement changes there in order to reduce burnout.

Now, over to you!  Do the exercise, and then reflect on which factor in the smallest circle you want to work on first.

Burnout work factor 2: Reward

Another workplace factor that can lead to burnout is a decreased sense of reward. While financial compensation is important, reward also includes positive feedback, professional development support, new opportunities, and engaging in meaningful work. Together, all these elements create a culture of reward.

Feeling fairly rewarded or finding daily work inherently rewarding reduces burnout risk. Conversely, inadequate reward increases burnout risk.

How to feel more rewarded at work

There are lots of ways you could feel more rewarded at work. You could ask for a pay rise, a promotion, or the opportunity to develop your professional skills through training or new opportunities.

If this doesn’t work, then there is another way that you can feel more rewarded at work, which doesn’t necessarily rely on anyone else.

Here’s something wild about burnout: spending just 20% of your work time on personally meaningful tasks can halve your burnout risk. For a 5-day work week, this equates to just one day of meaningful work. If you work an 8 hour day, that’s just over an hour a day doing work that you really love.

Meaningful work reduces burnout risk by HALF

What personally meaningful work actually is varies for each person. So, the first step to feeling more rewarded at work is to identify the work that you find fun, exciting and meaningful.

Step One:

Reflect on your best workdays to identify tasks that energise and uplift you. What tasks, projects or initiatives were you doing on those days that ignited your passion? 

Step Two:

Then, think about how you can tweak things to hit that sweet spot of 20% of your time doing those tasks.

Here’s an example to help. You’re a nurse that works on a busy ward. Due to staff shortages, you find that you’re spending increasing amounts of time managing and doing paperwork. You’re not enjoying work and are feeling stressed and unsatisfied. On doing this exercise, you identify that the things you love are caring for patients, and teaching students. In order to spend more time doing this, you decide to supervise a new student that’s on the ward. As a result of spending time with this student, you also spend more time by the bedside too. You start to feel more fulfilled and the stress of the other tasks feel easier to manage!

Burnout work factor 3: Values mismatch

If you are made to work in a way that is in direct conflict with the things that are important to you, then unfortunately you will be at risk of burnout. 

For example, you may value collaboration and teamwork, but your employer promotes a highly competitive and individualistic work culture. This mismatch can cause significant stress and lead to burnout.

Or, perhaps you place a high value on independence and the ability to make decisions in your work, but your employer has a micromanagement style and rigid oversight. This conflict can lead to feelings of powerlessness and increased stress, contributing to burnout.

You might value diversity and inclusion, but you work in an organisation that lacks commitment to these principles. The resulting frustration and sense of misalignment can cause significant stress, potentially leading to burnout.

How to avoid values mismatch causing burnout

Step One:

First, you need to work out what your values are!

Not sure what your personal values are?  Here’s a video where I take you through what you need to know!  Or, you can download a list of values from Brené Brown!

Step Two:

Next, establish what your company’s values are. You can normally find them on their website, or in company training documentation.

For instance, the values of McDonald’s are: serve, inclusion, integrity, community, and family. Meta/Facebook’s values are: move fast, focus on long term impact, built awesome things, live in the future, be direct and respect your colleagues, and Meta, Metamates and me (aka teamwork).

Take a look at what your company values.

Next, you need to ask if they actually work by these values? And do the values they actually work by match with your own values?

If there is a conflict, you will need to assess if the company is a good enough fit for you to stay working there, and avoid burnout.

The next 3 factors that cause work burnout will be published very soon! If you have any questions about what has been covered in this post please feel free to ask in the comments.

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