Burnout: What it is and how it can be prevented

Feb 9, 2022

The World Health Organization (WHO) from next January 2022 will insert “BURNOUT” in the International Classification of Diseases, not as a disease, but as a working phenomenon that affects the state of health. The “BURNOUT” is an Anglo-Saxon term that literally means overheating or exhaustion. It indicates chronic stress in the workplace that determines a psychophysical and emotional strain, an emotional exhaustion with a negative impact on one’s well-being.

Initially the “BURNOUT” was associated with the health and welfare professions, now it is recognized to be associated with any work context with highly stressful conditions. In addition to manifestations on a behavioral and physical level, the “BURNOUT” can also manifest itself on a cognitive and emotional level in different ways such as: decrease in energy and exhaustion, disappointment, difficulty concentrating, disinterest and demotivation at work that lead to a reduced professional performance, neglection of affection and social relationships and therefore leading to repercussions in the personal life.

What is the real impact of “BURNOUT” in our reality? It is an important impact and, unfortunately, negative.

On the occasion of the International Day of Mental Health on October 10th 2021, BVA Doxa for Mindwork, the first Italian company for online psychological counseling in the business environment, published the results of a study on the psychological well-being of Italian workers. Below some data:

For 75% of Italian workers, the feelings most experienced in everyday life are those related to anxiety and stress.
Almost 30% of workers admit having been absent from work one or more times due to excessive loads of stress, anxiety and emotional malaise, with a relative impact on the loss of productivity caused by absenteeism.
37% of Italian workers left a job due to emotional malaise related to the professional environment, and this phenomenon would seem to be particularly common among the under 34 years old’s.
Almost 50% of workers do not feel free to speak openly in the company about their malaise and therefore the company ignores, as it does not know. In cases where the needs are expressed, they are often underestimated due to lack of listening on the part of the company, resulting in negative effects on the business climate.

To improve the well-being of workers, companies mainly invest in direct actions such as the flexibility of hours and economic benefits that 40% of the interviewees consider ineffective, with an evident “gap” between what is desired and perceived. However, the survey shows that about 60% of companies would positively evaluate initiatives to support the well-being of the individual, understanding that in a state of well-being the person works better and therefore also benefits the productivity of the company.

How to notice the first signs of “BURNOUT” to intervene as soon as possible?

A simple suggestion is to pay attention to some behaviors with the letter D, such as:

Disappointment
Demotivation
Difficulty concentrating
Disinterest
Discomfort in accepting changes
Decrease in energy, performance and social relationships.

Once the behaviors have been identified, how can “BURNOUT” be prevented?

Promptly starting an individual Business Coaching path. Business Coaching is a personal development path that can improve emotional well-being because it starts from the uniqueness of the person to:

increase self-confidence and self-esteem
increase awareness of oneself and of the working context
identify your own needs, advantages and desires
identify their values and their relevance to those of the company
find the motivation to make decisions, make changes and reach a new goal

A Business Coaching path begins with making you stop and make you aware of the current situation you are experiencing; this allows you to focus on where you would like to go, what you would like to do and what are the personal and professional changes you need to reach your goal and regain your well-being.

As a professional Business Coach I accompany managers, professionals, entrepreneurs in personalized coaching paths to enhance themselves and renew themselves.

Author: Valentina Reiner

Valentina Reiner is Certified Business Coach (CBC™) by Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC), European Individual Accreditation (EIA) Coach/Mentor at Senior Practitioner Level by European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), Neuromanager Positivo Applicato (NPA®) by Apprendo Academy