Professional burnout syndrome mainly threatens people whose work involves helping others. It can also occur in other professions, where the employee always remains a giving person in his/her relationship with clients or patients.
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When do we talk about professional burnout?
Christina Maslach defines professional burnout as "a syndrome consisting of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and a lowering of one's evaluation of one's professional achievements". It should be noted that this syndrome does not appear suddenly, but is a slow and long-term process. Its first symptoms are usually ignored or misdiagnosed.
Groups at increased risk
People working in professions where they spend a lot of time in close interpersonal relationships and are constantly exposed to conflict, frustration and stress are a particular risk group. A list of characteristics of people who may be at risk of developing this syndrome is also highlighted.
These traits include:
- engaging wholeheartedly in work,
- high expectations of oneself,
- negating one's own workload limits,
- pushing personal needs and interests to the background,
- voluntarily and willingly accepting new responsibilities and tasks, and
- the constant need for perfectionism.
When do we talk about professional burnout, photo: panthermedia
Remedies
The first step is to learn to prioritise and distinguish between the demands made by the company and those we impose on ourselves. Managers should also be on the lookout for employee wellbeing. It is particularly important to give praise and not to take meeting high demands for granted. Also, diligent employees should not be burdened with extra tasks simply because they are unassertive.
Those aware that they are particularly vulnerable to job burnout should make every effort to develop a healthy attitude towards work. Professional burnout negatively affects not only one's working life, but above all one's health.
