The term burnout was coined in the 1970s by a psychiatrist, Herbert Freudenberger. Through his observations, he noticed a distinct pattern of decreased well-being among a specific group of volunteers. Freudenberger observed that individuals heavily involved in charitable activities tended to experience a decline in motivation and initial enthusiasm over time, often accompanied by the onset of psychosomatic symptoms.
American psychologist Christina Maslach created a detailed, research-supported concept of burnout. Together with her colleagues, she undertook to develop the concept of a professional functioning in principle as a social problem, conducting large-scale research on people working in professions burdened with stress factors.
At that time, such professions included, among others:
The data collected based on professional experience showed that the people included in the study could recognize characteristic symptoms, which later penetrated the psychological literature and are still relevant today.
According to the scientists' observations, the concept of burnout
included:
Combining various definitions of burnout from different literature sources, we can confidently state that it encompasses a range of psychological and social characteristics resulting from prolonged work-related stress and mental or physical exhaustion.
Individuals experiencing emotional exhaustion lose their motivation, strength, and enthusiasm for their work. Professional burnout can affect anyone, particularly those who initially displayed high motivation levels, commitment, and energy in their field.
The significance of one's chosen career is emphasized when explaining professional burnout. Those in professions involving emotional strain, such as healthcare, social work, the justice system, or education, are particularly susceptible to work-related emotional stress.
The profession's importance is often highlighted in the risk of professional burnout. This condition is not simply caused by excessive motivation and failure to achieve goals. Professional burnout encompasses more than just a decrease in energy and motivation. Emotional exhaustion contributing to professional burnout is the effect of deep disappointment with the mission performed (in the opinion of the person affected by this problem) and, in connection with this – the loss of illusions and meaning.
An emotional crisis results from, among other things, working with other people in a specific way. The causes of professional burnout are seen primarily in the specificity of the work performed. If the profession requires close interpersonal contact and emotional involvement is inevitable, it can be assessed with the probability that people performing such work are exposed to burnout syndrome.
It is not without reason that the list of burdened professions includes professions of public trust, which are associated with maintaining constant contact with people in need.
Chronic stress is essential in diagnosing burnout syndrome, which may result from excessive duties assigned by the superior and so-called overstimulation.
Increasingly high demands and responsibilities, time pressure, insufficient rest, a lack of a healthy balance between work and private life, and a sense of lack of control are some factors that burden the psyche and affect general well-being and health.
The cause of burnout is insufficient satisfaction with oneself and the meaning of what one does. Such a feeling is not facilitated by insight into the lives of others who are subjectively assessed less critically than oneself. Too high expectations regarding one's career and what one strives for shorten the distance between emotional fatigue and burnout syndrome.
The often overused concept of burnout is associated with identifying this severe disorder in professional functioning with discouragement, physical fatigue, and often alienation in the workplace.
Of course, being in an environment with people with whom one does not want to work is equally uncomfortable and stressful. Still, it is associated with consequences and solutions other than those associated with the deep crisis of professional burnout.
In addition to the causes of burnout listed above, there are also those related to specific interpersonal skills (required from people from so-called risk groups), i.e., attentive and active listening, empathy, patience, discretion, assertiveness, and high personal culture.
Fatigue, pressure, and a high sense of commitment combined with emotional burdens mean that maintaining an appropriately high level of social competencies may be too burdensome for a person and become a direct cause of professional burnout.
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) defines burnout as a professional syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been effectively managed due to various factors. It is characterized by feelings of energy depletion, increased psychological distance from work, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of achievement.
Some specialists believe that burnout is a process that develops slowly, and sometimes, it is difficult to notice and interpret the symptoms. Therefore, it can be assumed that the first warning signals are usually not noticed or misinterpreted.
The researchers suggest that there are following stages of the burnout process:
At the latest, professional help is needed from stage 7 to prevent further development of burnout. In the case of professional burnout, specialists pay attention to the imbalance between the amount of work incurred while performing professional duties and the overall satisfaction with life. A person tries harder and harder, but criticism or failures are felt even more strongly. Over time, respect for oneself, one's work, and commitment, characteristics of the individual in the past, also disappear.
Burnout syndrome can impact individuals in any role, but certain groups are especially susceptible to professional burnout. These include employees who have direct contact with others and experience high levels of work-related stress, such as teachers, psychologists, nurses, salespeople, and managers. Since burnout can affect anyone, it's significant to recognize its initial symptoms and take proactive measures to address them.
Burnout consists of three separate symptoms:
Stressors at work or in a place of professional activity that cause burnout can impact a life in different ways. Many possible physiological and psychological symptoms can develop, significantly affecting the overall quality of life. Typical signs of burnout in the workplace include anxiety, bodily pains, e.g., headaches, lack of sleep, fatigue, and others, which depend on individual differences.
People suffering from burnout caused by work-related stress may experience psychological burnout and display some or all of the following psychological symptoms: decreased efficiency and productivity, low mood, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, negative attitudes towards coworkers or work, loss of purpose, or emotional numbness.
Burnout can have several different consequences. It can significantly affect our mental and physical health, preventing us from doing our job correctly and enjoying our everyday life. The problem of burnout can contribute to depression, anxiety disorders, as well as psychosomatic disorders.
Common physical symptoms are:
Common psychological symptoms include:
Burnout leads to neglecting one's hygiene. This includes:
Consequences of burnout in the sphere of work:
Fortunately, there are several practical solutions and possibilities for a threat or suspicion of professional burnout syndrome – from those expected by the organization to your self-awareness.
Minimizing the risk of professional burnout reduces a number of other unfavorable consequences for the employee and employer, including sick leave, mental and physical indisposition, and complaints from staff and patients.
However, this is just the tip of the iceberg because lack of involvement in professional activities, indifference, and apathy can lead to dangerous situations related to the safety of oneself and others when a person performs responsible tasks related to, for example, watching over the health and lives of others.
Psychological counseling, therapeutic support, and psychoeducation will help strengthen and develop self-awareness and thus reduce, for example, irrational expectations towards oneself.
In addition to therapeutic support, practicing anti-stress and cognitive techniques can help avoid professional burnout. In preventing mental health problems, it is essential to maintain hygiene—well-being is understood as a balance between private and professional life (work-life balance), nurturing interests and passions, and regular physical activity (including active rest).
The path to healing is re-evaluating the current way of dealing with difficulties and challenges. The feeling of helplessness and fatigue is often associated with excessive ambitions and perfectionism of the employee. When problems and the first symptoms of professional burnout appear, it is worth considering other possibilities at the organizational level, including:
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