How to prevent and recover from burnout

Today's world is very demanding. You have to be the best worker, student, friend, and parent, and that is definitely exhausting. And, in the midst of all these activities, where the maximum is required to be successful, burnout syndrome appears.

Frustration, apathy, exhaustion, and decreased performance are just some of the symptoms that can negatively affect your performance in times of great stress. It is important to know about this condition to find solutions and understand that “burnout” is a disease of modern times that we must avoid.

First, what is burnout syndrome?

It is a syndrome related to professional stress, which impacts physically and emotionally.

Some of its symptoms are:
● Excessive stress
● Fatigue
● Insomnia
● Sadness, anger, or irritability

Burnout syndrome was first described by the psychiatrist Herbert Freudenberg in 1974, referring to the subject's perception of a discrepancy between the efforts made and what was achieved in the workplace, manifesting emotional exhaustion, depersonalization or dehumanization, and lack of accomplishment in staff at work.

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized burnout as a disease, which was included in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) in January 2022.

What are the phases of Burnout syndrome?
● Phase of illusion or enthusiasm.
● Phase of disappointment or stagnation.
● Frustration phase.
● Apathy phase.
● Despair phase.

Once your symptoms have been identified, find out how you can counteract them:

Organize your work.
Stress can often arise when there are many tasks to attend to, and you feel overwhelmed, which can lead to great anxiety.

The key to counteracting this situation lies in the organization. Scheduling your work allows you to know what task to execute at each moment in a planned way, leaving no room for improvisation.

Work by tasks.
Avoid multitasking. When I am working focused on a specific topic, I seek to start and finish that process, during the time that I have defined. Going from task to task wastes a lot of time, it is estimated that the brain takes about 5 seconds for each task change, and also, at the end of the day, it leaves you with that feeling that you were very busy, but without progress.

Try to prioritize and start with those most urgent or important tasks. Also, note what times of the day you are most productive and allocate the most complex or heavy tasks to those times.

If you have a team, delegate those tasks in which you are not essential.

Put yourself first and take care of yourself.

Seek to exercise and dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to be able to exercise, even if it is a walk. Helps clear the mind and manage stress levels. Also, physical activity will help you focus more.

It is also crucial that you readjust your expectations, and do not overexert yourself, since high levels of stress sustained over time can trigger serious psychological illnesses such as anxiety and depression.

Experts estimate that burnout affects 10% of workers and, in its most severe forms, between 2% and 5%.