Workplace burnout: Why it is important to go on a hiatus?

Despite good health and employee happiness, workplace burnout continues to be a growing problem. Experts urge people to address it early and emphasise that taking a pause is not a sign of weakness.

What does a happy employee want? Not much. Just less micromanagement and more task-based instead of hour-based work. Because afterall, completing tasks is better than mindless wasting of time to fulfil work hours.

But are there any happy employees or is everyone at the brink of developing workplace burnout. The answer might be complicated.

While happy employees are no longer a myth, workplace burnout is getting real. According to a global report from Sodexo, many employees have reported generally good health and happiness at work.

Then, why the burnout?

"The burnout is mostly because of poor work-life management, especially for the millennials and the previous generation. I usually come home after a 9-hour shift, add to it another 2 hours of travelling. After such a long day, I don't get any time for myself, let alone for my family. While there's no visible toxicity at work, the longer hours do add to the burnout," Priyanshi Singh, a 33-year-old Communications specialist, said.

Then there's post-work calls and "urgent" meetings.

"My office hours are flexible. But I have to be available for last minute work calls and so-called urgent meetings. Sometimes these calls go for as long as 1-2 hours. And while there's nothing that one has to do in these discussion calls, one is not allowed to end them. Most of my time go in attending calls and online meetings to the point that it becomes boring and tedious," Rohit, a 29-year-old IT enthusiast, said.

What exactly is workplace burnout and how does one diagnose it?

World Health Organisation classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon.

Dr Pretty Duggar Gupta, Consultant - Psychiatrist, Aster Whitefield Hospital, said that workplace burnout is mostly emotional and physical exhaustion and is not always just limited to stress.

"Workplace burnouts can slowly affect both emotional and mental wellbeing. So, when person is constantly under pressure without enough rest or support, it can leads to problems like, chronic stress, anxiety, low mood, irritability, and sometimes depression, too," S Giriprasad, Psychologist, Aster Whitefield Hospital, explained.

Due to workplace burnout, some may experience sleep problems, lack of motivation, emotional exhaustion, and difficulty in concentration.

"Over time, one may also start feeling detached from work and people. They start questioning themselves, their capabilities and the word they do which affects their confidence and productivity," Giriprasad added.

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Gupta said that most employees are always on-call and are a victim of remote access. "There is a lack of differentiation between work and personal life. In most industries, workers are measured using performance tracking system that have high targets. This puts staff under chronic pressure where remuneration and benefits are high," Gupta emphasized.

While burnout is common and the symptoms might mimic that of an early stage or onset of depression, many confuse burnout with depression. But by following the signs closely, one can easily differentiate between the two.

"Burnout is primarily related to stress and symptoms are related to work whereas depression can occur without stressor and affects all domains of life. Mood in burnout improves if one is away from stress but mood is depressed is constant low throughout the day," Gupta explained.

She added that motivation loss in burnout is associated primarily with just work whereas in depression all spheres of life are impacted.

"The two, burnout and depression, are not the same, although burnout may predispose an individual to depression," Gupta emphasized, while adding that in the case of prolonged sadness, sleeping problems, change in appetite, or suicidal ideation, it is possible that it is depression and not burnout.

Some silent signs of burnout, she said, are:

Psychological signs

• Increased irritability or impatience

• Reduced concentration

• Feeling emotionally numb toward work

• Procrastination or avoidance of tasks

Behavioural signs

• Working longer hours but achieving less

• Withdrawal from colleagues

• Reduced participation in meetings or collaboration

Physical signs

• Chronic fatigue

• Frequent headaches or muscle tension

• Sleep disturbances

• Increased susceptibility to minor illnesses

"And often people attribute these to “just a busy period,” which delays recognition", she said.

And this shouldn't come as a surprise to one that from her clinical experience people working in urban areas are more prone to developing workplace burnout.

"From clinical experience and occupational studies burnout risk factors tend to be stronger in large urban work environments because of longer commute times and time spent in traffic, higher cost of living, financial pressures, competitive work cultures and demanding industries," Gupta said.

But burnout also occurs in smaller cities. In Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities stress may arise from:

• Limited career mobility

• Fewer workplace resources

• High workloads in healthcare, education and public sectors

So, the drivers differ but the psychological phenomenon exists everywhere.

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In order to treat and prevent burnout, Giriprasad said, it is important to identify the quiet signs and only then one can take appropriate action.

"Once the person has recognized the signs, they can start making small changes in their daily routine. For example, start taking regular short breaks, setting boundaries between work and personal life, getting proper sleep, following sleep hygiene, and engaging in relaxing activities," he explained.

If the stress continues for a long time, talking to a trusted person or seeking a professional help can also make a big difference. "Here the key is to address the burnout early, instead of ignoring it," Giriprasad added.

And workplace burnout is not something that only people in the 9 to 5 corporate jobs face. Even celebrities working in the creative and artistic fields have opened up about the exhaustion they face.

Zakir Khan announed a 5-year-hiatus

A case in point is comedian Zakir Khan, who had recently announced a hiatus from performing his acts. Khan always had a packed schedule of shows lined up not only in India but abroad. He also became the first Indian to perform a show in Hindi at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

His announcement of a 5-year hiatus raised many eyebrows as fans speculated bad health, among other things.

While Khan acknowledged his health is a "little bad", the primary reason for this hiatus, he clarified, was to manage a heavy backlog of writing projects that he couldn't attend to for six years.

"Breaks, short or long, are extremely important for mental health, especially in the field where creative and constant public engagement are involved. When people are continuously producing content without rest, mental fatigue can build up. Such breaks help individual to recharge emotionally, regain perspective, and return with better clarity and creativity," Giriprasad said.

"Taking a pause is not a sign of weakness in many cases. It's a healthy and a responsible decision," he added.

And unlike celebrities, a common man doesn't always have the option to announce or go on a hiatus, Giriprasad said, there are other practical ways that can come to their rescue.

"Taking micro breaks is one way. Micro break means taking breaks in five, ten minutes or every one hour. This helps in resetting your nervous system and helping one unwind," he concluded.

And if you ever feel a creative block or burnout, taking breaks, instead of pushing further, will always help. Since, sometimes letting go is better than holding tighter.