The work week always seems just a little bit more difficult once the clocks go back. Leaving for work in the dark and coming home in dark often seems daunting, so as we approach the second winter of the pandemic (in the UK) are we seeing a rise in people making themselves ill with stress?
Newly recognised by the World Health Organisation (2019), it appears that in a mid-pandemic world the population are more widely struggling with something called Burn Out.
What is Burn Out?
Classified as an ‘occupational phenomenon’, burn out is only relevant in the context of ones work life, and should not be applied to other areas of life (ie social, romantic or personal.)
The World Health Organisation defines burn out as “syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”and lists the three most common signs of burn out as:
- feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
- reduced professional efficacy.
According to Mental Health UK, when asked, 85% of UK adults correctly identified symptoms of burnout and 46% of UK workers feel ‘more prone to extreme levels of stress’ when compared to a year ago (March 2020). With that in mind, how do we solve this growing problem?
Combatting Burn Out.
It’s fair to say that everyone will deal with burn out differently. Yet with many online sources give a range of varying advice it’s hard not to get overwhelmed with all the available information.
The online wellness page Health Line say that the first, and most important step to solving feelings of burn out is to make sure you correctly identify it, as if left untreated burn out can lead to a series of more irreversible mental and physical health problems.
Health Line also recommends speaking to a manager or supervisor in order to explain how you feel and see if there is an in company policy about combatting burn out, whether it be taking leave or lightening your work load.
If this is not possible, it is extremely important to make the most of your spare time and ensure you are looking after yourself to the best of your ability. Where possible, try to step away from your computer and phone to have some time to unwind; instead try reading a book, going on a walk or doing some yoga.
Maintaining a balanced diet is also incredibly important, especially when facing burn out in the winter months. Vitamin D is often in short supply this time of year so incorporating more into your diet can boost your immune system and energy levels, leaning you feeling less tired at the end of the day. Eggs, oily fish, mushrooms and soy products are normally good ways to substitute vitamin D, if these aren’t to your liking over the counter supplements are widely available.
Expressing your feelings is also a must. Talking to a friend about the way you’re feeling can be a great way of re-grounding yourself; after all a problem shared is a problem halved. If this isn’t possible journaling can also be a great form of expression that doesn’t require any person to person contact, plus you can make as little or as much sense in your writing as you see fit – who’s going to see it?
Although there isn’t an overnight cure to burn out, making these small changes in your routine can help begin your journey to self healing. If you feel that your issues are too overwhelming to begin these lifestyle changes, seek the help of your GP for more advice.
Websites referenced in this post:
Mental Health UK: https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/
World Health Organisation (WHO): https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases
Health Line: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/burnout-definition-world-health-organization