Burnout – Where There Is Smoke, There Is Fire
Dr. Tomi Mitchell, MD is a leader in the health & wellness industry, known for her advocacy for social issues, including health reform. She believes in the whole person's approach to life and health. Rather than resorting to quick fixes, she gets to the root of problems by taking the time to understand her client's emotional, physical, mental, environmental, financial, spiritual and social health.
As a society, we are experiencing burnout at astronomical levels, with over half of the workforce affected. A recent report from indeed found that employee burnout is rising: 52% of all workers feel burned out. Burnout isn’t unique to any industry—teachers, physicians, administrators, C-suite executives, and many others are affected.
This is happening because burnout isn’t industry-specific; instead, it is a result of universal human experiences. Burnout occurs when an individual has a negative energy balance, where the energy inputs are less than the energy outputs in their lives. However, burnout is a triad, and it’s the sum of our three critical relationships: the relationship with ourselves, our intimate partners, and society.
Burnout is more than just feeling overworked or stressed out. It manifests as a condition of emotional, physical, and mental depletion resulting from prolonged and excessive stress. It emerges when one feels inundated, emotionally depleted, and incapable of fulfilling relentless demands. Over time, the initial drive and passion that initially propelled someone into a particular role start to wane under the weight of sustained stress.
Feeling burnout? Ask yourself these critical questions
Does your internal dialogue support growth, balance, and healing? How we talk to ourselves can significantly impact our mental health. If our internal dialogue is negative, self-critical, or defeatist, it can drain our energy and contribute to burnout. Cultivating a positive and supportive internal dialogue can help replenish our energy and foster resilience.
Do your closest intimate relationships encourage and support you, and are they among your most significant sources of strength? Healthy intimate relationships can be a vital source of support and strength. If these relationships are strained or unsupportive, they can become a significant source of stress, contributing to burnout. Ensuring your closest relationships are nurturing and supportive is crucial for maintaining balance.
Does your work environment have systems and a culture that truly fosters balance and accountability among all team members? A supportive work environment can significantly impact our well-being. Workplaces that prioritize balance provide resources for managing stress and foster a culture of accountability and support, which can help mitigate the risk of burnout.
Are the three relationships acting synergistically or constantly competing for attention? As Steve Jobs once said about life, “You can't connect the dots looking forward.” It took me a few years of self-discovery to understand why I once experienced burnout and why the mainstream definition of burnout wasn’t working. It failed to consider burnout as a multifactorial problem. My previous burnout experience was the sum of the quality of my relationship with myself, my significant other, and the healthcare system I worked in.
For many of us, our period of burnout coincides with peak levels of interpersonal stressors, a combination of the burnout triad. However, if we are honest with ourselves, burnout peaks when we have the most conflict within ourselves, how we view the world, and our closest intimate relationships.
Burnout doesn’t just impact our work life; it permeates every aspect of our existence. When burned out, we are less patient and irritable with our loved ones, less engaged in social activities, and less able to enjoy life. This can lead to a cycle where dissatisfaction with life feeds into our burnout, making it even worse.
I believe we have to stop making work the scapegoat for burnout. It’s a lot easier to point solely to factors that impact work, which are sometimes not in our control. We must do better, dig deeper, and stop ignoring the elephant in the room. It is no coincidence that pretty much every industry is complaining about burnout—they all have key things in common: people working with others in relationships, whether professional or personal.
Preventing and overcoming burnout requires a multifaceted approach. This includes fostering a healthy work-life balance, cultivating positive relationships, and ensuring we care for our mental and physical health. Mindfulness practices, regular exercise, and seeking professional help when needed are crucial steps in maintaining our well-being.
So, remember, the next time you start to smell the smoke, recognize that a blazing fire is around the corner. Just as we should regularly check our home smoke detectors, we should periodically evaluate our three critical relationships.
We can create a healthier, more balanced life by proactively addressing the underlying issues contributing to burnout. This benefits us as individuals, improves our interactions with those around us, and enhances our overall quality of life. Burnout is a signal that something needs to change, and by paying attention to this signal, we can take steps to ensure we are living our lives to the fullest.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell, Holistic Wellness Strategist & Burnout Coach
Dr. Tomi Mitchell, MD is a leader in the health & wellness industry, known for her advocacy for social issues, including health reform. She believes in the whole person's approach to life and health. Rather than resorting to quick fixes, she gets to the root of problems by taking the time to understand her client's emotional, physical, mental, environmental, financial, spiritual and social health. She believes these factors affect individuals' behaviors and beliefs about themselves and others. Dr. Tomi Mitchell believes that people feel lost or overwhelmed when there is a loss of balance – which is why she takes such a holistic approach with each client's situation.
