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BurnoutWhy it happens and how to prevent it
Camillo Zacchia, Ph.D.Psychologist April 15, 2013
Today’s outline
• What is stress?• What is burnout?• Is it depression?• What’s the difference?• What causes burnout?• How do we deal with it?
Why do we have emotions?
• Emotions are calls to action: They are the engines that drive us to act in ways that will protect us or contribute to our survival.
Are you stressed?
What is stress?
• Stress is any form of challenge to the person• It can be felt as anxiety when acute or as
general tension when diffuse and chronic• When is something stressful?
• Novelty
• Unpredictability
• Threat to the ego
• Sense of control is lost
A stressor by any other name…
• No two people react the same way to a similar stressor
• The stress response is an interaction between the challenge itself and the individual’s perception of his or her ability to respond to it.
What is burnout?
Loss of function at work (or in life???): (anxiety, frustration, sense of futility, agitation, fatigue, frustration, impatience, pessimism, loss of productivity, etc…)
• The term Burnout originally applied to workers in a helping profession (doctors, nurses…)
• Burnout is not a diagnosis. It is a popular term with no standard definition.
What is Depression?
• Depressed mood or loss of pleasure– Other indicators which may include:
• Sleep problems• Trouble concentrating• Agitation• Fatigue• Recurrent thoughts of suicide or death• Changes in appetite• Feelings of worthlessness
• Must last for more than two weeks and cause significant personal suffering or loss of function
What’s the difference?
• Burnout is a circumstance:– It can happen when depressed. – It can happen because of work conditions alone. – It is influenced by many of the personality factors that cause
depression.
• Depression is a mood state:– It can cause burnout– It can be caused by burnout– It is influenced by many of the personality factors that cause
burnout– It can happen independently of working conditions
Causes of Depression and Burnout
• Causes can be biological, situational or psychological (or an interaction of all).– Biological (genetic predisposition, biochemical
imbalance, innate temperament). – Situational (e.g., loss of loved one, job loss,
debt, deadlines, workload)– Psychological (Personality traits that can be
strengths and weaknesses depending on the circumstances)
Who we are and how wesee things
The world around us Moods such as depression
X
Disease processes
Biochemical factors
Our upbringing and culture
Events big and small
Innate temperament
What causes burnout
• We expect too much of ourselves (internally-generated pressures)
• Others expect too much of us (externally-generated pressures)
• It’s never good enough• Impostor syndrome• We don’t have what it takes
Internal pressures
Impostor syndrome(poor self-esteem)
Missing skills(poor fit)
Perfectionism(it’s never good
enough)
External pressures
Number of responsibilities
(i.e., challenges)X
How we handle them
(i.e., mastery over challenges)
= Stress
StressWhat is it and how does it contribute to
burnout?
Number of responsibilities X
How we handle them
= Stress
Externally-generated pressures
Internally-generated pressures
Lack of necessary skillsLack of support
Inability to say no
Inability to recognize one’s
limits
Lack of confidencePerfectionism (high standards)
Additional causes of burnout
• Your boss is a jerk!
• You are the jerk!
When is a stressor not a stressor?: Core beliefs (schemas) and you
• Small Italian coffee• Do you remember my name?• The brilliant accountant• The stupid accountant
Dealing with burnout or depression:
Making a change
• Personality factors• Biochemistry• Circumstances• Attitude
This sucks! What are my options?
• Step one: change it• Step two: accept it• Step three: reject it
So, how do we deal with Burnout?
The $500 pair of shoes
Question the value of the exchange
The reception desk
It’s not hard to tell who the good workers are
The delay mechanism: Learning to say no.
• The “Sure, no problem” guy
The marathon runner (it’s all about the pace.)
When you are color blind, look around you
• Seek out objective data• Compare yourself on an equal level• Judge others with the same numbers
If you want it done right, do it yourself…
• If you want it done YOUR way, do it yourself. – But first, make sure it IS the right way and the ONLY
right way.
• If you want the IMPORTANT things done right, then do ONLY the important things yourself.
Stimulus control and clocks
Don’t take advantage of the “go to” guy
Mental Health Info:www.douglas.qc.ca
Blog:www.blog.douglas.qc.ca/psychospeak
Questions [email protected]
Website:drzacchia.com
