15 Myths About Burnout
People who feel inspired, motivated, and supported feel significantly less stress, leaving a lasting impact on their overall health and wellbeing preventing burnout at work.
Environmental risk factors, which are more prevalent than ever in our remote work environments, can contribute to burnout- more time on the computer, less human interaction and daylight, and working more at home than one would at the office. Other risk factors consist of unfair treatment, daunting workloads, lack of communication, lack of support, and unreasonable expectations. The consequences of burnout can lead to depression and post-traumatic stress disorders as well as a number of physical health concerns.
Burnout can cascade throughout an organization as many managers are not given the necessary training and support to be exceptional leaders able to meet the needs of others, providing valuable solutions to employee problems. Managers are not immune to burnout, unreasonable expectations and lack of support can leave them feeling depleted and unable to serve their teams.
A little time off to replenish from an intense week or a difficult project can be helpful in managing stress but not enough to cure burnout. The shame of admitting burnout can be overwhelming and often confused with the stress that comes with a job. If you do not listen to your needs or the needs of others and catch the critical warning signs, burnout can seem to appear out of nowhere.
Myths about burnout can help you identify, understand, and prevent catching the burnout illness. Good news, these experts have the cure-
The most prominent fear people have when admitting burnout is that they will have to leave their jobs. I have heard this time and time again from employees. It turns out most people actually like their jobs but need to set proper boundaries and make slight modifications to conserve their time and energy.
Courtney Buhler, CEO & Founder LashPRO Academy
‘Living life by design’ also applies to your work; the demands of your job do not confine you. Individuals must consider reshaping their job to fit them better, how they act, interact, and think about their work so they can redesign and personalize their job in ways that foster engagement, job satisfaction, and resilience. Use your values, strengths, and passions to craft the job that is best for you.
Yuvi Alpert , CEO and Founder Noémie
Burnout is about resentment. It’s about knowing what matters to you so much that if you don’t get it, that you’re resentful. You can’t have everything you want, but you can have the things that are really important to you and that empower you to work really hard for a really long time on things that you’re passionate about.
Marissa Mayer, Co-Founder, Sunshine
Burnout does not go unnoticed by those around you. Taking more sick days, irritability, and lack of presence tends to raise red flags. This behavior can not only affect your work-life but often bleeds into your home life, too, making it hard to avoid addressing.
Lindsay McCormick, Founder and CEO Bite
The burnout talk with is not one you want to wing. However, preparation is in order when speaking with your immediate supervisor. Start by having this conversation with someone you trust in your organization. Talking to a therapist or counselor in advance can help you prepare for this conversation, be sure to write down your concerns, so you are clear and concise.
Seb Evans, Co-Founder Banquist
Taking a day or two off is not going to cut it, stress and burnout are two different things. Often leaders confuse the two thinking a quick fix will solve the problem. Unfortunately, this minimizes the employee’s experience and can lead to employees feeling misunderstood. Like, why ask for help if my supervisor is not listening? Research has shown vacations and days off do reduce the effects of burnout, for the time being, they are not a permanent solution, returning shortly after taking time off.
Riley Burke, Growth Marketing Manager Ohza Mimosas
The biggest myth about burnout is that only those who are depressed will contract this ‘illness,’ suggesting people will not get burnout if they are mentally well. Nearly 80% of the time, other factors are at play. While burnout certainly can lead to other issues, mentally and physically, the reverse is not exactly true.
Katie Kiernan, Co-Founder Nue Life
When I ended up in the ER with chest pains, I knew I needed to make a real, sustainable change…Get in touch with your own unique needs and desires, and practice growing into the person you were put on this Earth to be. When we are clear about who and why we are, it is easier to make informed decisions about how to heal, grow, and where to go next.
Marissa Badgley, founder, Reloveution
You might be tired from working hard and working long hours, but burnout has almost no relationship with hours worked. If you are engaged with your work and are fulfilled, then working long and hard is not harmful, you are actually getting a lot out of it. On the other hand, disconnection from your work and its value is burnout.
Dan Potter, Co-Founder CRAFTD
You don’t have to physically be out of the office to not be present. People experiencing burnout have a high risk of presenteeism, similar to being physically absent but you are in fact present, just not functioning in an effective way in your role. This typically occurs in addition to taking a high number of sick days.
Michael Jankie, Founder Natural Patch
Sure a little stress-fueled adrenaline rush keeps us going but things take a turn for the worse after long periods of unmanaged stress. This cause of burnout leaves employees feeling completely defeated and drained, the opposite effect we are looking for!
Dylan Trussell, CMO CULPRIT UNDERWEAR
Indulging in relaxing activities can do wonders for the mind, body, and spirit but burnout requires a significant change to your work environment. Even though burnout is a clear sign something needs to change, relaxing activities such as yoga or meditation, a spa day, sleeping in, or allowing yourself a weekend free of responsibility, are not enough to quickly change your burnout state.
Chris Gadek, Head of Growth AdQuick
Burnout might seem hard to figure out and the reasons may be unclear but improving aspects of your work-life begin with a clear understanding of the contributing factors. Start with changing things you can control- communication, boundaries, expectations. Unclear expectations, lack of support, and control are a few reasons burnout can occur. Getting support from others around you can help you begin understanding why burnout is occurring and how you can gain control.
Lucas Nudel, Founder & CEO Pride Palace
People have the idea that asking for help shows your weakness when in fact asking and accepting help is a power move. Burnout is a result of needing to do it all, the most successful people delegate and do not bear the burden of it all. Pride can get in the way of allowing people to help and the feeling of failure can creep in but speaking to a colleague or manager is a great place to start.
Hector Gutierrez, CEO JOI
A common misconception is that men are more stressed and burned out than women. With more women in the workforce taking on leadership roles previously occupied by men, women are experiencing the same burnout. In fact, biologically, women are more prone to increased stress and cortisol production. Women find themselves stuck in a state of stress longer than men due to fear conditioning.
Lauren Kleinman, Co-Founder The Quality Edit
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