Burnout: symptoms, diagnosis, prevention

People at the “helping professions,” those who work in society, are primarily exposed to burnout at work. This term was first introduced by H.J. Freidenberger in 1974 in order to characterize people who are forced to constantly work with clients.

Definition

Burnout is seen by many experts as the result of uncontrolled stress. As a rule, it is caused by intense interpersonal communications in the workplace. And not only the success and profitability of the business, but also the degree of employee satisfaction with the work performed depends on how well the workflow is organized.

VV Boyko gives the following definition of professional emotional burnout: it is a mechanism developed in the process of evolution that can reduce or eliminate, in principle, the emotional response of a person to stressful factors. Thus, burnout allows a person to optimize the costs of their internal emotional resources. However, at the same time, it has an extremely negative effect on the employee's performance of his work duties, and can also lead to the occurrence of psychosomatic diseases.

Example

Consider the example of emotional burnout. For three years now, a woman has been working in a company engaged in the sale of components for lawn mowers. Sales are going well, but she has to work in difficult conditions. In one room there are ten more sales managers like her. Constant noise and din distracts from business. Recently, cases of complaints from customers have become more frequent. For two years the woman has not been on vacation. Every day, she listens to management comments on what could work better. She does not sleep well at night, pondering work situations. Relations with many colleagues cannot be called productive. A woman cannot work for pleasure, however, dismissal for her means that she will be left without a penny of money for existence. As a result of a visit to a psychologist, it turned out that the employee suffers from professional emotional burnout.

Relevance of the problem

Nowadays, you can meet a large number of people who are exhausted by their work. And every working day turns into a real torment and violence over one’s own psyche and organism. The reason for this is the conditions in which a person has to work; not only physical factors, but also psychological ones are important. This is an uneven load, unreasonably (and unjustifiably) high requirements for the professional level of employees, instability, unpredictability. In such conditions, many people are forced to work for years without the slightest hope of a bright future. Day after day, tension builds up and ultimately leads to burnout.

Symptoms

Typically, the presence of a problem is indicated by the following symptoms:

• Dissatisfaction with oneself. Since the employee is unable to influence the traumatic situation in any way, he begins to experience acute dissatisfaction with himself, his profession, and also with the duties that are assigned to him. This occurs as a result of “emotional transfer”.
• Symptom of “driven into the cell.” It may not occur in all cases, but it is a logical continuation of a stressful situation. When a person mobilizes all his energy to cope with the situation, but does not find a way out, a state of emotional stupor sets in.
• Inadequate emotional response. A person can inadequately “save” on his emotions: “if I want, I will show my participation in the affairs of the ward, but I want to - no”; "I want - I will respond to the needs of the client, and if there is no strength and desire, then I do not need it." Such reactions are interpreted by the subjects of communication as a disrespectful attitude - in other words, the question goes into the plane of morality.
• Emotional and moral disorientation. A person not only does not understand that his reactions or their absence in communication are inadequate. He cites a lot of arguments as an excuse for his behavior: “why should I worry about everyone?”, “You shouldn’t show sympathy for such people,” etc. Such arguments suggest that the morality of the specialist remains on the sidelines. A doctor, teacher or social worker does not have the right to divide people into “worthy” or “unworthy”.
• Over time, another symptom appears - emotional detachment. Man completely excludes experiences from the field of his professional activity. He receives full-fledged emotions only in other areas of life. By all appearance, the employee shows that he does not “give a damn” about other people.
• Psychosomatic disorders. If such an employee has everything in order with the sphere of emotions, but the process of emotional burnout continues, symptoms of psychosomatics arise. One thought about colleagues or clients can cause cardiovascular reactions, intestinal cramps, headache. Often there are deviations in the psyche.

Diagnostics

The two most well-known tests for the level of emotional burnout are the Boyko questionnaire and the Maslach technique. The Boyko test was created in 1996 and has a complete and modified form. The Maslach technique (in some publications - the Maslach-Jackson questionnaire) was first proposed in 1986. Adapted the test N. E. Vodopyanova, and domestic psychologists he began to apply since 2001.

Modified Boyko Questionnaire

Usually, in order to determine the symptoms and phases of a given condition in workers, the Boyko test is used to diagnose emotional burnout. Consider a modified version of the technique.

Instructions for the test. Read the following statements and write “yes” or “no” near each of them. Keep in mind that if partners are mentioned in the test, this term refers to the subjects of your professional sphere that you have to deal with every day. It is necessary to answer the questions as sincerely as possible - this is the only way the results of this technique will be adequate. Burnout, according to test results, can be low, medium, or high.

1. The lack of good organization in the workplace is a constant cause of stress.
2. I have chosen the wrong profession and am now in the wrong place.
3. My concern is that I began to work much worse (my effectiveness decreased).
4. When I return home from work, for 2-3 hours I want to be alone, not to communicate with anyone in order to move away from a hard day.
5. My work makes me insensitive, dulls emotional experiences.
6. I often fall asleep badly, because before going to bed I scroll through unpleasant working situations in my head.
7. If I had the opportunity, I would gladly change my job.
8. Sometimes even the simplest communication in the workplace makes me irritable.
9. Remembering some colleagues, I feel that my mood is spoiling, and negative emotions embrace me.
10. I spend a lot of strength and emotions on resolving conflicts with superiors and colleagues.
11. The situation at the workplace seems to me rather complicated and tense.
12. I am often haunted by unpleasant emotions and premonitions associated with work. I can do something wrong, make a mistake, and then my whole professional life will be destroyed.
13. I am very worried about my work.
14. When I think about it, I feel sick: my knees are shaking, my heart is beating faster, my thinking becomes confused, my head starts to hurt.
15. My relationship with the immediate supervisor can be called mediocre (satisfactory).
16. Recently at work I have been haunted by setbacks.
17. Fatigue after a working week leads to the fact that I significantly reduced communication with friends, family members, acquaintances.
18. At work, I am constantly exposed to physical and psychological stress.
19. Every day I work through strength, forcing myself to do my duties.
20. As a rule, I rush time: I would rather come to the end of the working day.

Then there is an interpretation of the test results. To do this, calculate the total number of points:

• 20-14 points - high;
• 13-7 points - average;
• 6-0 points - low.

Diagnosis of the level of emotional burnout can be carried out independently or with a psychologist. Modern tests are designed for both types of work, so their results will be useful in both cases.

Causes

The main factor that leads to the emergence of such a state is a long and difficult workload, which is accompanied by intense interpersonal relationships in the workplace. Therefore, many researchers are inclined to believe that symptoms of emotional burnout are peculiar primarily to representatives of “helping” professions, who are forced to constantly work with people. At the same time, you can focus on several more factors that provoke the occurrence of such a condition:

• Information overload. Huge streams of data pass through a person every day.
• Information uncertainty. The employee does not have enough data to carry out specific work tasks.
• Increased responsibility. A person is forced to constantly be responsible for the lives of other people, their health; operate with large sums of money, real estate or securities.
• Lack of time. Work in time trouble, the need to linger in the evening to complete daily tasks.
• Conflict - constant clashes with colleagues or management.
• Intrapersonal conflicts. A person is constantly torn between family and work.
• Multitasking - the need to constantly work simultaneously on several goals.
• The combination of environmental factors - poor lighting, cold or heat, dust, noise, crowding.

Prevention

For people whose burnout is moderate or high, the following preventative measures are necessary:

• Using flexible work schedules. Overtime work should be minimized.
• Administrative support for employees, assistance in solving personal problems (for example, obtaining additional education or purchasing a home).
• The development of a high culture in the organization, a healthy atmosphere.
• Career and professional growth.
• Training in methods of psychological relief.
• A fair system of fines and incentives.
• No discrimination by gender, age, nationality.

Psychologists' recommendations

What else can be done to avoid burnout symptoms at work? Consider a few tips.

• Every day you need to deliberately find sources of joy. Joy and laughter can fill life force, help to overcome difficulties, replenish resources.
• Learning to be aware of feelings. At least 5 times a day ask yourself the question: “How do I feel?” This will allow you to be more attentive to the dynamics of your mood, to identify those factors that contribute to its improvement.
• In difficult situations, it is useful to work with a psychologist individually or in a group. Sometimes it’s useful to attend a special training “Emotional burnout” to understand the features of your condition.
• Discuss problems in relationships and at work immediately, do not save up negative. When a person suppresses anger and dissatisfaction in himself, these toxic feelings begin to poison his life. Therefore, do not increase anger if something leads to irritation. You need to learn to forgive, let go of the negative.
• To find a positive side in any event. This will help maintain emotional balance.
• Finish things through. Unfinished tasks take a lot of emotional energy. Therefore, it is necessary to draw up a plan of the day so that by evening all the work will be completed.
• Learn the techniques of meditation and relaxation. A meditative state allows you to get rid of the accumulated tension, restore the balance of vitality.

Prevention of emotional burnout of teachers

We should also mention how this condition can be prevented by teachers, educators, and psychologists. After all, people working in these areas are exposed to it most often. The emotional burnout of a teacher or teacher is often caused by exaggerated requirements for representatives of these professions. Teachers who want to achieve a 100% result in their activities and strive to be perfect often set a high standard for themselves. An additional factor for stress is the inability to forgive your own mistakes.

One of the ways to prevent psychological emotional burnout among teachers is to form the correct idea of ​​their professional activity. If the teacher cannot teach someone, protect him from bad influence - there is nothing reprehensible in this. A teacher or educator cannot be effective in 100% of all cases.