IT’S NOT uncommon to feel drained or like you’re hitting a wall at work.
But these symptoms could be signs of burnout – a state of physical and emotional exhaustion that can develop when you experience long-term stress.
GettyResearch shows that a quarter of adults in the UK are at risk of burnout as they feel they can’t manage extreme stress[/caption]
A new online tool developed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology could help detect whether you’re at risk of burnout
Its symptoms – which include extreme tiredness, having trouble concentrating, being irritable – can easily be confused with anxiety, according to Mental Health UK.
But dismissing burnout, rather than dealing with it, could harm your health in the long-term.
Burnout doesn’t just go away on its own, researchers have argued.
Leon De Beer, associate professor of work and organisational psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology said: “Not addressing the risk of employee burnout in time can have long-term consequences.”
The effects of burnout can be psychological as well as physical, including cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal injuries and pain, sleeping problems, and depression.
Research conducted by Prof De Beer and the Healthy Workplaces research group found that “approximately 13 per cent of Norwegian employees are at high risk of burnout”.
The research team are also working on a new online tool to help pinpoint the early warning signs of burnout and identify people at risk.
The Burnout Assessment Tool – dubbed BAT – is now being tested in 30 countries, with De Beer claiming it has been effect in identifying the risk of stress-related exhaustion.
The isn’t currently an international standard for assessing the risk of burnout.
Prof De Beer said: “Previously, we have not had a detailed enough measurement tool for use in both the field of practice and research that identifies workers who are at risk of burnout.
“Our studies show that BAT is a good tool for identifying the risk of burnout.”
According to Mental Health UK’s 2024 Burnout Report, nine out of 10 Brits experienced high or extreme stress in the past year, and almost a quarter of them felt unable to manage the pressure.
Spiralling workloads, working overtime unpaid and feeling isolated in their job were common factors behind workplace stress and burnout.
But stressors weren’t solely confined to the workplace, with Brits saying money worries, fear of being made redundant, poor sleep and relationship stress had made them feel drained.
How does the ‘burnout detector’ work?
The burnout test starts by presenting users with a series of statements about their work situation, asking them to think about how it applies to them and select ‘never’, ‘rarely’, ‘sometimes’, ‘often’ or ‘always’.
They include statements like: “At work, I feel mentally exhausted”, “Everything I do at work requires a great deal of effort” and “After a day at work, I find it hard to recover my energy“.
Users are then ask about whether they feel ‘indifferent’ about their work or whether they’re able to control their emotions on the job.
Further questions include whether you get irritable when things don’t go your way or you have trouble staying focused and make mistakes because you’re thinking of other things.
Finally, the tool asks users their age and country of residence, before estimating their score.
Professor Marit Christensen from NTNU’s Department of Psychology, encouraged people to use the online tool for “entertainment and educational purposes” to test if they’re at risk of burnout.
She added: “Please note that the tool only gives an indication of risk and does not provide any type of formal diagnosis or medical advice.
“If you are concerned about your levels of work-related stress, we encourage you to visit a health care provider to discuss the matter.”
Chartered coaching and counselling psychologist Dr Jo Perkins previously told The Sun that burnout can show up as low motivation, disengagement in communication, unhealthy workplace behaviours and also feeling like work tasks are harder than they are.
“Burnout is cumulative and early signs and symptoms are subtle, which is why we often attribute them to not being very organised, not coping well enough or needing to work harder, which tends to exacerbate the problem,” she explained.
She suggested six ways of avoiding it, from improving your self care routines to speaking to your line manager at work and establishing healthy boundaries.
What is burnout?
Burnout isn’t an illness, but a feeling of being mentally or physically exhausted.
It’s the body’s response to a long-lasting and demanding situation.
It tends to be defined as a work-related syndrome but work–life balance also plays a role and factors outside your job can also be the cause.
Stress and burnout don’t necessarily stop when you go home at the end of the day, as these effects often extend into other areas of life and vice versa.
According to Mental Health UK, some common signs of burnout include:
Feeling tired or drained most of the time
Feeling helpless, trapped and/or defeated
Feeling detached/alone in the world
Having a cynical/negative outlook
Self-doubt
Procrastinating and taking longer to get things done
Feeling overwhelmed
Meanwhile, researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology said you might be more at risk of it if:
You’re a young employee in a new job
You have low self esteem
You have unclear job expectations or feel you don’t have power over decisions that affect your work
Your values don’t align with those of your workplace, or your job doesn’t suit your interests or qualifications
You struggle with work-life balance
You work long hours and don’t sleep or exercise enough
You don’t have a strong support network