Burnouts don't necessarily come from too much work or stress - they are fuelled by guilt, says business consultant Annamaria Garden.
She tells Jesse Mulligan why it happens and what we can do about it.
Dr Garden is the author of Burnout and the Mobilisation of Energy.
Photo: 123RF
Dr Garden, who has lived through a burnout herself, says the people most at risk are those who: have weak boundaries, keep working even when it stops making sense, invest all they have into their job are not satisfied until they're exhausted.
"I've worked out the number of ways in which the 'high burnout people' get burnt out whereas 'low burnout people' don't get burnt out in the same job with the same high demands.
"It's to do more with the way you approach your work rather than working hard, some people in the same job burn out and some people do not.
"The kind of person who is the hero in the organisation should not be the burnout type of person, because they don't necessarily achieve more."
While energy depletion is one trait, it can be hard to distinguish from that of depression, she says.
Dr Annamaria Garden Photo: supplied
Depression often involves feelings of being trapped or finding fault with yourself, whereas those with burnout experience severe energy fluctuations, she says.
"It's also characterised by being at the limit with certain things, like listening to music or talking to people. When you're burnt out, you get so tired that you switch the radio or TV off because you just simply can't take it in anymore."
It can be unhelpful to always connect burnout with stress, she says.
"Stress is about overload and burnout is very much to do with the way you're doing your job, not just that you're working too hard in it."
The warning signs of burnout include: rarely sleeping well, feeling tired when you wake up, losing your temper easily, and a fluctuating attitude towards your job.
"The other [symptom] that's important is you tend to stop leisure activities, either because you're working too hard or because you're too tired to do it or just bored with it, that's one of the most predictable signs."
To avoid burnout, Dr Garden recommends finding a leisure time activity that you enjoy.
"It doesn't matter what it is, it can be flying a kite or throwing a ball around, it can anything as long as you're enjoying it and lose track of time.
"When you overuse one part of yourself, then you are likely to get burnt out. So in leisure time, we stretch our personality a bit and that is why leisure works so powerfully."
Also set some boundaries between your work and life, she says.
"For example, you need to set limits between how often your boss or organisation can contact you.
"There's a great weakening of boundaries between individuals and their work at the moment, because of the extent at which the organisation can reach between you and your personal life.
"Learn to skim things rather than always read them. That's something you need to do to get closure.
"You need to get out and about during your lunch hour, you need to get up from your desk ... and get out, so that creates boundaries."
Another way out of burnout is to discover what's driving the guilt that makes you feel you must work to your limit, she says.
"This comes from the introject ... [which] is a message or some instruction that you have had in your past, which you still have buried in your subconscious and it drives you on.
"It runs [burnout] behaviour, and so if you're not doing what that introject tells you to do that is when you feel guilty."
Dr Garden’s book includes a questionnaire and some exercises to help you overcome your introject.
*Dr Annamaria Garden is a former faculty member at the London Business School.
