Freudenberger (1974) defined burnout as “to fail, wear out or become exhausted by making excessive demands on energy, strength or resources” (p. 159). Burnout develops over time and is based on interpersonal and institutional variables (Galek, Flannelly, Greene, & Kudler, 2011). According to Remley and Herlihy (2010), burnout is a process, not a state or condition. Maslach (2003) defined burnout as “a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who do ‘people-work’ of some kind” (p. 2). Furthermore, burnout occurs when there is a significant mismatch between the nature of the job and people in six different areas: work overload, lack of control, insufficient rewards, breakdown of workplace community, lack of fairness, and value differences (Maslach, 2003).
Freudenberger (1974) first used the term burnout to describe a loss of will at work. Over the latter part of the 20th century, burnout has become a popular term to describe exhaustion and discontent at work (Skovholt & Trotter-Mathison, 2011). According to Maslach and Leiter (1997), burnout is more likely to occur when there is a mismatch between the nature of the job and the nature of the person doing the job. Seven sources of burnout from the workplace environment include workload, control, reward, community, fairness, values, and job-person incongruity (Maslach & Leiter, 2008). The workplace environment is often believed to be the cause of burnout, rather than the individual professional (Skovholt & Trotter-Mathison, 2011). Symptoms of burnout can include deficient energy, being easily irritable, sleep difficulties, headaches, feelings of hopelessness or helplessness, and increased dissatisfaction and depersonalization (Lambie, 2007; Moyer, 2011). These symptoms can lead to inefficient and negligent delivery of work services. Burnout is associated with low morale, increased absenteeism, exhaustion, substance abuse, and isolation (Florio, 2010; Maslach, 2003; Remley & Herlihy, 2010; Skorupa & Agresti, 1993).
Burnout occurs when the needs of the professional and the demands of the job conflict, and it can be defined by three key terms: (a) emotional exhaustion, (b) depersonalization, and (c) reduced personal accomplishment (Maslach, 2003). According to Maslach and Leiter (1997), burnout occurs when professionals experience an erosion of engagement and compassion in the work setting. Emotional exhaustion occurs when there is an over-extension in the job and is often the first reaction to stress of job demands (Maslach & Leiter, 1997). Depersonalization often transpires with emotional exhaustion, creating cynicism and negativity in the workplace which damages a professional's capacity to work effectively (Maslach & Leiter, 1997). Finally, reduced personal accomplishments occur from the feelings of ineffectiveness, inadequacy, and a loss of confidence in one's capabilities (Maslach & Leiter, 1997). As a result of these three processes, burnout impacts the professional, the client, and the work environment.
Now that you have an idea of what burnout is, my next post will explore how does one know if they're burnt-out in Part II and then Part III will explore self-care techniques that may reduce or prevent future burnout in the workplace!
Brought to you by Thrive Counseling Center LLC in Metairie, LA at www.thrivecounselingcenterllc.com.
References:
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