What is Burnout?
“Burnout” is a relatively new term, first coined in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger, in his book, Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement. He originally defined burnout as, “the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.” (verywellmind.com)
It is a special type of work-related stress – a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.
Unfortunately, “burnout” isn’t a medical diagnosis. They believe it is behind conditions, such as depression. Research suggests that people who experience burnout at their job don’t believe their jobs are the main cause. There may be an underlying cause, such as the mental and physical stress of our jobs. We see a lot of pain and suffering in the veterinary field. That can take a toll on our mental health. We deal with a lot of people yelling at us, therefore leaving us feeling guilty. That can take a HUGE toll on our mental health.
Ask yourself:
· Have you become cynical or critical at work?
· Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started?
· Have you become irritable or impatient with coworkers, customers, or clients?
· Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?
· Do you find it hard to concentrate?
· Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?
· Do you feel disillusioned about your job?
· Are you using food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel?
· Have your sleep habits changed?
· Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, stomach or bowel problems, or other physical complaints?
Symptoms of burnout:
· Alienation from work-related activities.
This is where you grow cynical about your working conditions and the people you work with. Maybe even the clients.
· Physical symptoms.
Headaches, stomachaches, or intestinal issues.
· Emotional exhaustion.
Feeling drained, unable to cope, and tired. This leads to a lack of energy to get your work done.
· Reduced performance.
This affects your everyday tasks at work (placing catheters, filling medications, doing TPR’s, etc). You will feel negative about tasks, “I never can never hit a vein.” You have difficulty concentrating and lack creativity.
Possible causes of job burnout:
· Lack of control.
An inability to influence decisions that affect your job – such as your schedule, assignments, or workload. Additionally, a lack of the resources you need to do your work can be a cause.
Unclear job expectations.
If you’re unclear about the degree of authority you have or what your supervisor or others expect from you, you’re not likely to feel comfortable at work.
· Dysfunctional workplace dynamics.
Perhaps there is a clinic bully, or you feel undermined by colleagues or your boss micromanages your work. This can contribute to job stress.
· Extremes of activity.
Jobs that are monotonous or chaotic (veterinary medicine), you need constant energy to remain focused.
· Lack of social support.
If you feel isolated at work and in your personal life, this might make you feel more stressed.
· Work-life imbalance.
When your job takes up so much of your time and effort (veterinary medicine) that you don’t have the energy to spend time with your family and friends, you will most definitely burn out quick. Additionally, taking your work home with you will make it difficult to separate work from home life.
Job burnout risk factors
You might be more likely to experience job burnout if:
· You identify so strongly with your work that you lack balance between your work life and your personal life. (Share my email story and breakdown)
· You have a high workload, including overtime work – veterinary medicine.
· You try to be everything to everyone – veterinary medicine. We are people pleasers.
· You work in a helping profession, such as veterinary medicine.
· You feel you have little or no control over your work.
· Your job is monotonous.
Consequences of job burnout:
Ignored or unaddressed job burnout can have significant consequences, including:
· Excessive stress
· Fatigue
· Insomnia
· Sadness, anger or irritability
· Alcohol or substance abuse
· Heart disease
· High blood pressure
· Type 2 diabetes
· Vulnerability to illnesses
Handling job burnout:
· Evaluate your options.
Discuss specific concerns with your supervisor. Maybe you can work together to change expectations or reach compromises. Try to set goals for what must get done and what can wait. Enlist the help of your coworkers and how you can delegate responsibilities so it’s not all on you.
· Seek support.
Whether you reach out to coworkers, friends, or loved ones, support and collaboration might help you cope. This is why we recommend reaching out to us when you need to vent, or have something bothering you. Though we may not have a solution, getting it off your chest will make you feel better.
· Self-Care!
This is why I preach this so often! Doing something you enjoy on your time off is going to help recharge your batteries.
Try a relaxing activity – yoga, meditation, reading a book, etc.
Exercise – regular physical activity can help increase serotonin, therefore making you feel happy. This is different than the physical activity you get at work. You need to do something outside of your job that gives you peace.
Sleep – this restores your well-being and protects your health, to include mental health. If you take an entire day to be lazy and nap, that’s ok! You need to do what you need to do for your mental health.
Mindfulness – this is the act of focusing on your breath flow and being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling at every moment. This is without interruption, or judgement. There are several apps that can help you take a few moments to center yourself and relax.
Feeling burnt out can lead to depression and even suicide. Knowing that you are not alone, and have valuable resources can be a huge help. This is the main reason this group exists. To give people what I never had.
Fortunately, burnout is reversible! A lot of times a break is what is needed. Although, sometimes this isn’t always possible. It is important to talk with your management and let them know what you’re going through. If this fails to fix the problem, you may need to consider another clinic where you're more valued and appreciated. Some people choose to leave the field, and that’s ok too! However, I personally don’t think that always fixes the underlying problem. For me personally, there wasn’t anything else I wanted to do. That may be you, and that is also ok! There are many different jobs you can do as a veterinary nurse. That sounds like another topic for the future!
Sources:
Information obtained from:
Shena Humbert, LVT
Not Another Vet Nurse