This is a continuation on the subject of burnout. I heard from a lot of viewers you appreciated understanding the difference between stress and burnout and you want more information on actual burnout. There are three dimensions of burnout – exhaustion, detachment, and ineffectiveness.
Exhaustion is the most common symptom of burnout. It is the feeling that most days are long and difficult with the overwhelming demands that are asked of you each day.
Detachment occurs when there is a sense of disconnection from the value of your work. You feel less emotionally connected to your job, teammates, or to the practice. This can lead to cynicism and doubting if what you do really matters. This can make someone feel less caring, supportive, and unsympathetic to others.
Ineffectiveness refers to a sense of incompetence and a lack of accomplishment. When feeling this way, you feel ineffectual dealing with problems and do not contribute much to the people you serve. These are the three dimensions of burnout. After researching this subject for my presentations, there are some ways to proactively prevent burnout. The WHO has classified burnout as an occupational phenomenon in the ICD-11 code. So, let’s start looking at how to prevent burnout through the culture of our practice environments.
You can control factors such as the mission, vision, and all aspects of your culture. Having the entire team come together to create your mission and vision is foundational so everyone is aligned in these two very important areas. Next is having an honest and real discussion around the culture you are building in your practice. I define culture as what is and is not acceptable regarding human behavior. Defining it in this manner requires the entire team to have input on those behaviors and which area they belong. I suggest meeting and putting behaviors in those two columns, so the opinion of each team member is heard. You may be encouraged by the responses of your team regarding the behaviors they will place in each column.
When adequate time is given for everyone on the team to create the mission, vision, and culture of your practice, the process to prevent burnout in your practice has begun. This may sound confusing or difficult to do in your practice. Please get in touch with me and I can help you navigate these areas so you can prevent burnout within your team. Please contact me [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.