A Simple Model for Understanding (and Preventing) Burnout
I've just read The Ultimate Burnout Guide by Fung and Chin. Here are my main takeaways:
Burnout is:
“a psychological state caused by prolonged stress from a job.”
The authors describe the three main characteristics of burnout as:
Overwhelming exhaustion
Feelings of cynicism
A sense of ineffectiveness
(Burnout tends to develop in this order.)
Burnout is a social phenomenon. In other words, it is experienced in a social context, such as the workplace.
The Job Demands-Resources Model (by Bakker and Demerouti)is a helpful tool for understanding and preventing burnout.
The JD-R model states that every occupation has job demands and job resources.
Job demands require effort and come at a cost to the employee (for example, long hours and high pressure). Job resources help employees work well, achieve their goals, and develop (for example, salary, autonomy, support, and feedback).
The more job resources an employee has, the more demands can be safely placed upon them. Burnout happens when an employee has high job demands and insufficient resources.
A guaranteed cure for burnout is removing the individual from the social context that has caused the burnout.
Read The Ultimate Burnout Guide if you want to know more.
