Burnout syndrome, also known as “burned out worker syndrome,” is a psychological disorder experienced by many workers around the world who find themselves overwhelmed by their work situation and end up generating a series of physical and psychological symptoms of discomfort.
This phenomenon usually originates from an overload of work or from a manifest inability of the worker to successfully fulfill those obligations entrusted to him in a stipulated period of time.
There are many ways that workers experience this pathology related to saturation at work; nevertheless, It is possible to identify a series of causes that frequently give rise to burnout syndrome. Let’s see what they are.
Here we will review the most common causes behind burnout syndrome; However, in the vast majority of cases one of them alone does not trigger said problem, but rather a combination of factors must occur.
On the other hand, although its name may indicate otherwise, burnout syndrome does not have to be an alteration that arises from problems “within” the person ; Sometimes, it is in the work context where we can find most of the triggers and elements to improve to take care of mental health.
1. Excessive working hours
A working day that far exceeds the 8 or 9 hours of work that are considered normal daily can be one of the main causes that explain burnout or burnt out worker syndrome in any person.
The longer the person’s working day, the more likely it is that this person will have greater difficulties on a cognitive, physical and emotional level to correctly carry out each of your daily obligations.
That is why it is so necessary to have normal work days and have sufficient hours of rest and free time, otherwise we can end up developing burnout syndrome.
2. Monotony at work
Monotony at work due to repeating actions sequentially They are also factors that can generate great psychological discomfort in the person, as they feel stuck in a job with no future and in which they must repeat the same processes and obligations almost automatically on a daily basis.
The lack of diversity of occupations or weekly responsibilities at work can end up demotivating the worker, even more so if he or she does not have a positive vision of his or her daily work.
Motivation is essential for the correct performance of each job and when it disappears or there is no incentive to continue working, burnout syndrome can develop in the person.
3. Too many responsibilities
A job with too many responsibilities It can test the worker’s work-related, problem-solving and psychological, physical or emotional abilities making him feel that the situation is overwhelming him.
It is evident that a job in which we are asked for more responsibilities will also be accompanied by greater pressure due to the fear of failing in the tasks entrusted to us. This fear of failing or doing things wrong, together with an excess of responsibilities, can cause the person to become overloaded with work or become blocked by the excess of tasks that he must attend to.
4. Few incentives or remuneration in relation to the work to be performed
As we have indicated, remuneration at work is one of the main incentives when working daily, which on many occasions pushes the employee to continue with their work no matter how adverse the working conditions or their assigned responsibilities may be.
In addition to that, when the employee receives low remuneration or a salary that according to him does not adjust to his work performed can end up generating feelings of frustration and discomfort which can negatively influence their productivity and end up generating a case of burnout.
That is why a demanding job must be accompanied by good financial remuneration adjusted to its level of demand, otherwise there is a risk that the employee will become demotivated or end up overloaded due to excess responsibilities.
5. Negative work environment
A work environment in which negative dynamics develop among workers and where relationships of camaraderie, collaboration or fraternity do not prevail, can also end up generating burnout syndrome in employees in their daily work.
Work climates where competitiveness reigns and in which each employee goes on his own without collaborating with any of his colleagues, do not promote good teamwork at all and sometimes these contexts can also affect the productivity of each worker individually.
6. Bad communication
Communication is essential for the proper functioning of any company or organization of any type, since it allows a fluid relationship between its various workers and departments.
Poor communication will hinder the flow of information between the different actors who work together to achieve business objectives, which in the long run ends up generating all types of errors or delays in the fulfillment and delivery of all types of common work and projects.
These problems in the work context can decisively affect the mental health of both employees and superiors or intermediate positions, seeing that the set objectives are not successfully achieved.
7. Workplace harassment
Workplace harassment and other bad business practices with lower-level workers can also be one of the main causes of burnout syndrome.
These types of practices tend to undermine people’s psychological health and also their physical health, and very negatively affect their work abilities and productivity in general.
8. Lack of autonomy
Some companies leave their employees little personal autonomy so that they can perform their job duties more freely or exercise a high level of surveillance over their jobs.
This type of practice that threatens the freedom that the employee has to work can also overload him and cause a wide variety of behavioral or emotional alterations.
9. Feature Overload
An overload of functions is also usually the main cause of the development of burnout syndrome on the part of workers.
That is why it is so necessary to distribute functions among employees and sometimes delegate all those functions that another person can perform, to avoid the overload of functions in a single position.
10. Job insecurity
The worker’s lack of resources in daily work and the use of inefficient or outdated tools can also be related to the appearance of burnout syndrome.
That is why it is so necessary that all workers have updated and effective technological tools to successfully carry out each of their daily work obligations.
