Burnout is real. But what can you do about it?

Burnout is real. This has been made manifest by Jacinda Ardern resigning as Prime Minister of New Zealand, stating “I no longer have enough in the tank to do [the job] justice”. This is emblematic of a broader issue of burnout, especially in demanding jobs.

So, what should people – and employers – do about it?

Identify the cause of burnout

People must first identify what causes them to burn out. This differs between people. A universal one-size-fits all solution is inappropriate. There are several possible causes, which include:

1. Ambitious people who routinely ‘go above and beyond’ are prone to burnout if their career stagnates or their company does not give upside. Here, the underlying problem is that the employer has not upheld their end of the implicit bargain: if an employee goes beyond their job, then implicitly, it should advance their pay and salary. But, what was the point working beyond your contract if your employer does not recognize it?
2. Employees might simply become tired of sameness. Repeating unchallenging work ad infinitum can drain employees.
3. The nature of the job might have changed. Many jobs have ‘enjoyable’ and ‘tiresome’ components. Perhaps the job started with a good balance between those areas. But, if, over time the job changes to focus more on the ‘tiresome’ components, employee morale will likely suffer and burnout becomes more likely.
4. Burnout might also reflect a desire for more work-life balance. This need not be the same as burnout, but is closely related. Perhaps the employee’s priorities have changed. And thus, it becomes harder to grind through mundane tasks than it was before.
5. You might simply have lost interest. Perhaps the job is similar to what it has always been. Perhaps your employer treats you reasonably well. But, you simply have lost interest. This can be challenging to resolve: the current job might trap you with ‘golden handcuffs’: Leaving entails a pay cut but with more upside and growth. Staying involves comfort in a job you decreasingly enjoy.

Once you identify what causes your personal burnout, you can start to remedy (or preempt) it.

Identify a solution

There are several possible solutions. And which to prioritize will depend on what causes your burnout. In the first instance, most solutions involve talking with your employer to find solutions.

Structure better incentives: For hard working ambitious workers who are willing to ‘go above and beyond’ clearly articulate with your employer what your concerns are. Demonstrate – with data – how much value you can add but that it is not sustainable to continue doing so absent incentives. Communicate that the incentives need to be better aligned.

An employer of any quality should realize that those incentives grow the pie for everyone: they make more money, the employee makes more money, and everyone wins. After all, the employer – or the boss – works hard because they have incentives. It is not surprising that ambitious workers would function similarly.

If the employer cannot accept incentive compensation or that promotions should follow such performance, then either (a) it is time to focus your spare time on a side hustle and simply accept that your current employer will not recognize your skills, or (b) find an employer that will satisfy you. Option (b) is likely better as ambitious workers will likely remain demoralized having to ‘quiet quit’ simply to retrofit incentives by hustling in their spare time.

Recalibrate the type of work: if the burnout is due to tedious work, you might seek to balance it with alternative or more interesting areas of the job. This might not always be doable. An approach could be to show an interest in more leadership related roles, which often use a different skill set from standard positions. This variety might alleviate the tedium while also providing a useful and portable skill set should you change employers.

This can be especially powerful if the nature of the job seems to change over time. If more ‘boring’ tasks have taken over from ‘interesting’ tasks, perhaps draw a clear line on how much time you will spend on ‘boring’ tasks. Do not allow them to intrude further than they must or encroach on the parts of the job you enjoy or your personal time.

Find another job: Sometimes there is no solution at your current employer. Perhaps they either do not – or do not want to – realize how much value you add. Perhaps the nature of the job has changed irrevocably and ‘boring’ tasks now crowd out interesting work. Perhaps there is no solution. Perhaps you have just lost interest.

Here, you might consider finding another job. It is best to start the job search early rather than reaching breaking point and quitting without an outside option. If you fail to plan, the next job could be as bad as – or worse than – the current one.

If you have the financial resources, you might consider a career change. However, the grass is not always greener. And, you might lose seniority and income by shifting careers. Do thorough research before embarking on a career change: apathy towards the current position might inadvertently make a new career look unrealistically good.

When leaving, be tactful. The temptation might be to slam the employer for failing to recognize your skills, overworking you, or offering no advancement. However, managers change. In the future, you might want to return to that company under new leadership. Or perhaps you will need to work with former coauthors.

Burning bridges unnecessarily just for a momentary sense of catharsis is rarely worth it.

Overall then the solution depends on why you are burned out. If there is no way to manage the situation at your current employer, the burnout might simply fester, worsening your mental health. Thus, try to resolve things with your employer. But, if they are unreasonable, impossible to talk with, or lack understanding, always consider outside options.