Burnout Self-Test

Within the MyManagmentLab for the Managing People in Organizations, class there is a section called Personal Inventory Assessments. These are short questionnaires to evaluate different aspects of a person’s life. I did multiple ones but the three personal inventory assessments I found most useful where the stress management assessment, the self-awareness assessment and the time management assessment. The stress management quiz analyzed how I manage and react during stressful situations with my results being 24. My results said that I have a high resilience to stress and do not get worried very easily, however, I am not very effective at eliminating stress or developing coping strategies when I do ultimately get stressed. I can definitely relate to this because when I am stressed about something, I usually just give up on it and quit or push it off until the last minute, which usually results in more stress.

One of the keys to eliminating burnout in the counseling field, is for the counselor to recognize when they are experiencing some of the symptoms. Kottler (2010) reports some of the signs of burnout include experiencing emotional exhaustion, having negative attitudes for your clients, feelings of lack of accomplishment, and becoming easily discouraged. Therefore, if we notice ourselves without the enthusiasm or drive for that passion which once drove us into this field chances are we may be experiencing symptoms of burnout. Oser, Biebel, Pullen, and Harp (2013) report it is always good to have

Burnout is a gradual onset with symptoms coming on over time slowly. Burnout symptoms may include physical exhaustion, hopelessness, negative self-concept, having difficulty leaving home, and inability to concentrate are just some of the symptoms. Due to the gradual onset of symptoms, it is often hard to detect early (Dass-Brailsford, 2007). In McCann and Pearlman’s article they discuss burnout as a, “psychological strain from working with difficult populations” (McCann & Pearlman, 1990).

You can de-escalate a tense situation with ease and grace—working through a tough issue or bug with an upset customer not only doesn’t scare you, it’s a challenge you’re eager to take

In fact, I am currently experiencing burnout concerning my college degree. When I have an objective, I invest everything in my power to accomplishing it; it is almost as if I have tunnel vision- the accomplishment of the objective supersedes everything else. I invest so much of myself that I reach a point when there is nothing left to give. I also become stressed and anxious when I cannot achieve my goals to my standards. Whatever the particular situation, when I reach the burnout stage, I become disillusioned and lose my commitment to the

49. Shriom, A. & Melamed, S. Does burnout affect physical health? A review of the evidence. In A.S.G. Antoniou & C.L. Cooper (eds.), Research companion to organizational health psychology (pp.599-622). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2005

All of the definitions of burnout mention the main factor of burnout to be stress. Pamela Patrick, in her book about Health Care Worker Burnout, defined burnout as “the feeling of emotional exhaustion, a negative attitude shift, and a sense of personal devaluation that occurs over time and in relation to high stress work environment”. Whiton Paine in his book on job stress and burnout used the concept of burnout stress syndrome, or BOSS, which is due to “high levels of job stress, personal frustration and inadequate coping skills”.

Delegation…. Having the knowledge to know how to delegate efficiently is the key to advantaging yourself and increasing your importance to any company. Transferring responsibility permits you to shift from what you can do yourself to what you can supervise. Delegating tasks is one of the utmost significant and efficient managerial tools there is today. Lacking the capability to delegate efficiently and effectively, is unmanageable for you to progress in a supervisory position to an even advanced position of accountability.

Burnout among graduate students can lead to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Students might not perform to the best of their abilities, and experience a decline in their sense of personal accomplishments (Maslach, Leiter, and Jackson, 2012). It can be difficult for them to rationalize that their feelings are a result of stress and high demands, something that can trigger feelings of insecurity and anxiety. The lack of self-esteem can be difficult to rebuild, unless the student is provided with adequate support from t their environment.

Burnout in the field of Mental Health Counseling is a serious concern for everyone involved, whether the person is just beginning their journey, or if they are a seasoned veteran with years of experience. Unless, the person has a prevention plan in place and adds it into their busy schedule and does not stray from their commitment of their self-care program. It is easy when we get busy to skip a day here and there and the next thing you know we have not taken care of ourselves for a month or longer. Once we permit ourselves to neglect our self-care program the symptoms of burnout and begin to develop very quickly. Personally, I believe with a good self-care program, it is easier to circumvent burnout, then it is to overcome it once you are in its grips. Here are some of the things I implement into my schedule to help myself from becoming burnt out.

Blau, Tatum, and Goldberg (2013) indicated that burnout has been studied in various mental health workers, including; case managers, psychologist, psychotherapist, social workers, rehabilitation counselor, and intensive care workers. Due to the nature of the field and high involvement with the others, mental health workers are likely to experience burnout (Sangganjanavanich & Balkin, 2010). Multiple job duties can cause unnecessary stress within the work environment when daily task is not managed properly among mental health professionals. In a survey completed by the American Counseling Association (ACA) 75.7% of mental health professionals that colleagues coping with burnout are significant threat to the profession of counseling (Puig, Baggs, Mixon, Park, Kim, & Lee, 2011). Of those professional, 63.5% indicated that they are aware of colleagues who cope with burnout (Puig, Baggs, Mixon, Park, Kim & Lee, 2011).

     Burnout is a direct effect of too much stress. People know if they’re stressed. Stress hormones, like adrenaline, help us react to extreme situations, but if those hormones don’t turn off, they can wear the body down. Symptoms of stress can cause nervousness, fatigue, insomnia, heartburn, headaches, stomach aches, and constipation. Lasting stress increases the risk of heart disease, impairs memory, weakens the immune system, and can accelerate the aging processes.

Burnout is a combination of factors, including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and the reduced sense of personal accomplishment (Maslach, 1982). Emotional exhaustion is accompanied with a lack of compassion and motivation to work, while depersonalization leads to irritability.

I would like to conclude on a few points that we have discussed. The term stress was coined by Dr. Hans Selye from the University of Montreal and the basic definition of stress is the body’s response to any demand placed on it, pleasant or unpleasant (Cunningham, 2000). Some major causes of stress are “high physical, mental and or emotional demands, lack of variety, short work cycles, fragmented or meaningless work, underutilization and high uncertainty of work” (NOHSC, 2000, P. 29). There are also psychological stressors that affect workplace but that I will save that for another

      It is critical to understand important stress management skills.  If stress is not dealt with, it can result in a burnout, or perhaps worse, "People who experience high levels of anxiety are four to five times more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke" (Morrison