Burnout is a very serious issue that affects a massive number of people. According to a survey conducted by Deloitte, 77% of workers have experienced it at their current job while over half said that they’ve been burned out more than once. So it’s a problem that management everywhere has to be aware of.
However, some bosses are less than supportive: instead of offering help, they keep piling on the work and make them feel bad about being exhausted. One redditor, who is completely burned out, shared how she finally pushed back, only to be guilt-tripped into staying by management. Read on for the full story.
Bored Panda reached out to the author of the viral post, who was kind enough to answer our questions. She preferred to stay anonymous in order to protect her job. You'll find our full interview with her below.
Workplace burnout is an issue that many employees have dealt with
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko (not the actual photo)
One exhausted worker shared how instead of supporting her, her boss guilt-tripped into staying at the company
Image credits: energepic.com (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Elevate Digital (not the actual photo)
Image credits: JESSICA TICOZZELLI (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Its_Just_Jen
"Don't settle for the first thing you can get. That's probably how you got into this mess in the first place"
We were curious what the redditor's initial thoughts were when she heard her boss tell her that the company would crumble if she were to quit.
"My first reaction was just being dumbfounded and lost for words," she opened up to Bored Panda. The redditor said that staying at the job was not what she was expecting to be asked by management.
According to the OP, she is salaried, therefore "there's no concept of overtime." This only adds to the stress and burnout.
Bored Panda wanted to know what advice the author of the post would give other employees who might be in a similar situation as she is, i.e. overworked and overstretched.
"If someone is in a similar situation but has the capability to leave their position without causing more personal stress, do it," she shared her opinion.
"If not, make sure you take space for you," she said referring to mental days off, getting plenty of exercise, being gentle to oneself, and going to therapy.
"Just keep looking for new experiences that seem exciting to you," the employee told Bored Panda. "Don't settle for the first thing you can get. That's probably how you got into this mess in the first place."
Nobody can do several people's jobs at once for a long stretch of time
The OP shared how her workload is “absolutely insane,” she’s constantly feeling pressured, and she keeps having to take on new tasks that should clearly be done by other employees. At the time of writing, u/Its_Just_Jen noted that she’s actively looking for a new job so that she can jump ship.
However, the thing that’s stuck with her is her boss’ comment that the “company will crumble” without her. She turned to the r/antiwork community for their advice on dealing with the guilt of “wrecking coworkers’ workloads when you leave.”
One redditor put it very succinctly that the company’s badly constructed, poorly managed, and understaffed if a single employee quitting will destroy it. The odds are that this company wouldn’t survive any greater shakeups either way. In the meantime, the situation reflects incredibly poorly on the company’s management. No proper leader would allow their staff to be this overworked and then dump a bunch of emotional baggage on top.
It's essential to spot the early warning signs of incoming burnout
Psychologist Christina Maslach, from the University of California, Berkeley, notes that burnout is made up of three main components: exhaustion (both physical and emotional), cynicism, and inefficacy where people blame themselves for not being able to handle all of the stress and perform well.
If you’re reading this, it is incredibly likely that you’ve either dealt with workplace burnout in the past or may even be getting there right this very moment. Some of the most common signs of burnout include increased anxiety, a loss of interest in work, disrupted sleep, and difficulty focusing, according to PsychCentral.
Someone who’s burned out may also feel frustrated and irritable, may find it difficult to enforce boundaries, complain excessively, and feel discouraged about the future.
Fighting back against burnout means being kinder to yourself than up till now. A large part of healing from deep exhaustion is linked to finding the time for quality rest. That can mean different things for different people, however, broadly speaking, you can start by taking a holiday to emotionally and mentally detach yourself from your job. You can then start working on having a healthy work-life balance. Speak to your boss about the situation and explain how you’re affected by the massive workload.
Taking care of your health and getting proper rest can help you get your priorities straight
If that goes nowhere, proactively work less overtime (especially if it’s unpaid) and start clocking out when your contract says you should. Avoid checking your work email after hours. Your job isn’t going anywhere—that pile of documents will still be there in the morning for you to dive into.
In the meantime, focus on your health. Eat better: avoid junk food, limit your caffeine intake, and avoid tobacco and alcohol. Move more: you can start by taking daily walks whether it’s before work, during your lunch break, or after you clock out. The more time you spend moving about in nature, the better you’ll feel. You can also sign up at a gym or for some sort of group training or sports—an activity that brings you lots of joy.
Then, carve out time for all the other things that bring you happiness. Things like spending time with your loved ones and friends, doing your hobbies, volunteering, traveling, and anything and everything else that puts a smile on your face and makes your life feel fuller.
By doing this, you’ll be putting your job into perspective. Likely, you’ll realize (as many of us have before) that most of that stress is over nothing and that you need to radically reprioritize what you spend your time, energy, and focus on.
The internet had plenty of advice for the employee. Here's what they suggested and how they reacted to the story
