WELL FEELING EXHAUSTED AND CHRONICALLY STRESSED AT THE OFFICE IS NO LONGER ALL
IN YOUR HEAD.
THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION RECENTLY REDEFINED
WORKPLACE BURNOUT AS A LEGITIMATE SYNDROME THOUGH NOT A MEDICAL CONDITION.
IT'S CONSIDERED A WORKPLACE PHENOMENON THAT COULD LEAD SOME PEOPLE
TO GET CARE.
ACCORDING TO A RECENT GALLUP POLL BURNED-OUT EMPLOYEES ARE 63 %
MORE LIKELY TO TAKE A SICK DAY AND MORE LIKELY TO BE
ACTIVELY SEEKING A NEW JOB.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOUR JOB IS BURNING YOU OUT AND HOW CAN YOU
AVOID THIS ALTOGETHER HERE TO SHARE MORE IS
LICENSED CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST NATHALY SHOUA DESMARAIS, DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL
STUDENT COUNSELING AND WELLNESS AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY'S
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
MY PLEASURE.
SO WE HAVE ALL HEARD IT PEOPLE SAY I'M
SO BURNT OUT I'VE SAID IT BUT FROM A CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE WHAT DOES THIS LOOK
LIKE?
SO AGAIN IN 1970S THE TERM BURNOUT CAME OUT FROM RESEARCH BY DR.
FREUD AND
BERGER AND SINCE THEN THERE HAS BEEN A PLETHORA OF RESEARCH IN REGARDS TO WHAT
BURNOUT IS AND ESSENTIALLY WHEN WE LOOK AT BURNOUT IT'S A FORM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL
STATE WHERE YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THREE DIFFERENT CLUSTERS OF SYMPTOMS.
THE FIRST IS WHERE WE EXPERIENCE EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION.
WITH BURNOUT IT IS MORE OF A DEPLETION, LOSS OF ENERGY,
FATIGUE, WHICH, WHEN BURNOUT FIRST CAME OUT, WAS BELIEVED TO
ACTUALLY ACT IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER, WHEN WE DIDN'T WORK OUT
OUR EXHAUSTION, FIGURE IDENTITY HOW WE STOP THIS, WE WOULD THEN
DEVELOP A LEVEL OF CYNICISM.
A REDUCED LEVEL OF SELF EFFICACY.
WE ARE LEARNING IT IS NOT NECESSARILY A STAGE MODEL,
PEOPLE CAN EXPERIENCE BURNOUT IN ANY OF THOSE CLUSTERS AT ANY
TIME DEPENDING ON THE RISK FACTORS THAT LEAD TO BURNOUT.
AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO LEAD IN THE FUTURE, LET'S SAY MY
COLLEAGUE IS EXPERIENCING BURNOUT ?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN I WILL GET A NOTE
FROM MY DOCTOR?
CAN I GET TIME OFF FROM WORK THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE COVERED?
HOPEFULLY, THAT'S THE GOAL, THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE WHY
THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION CREATED THIS
NOW FORMAL SYNDROME IS TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE IMPACT THAT
BURNOUT HAS IN THE WORKPLACE.
I WORK WITH AT THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE WITH MEDICAL
STUDENTS AND THEY ARE PRIVY TO ALL THE RESEARCH REGARDING
PHYSICIANS.
BURNOUT ACTUALLY IS ESTIMATED TO COST, THE BUSINESS OF MEDICINE,
CLOSE TO $5 BILLION A YEAR DUE TO PHYSICIAN TURNOVER.
AND LEAVING A POSITION.
SO THERE'S A COST TOO -- BECAUSE OF BURNOUT.
SO IF WE DON'T START TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW ARE
ACTUALLY TAKING CARE OF OTHER PEOPLE WE'RE GOING TO CREATE
EVEN MORE PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD.
SO THESE ARE PHYSICIANS WHO CAN'T TAKE THE --
CAN'T TAKE THE PRESSURE.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IN THE WORLD OF MEDICINE ABOUT 40% OF
PHYSICIANS HAVE EXPERIENCED OR ARE EXPERIENCING BURNOUT.
YOU DID MENTION TO ME THAT SOME SECTORS, SOME PROFESSIONS
PERHAPS ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO THIS?
YES, PEOPLE ORIENTED PROFESSIONS IT IS BELIEVED,
BURNOUT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE RESEARCH FROM THE PAST YEARS
FOCUSED ON THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF BURNOUT.
THAT COULD BE THE INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR BOSS.
YOU KNOW, DEMANDING A STRONG -- A HIGHER WORKLOAD OF YOU.
WHEN YOU JUST ARE DEPLETED IN THE CAPACITY TO MEET THOSE
DEMANDS, FOR EXAMPLE.
I WANT TO CERTAINLY GET INTO WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT BUT THE
CAUSE FOR THIS, IS IT A SIMPLE ONE, JUST THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED
AS EMPLOYEES TO DO MORE WITH LESS, JUST PRODUCE A LOT MORE OF
WHATEVER IS THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE?
YES, ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH OUT THERE ESSENTIALLY
SIX DOMAINS OF RISK FACTORS THAT WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT PRESENTS
THAT CAN LEAD AN INDIVIDUAL TO DEVELOP BURNOUT.
THAT INCLUDES THE WORKOVER LOAD, WHETHER OR NOT THAT PERSON IS
GETTING REWARDED FOR WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, MAYBE YOU KNOW
EVEN GOOD PAT ON THE SHOULDER SAYING
HEY GOOD JOB, IF YOU HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT
DOESN'T PROVIDE THAT, THAT CAN CAUSE EXPERIENCE BURNOUT.
IF YOU EVER HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THE
COMMUNITY WITHIN YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT IS COMPETITIVE,
CUTTHROAT, KIND OF WHAT WE EXPERIENCE THAT CORPORATE WORLD
EXPERIENCES, FAIRNESS AMONG THE EMPLOYEES IN THE WORKPLACE?
AND ALSO VALUES, ARE YOUR VALUES BEING WORKED THROUGH IN YOUR
WORK?
OR IS THERE SUCH A GAP BETWEEN WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND WHAT YOUR
VALUES ARE AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR WORK.
DOES SOCIAL MEDIA PLAY A FACTOR IN ALL THIS?
IN WHAT WAY?
PERHAPS SEEK, CREATING COMPETITION BETWEEN OTHERS,
SEEING HOW MAYBE FABULOUS OTHER LIVES MAY APPEAR TO BE.
ABSOLUTELY.
YES, PERFECTIONISTIC ATTITUDES CAN BE A FACTOR THAT CONTRIBUTE
TO BURNOUT.
HOW WONDERFUL SOMEONE ELSE IS DOING THROUGH THEIR APPEARANCE
ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
OR GOING ON VAIKSES ALL THE TIME WHERE WE PEOPLE WE'RE JUST
HANGING ON.
YES, BUT THAT'S A PERCEPTUAL THING RIGHT?
THE BOSS ISN'T GOING TO SAY YOU HAVE TO DO THE WORK YOU'RE DOING
TODAY HOW DO YOU AVOID BURNOUT?
IT WOULD BE BEST TO GO TO SPEAK TO YOUR BOSS AND SAY I'M
FEELING SOMETHING I SHOULDN'T BE FEELING IN THIS WORK,
ENVIRONMENT, I'M HAPPY HERE BUT SOMETHING IS GOING ON.
HOPEFULLY, THE EMPLOYER, RIGHT, WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT,
AND MAYBE POSSIBLY REDUCE THE WORKLOAD.
BUT THAT'S MAYBE NOT REALISTIC.
BUT SELF CARE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IN MENTAL HEALTH MAKING SURE THAT WE TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES.
MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE SLEEPING RIGHT, THAT YOU'RE EATING RIGHT,
THAT YOU'RE EXERCISING, THAT YOU ARE SPENDING TIME WITH FRIENDS
AND LOVED ONES.
THAT THIRD POINT, THE DISCONNECTING AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THE
BIGGEST ISSUES I SEE JUST YOU KNOW WHEN
I'M TALKING TO MY FRIENDS IT'LL BE 8 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT AND THERE'S STILL YOU
ANSWERING EMAILS I HAVE A FRIEND ON THE WEEKENDS,
CONSTANTLY CHECKING THE PHONE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE
ON MONDAY.
THERE IS AN ADDICTION THAT PEOPLE HAVE IN REGARDS TO THESE
SMARTPHONES AND THESE CONSTANT ACCESS THAT THEY NEED, VIA THESE
DEVICES.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY NEED
TO WORK ON, OF NOT BURNOUT, IT'S DEBILITATING IF IT GETS
TO A POINT THAT THERE'S NO TURNING BACK SO TO SPEAK.
SO HOPEFULLY, THIS PRESENTATION, THIS TALK, AND PEOPLE SHARING
THIS INFORMATION WITH OTHERS, WHEN THEY SEE SOMEONE ON THE
PHONE AT 8 :00, PUT THAT DOWN!
ENJOY THE MOMENT.
DON'T BE ON THAT DEVICE.
AT A PREVIOUS JOB, I WOULD ACTUALLY GO, WE START AND I WAS
NEVER INTO MEDITATION.
BUT WE AS A GROUP DECIDED, WE WERE GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT
OF OUR LUNCH BREAK, GO INTO A ROOM, HIDE, AND MEDITATE.
IT IS TRULY HELPFUL.
I HAD NEVER DONE IT BEFORE.
MEDITATION HAS BECOME MAINSTREAM NOW.
MANY APPS, APPS THAT ALLOW YOU TO REALLY DISCONNECT AND BE
EXPLORATIVE WITH YOURSELF . THE EMPLOYERS WHAT CAN THEY
DO FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES?
AROUND I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT PURPOSEFUL WORK AND HELPING
EMPLOYEES TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY'RE
DOING.
IN
TERMS OF EMPLOYERS WHAT THEY COULD DO IS HOPEFULLY COMMUNICATE THAT THERE IS A
COMMUNITY WITHIN THAT WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT CARES ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES AND THAT
FACILITATES SOME FORM OF YOU KNOW SUPPORT GROUP MAYBE.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE JUST HAVING LIKE A HALF HOUR LUNCH OR MAYBE AFTER
LUNCH WHERE THEY CAN SIT AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE
GRIEVANCES THAT ARE GOING ON. AND NOT YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT
TO USE FOUL LANGUAGE ON TELEVISION BUT NOT A FORUM TO COMPLAIN
BUT JUST AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE EVERYBODY
CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER BECAUSE AS I SAID THAT THAT COMMUNITY IS ONE OF THE REASONS
THAT PEOPLE BURN OUT IF THEY DON'T FEEL SUPPORTED AND I DIDN'T EVEN
MENTION THIS BUT AS FAR AS THE WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO A PERSON WHO'S CHRONICALLY
STRESSED OUT LIKE THIS IT'S SERIOUS IT'S SERIOUS IT ACTUALLY COULD BE A PRECURSOR
TO MORE SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS SUCH AS DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY OR
POTENTIALLY SOMETHING EVEN WORSE.
THE RESEARCH HAS BEEN ALWAYS THAT BURNOUT IS A PRECURSOR FOR
THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS.
CONTEXT FREE, BURNOUT IS GOING TO BE SPECIFIC TO THE JOB.
BUT IF IT GETS SO BAD THAT CONTEXT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THERE
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE FEELING THAT EMOTIONAL
EXHAUSTION AND CYNICISM AND WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO PAY
ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE.
DR.
DESMARAIS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
MY THANKS TO YOU.
FOR MORE TIPS ON AVOIDING WORKPLACE BURNOUT AND OTHER HEALTH ISSUES CHECK
CHECK OUT SOUTH FLORIDA PBS'S HEALTH CHANNEL TO FIND OUT
MORE, HOW TO WATCH, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE, ALLHEALTHTV.COM.