Burnout syndrome is a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion resulting from chronic stress at work. It can be characterised by reduced productivity at work, fatigue, insomnia, greater susceptibility to physical illness, use of alcohol or other psychoactive substances, and suicidal behaviour.
The main symptoms of the syndrome:
- emotional exhaustion;
- declining professional skills;
- a wish to reduce or formalise interaction with other people;
- a constant expectation of being exposed as unprofessional, or of punishment;
- reduced capacity for work, productivity and motivation;
- workaholism: total devotion to work, which fills one’s whole life;
- regular headaches;
- a persistent feeling of tiredness and exhaustion.
The stages of occupational burnout
- An obsession with proving one’s worth to successful colleagues;
- Inability to switch off and take one’s mind off work;
- Neglect of one’s needs: irregular sleep, poor nutrition, lack of social contact;
- Denial of problems, fear, a sense of threat and panic;
- Distorted values, fixation on work;
- Intolerance towards colleagues, cynicism about work, aggressiveness;
- Obvious changes in behaviour that upset friends and family;
- Depersonalisation: the person stops valuing themselves and others and no longer notices their needs;
- A sense of inner emptiness, which the person tries to fill with overeating, alcohol or drugs;
- Depression and burnout syndrome: a feeling of loss and insecurity, exhaustion, a bleak view of the future; this may include complete mental and physical collapse. At this stage medical help may be needed.
Treatment and prevention
- Identify the causes of the personal crisis: understand precisely what is intolerable in your current job. If negative factors outweigh productivity and satisfaction, consider changing jobs;
- Set boundaries between:
- work, rest and personal space;
- imposed goals and your personal goals (pay attention to what you need; this is not a measure of success or of outward moral worth);
- the possible and the impossible;
- Take better care of yourself and your body: increase physical activity, improve the length and quality of your sleep, and so on.
Treatment of burnout syndrome in Switzerland may include some or all of the following:
- Detoxification, to rid the body of toxins that have entered it from the environment, as well as from the food, water and medicines we take.
- Laboratory tests to identify each client’s biochemical and neurochemical imbalances. Based on the results, we create a computer-generated formula of micronutrients and amino acids to restore biochemical and neurochemical balance.
- Balancing Life Project Therapy — to help the client define their life goals.
- Psychotherapy to identify and treat the underlying psychological issues that led to substance misuse and other psychological, personal, social or family problems identified in the treatment plan.
