How to Tell Your Boss You’re Experiencing Burnout
Welcome to CB’s work advice column, Ask Avery, featuring Avery Francis, founder of workplace design consultancy Bloom. Each month, Francis will answer readers’ questions on topics that impact our ability to be successful in our jobs and share her real-world insights on how to navigate even the toughest of mysteries. Do you have a work-related question? Send it to [email protected] with the subject “Ask Avery.”
If you’re experiencing work-related burnout, you’re not alone. Burnout was sky-high in 2021 thanks to the pandemic, and it appears only to be getting worse amid current layoffs in the tech sector and fears of a looming recession. It’s a job-impact problem: burnout can affect performance, cause employees to withdraw from colleagues, and even lead to termination.
Feeling burnout is one thing, but how are you? tell Your boss that you experience it? And, more specifically, how do you tell them in a way that will actually give you the support you need? I’ve learned that preparation is key. The process of communicating that you are dealing with burnout requires a little work on your part up front and can be done in three distinct steps. This is what it looks like.
Step 1: Acknowledge that you are suffering from real burnout
We often use the term burnout very casually, so it’s important to check with yourself to make sure you’re actually experiencing it. A large part of the burnout compared to other problems – such as dealing with a narcissistic boss – is a significant change in their “normal”. For example, if you used to love your job but are now indifferent and no significant events have occurred that could change your perspective, such as: For example, getting a new boss might leave you feeling burned out. On the other hand, if you have never liked your job at first and now like it even less, that’s probably something else, like boredom.
Still not sure? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic stress at work. According to the WHO, three different symptoms occur: feelings of exhaustion or lack of energy; negative feelings about your career or detachment from your work; and reduced overall productivity. If you nod with your head and find that you feel all three, there is a high probability that you are dealing with burnout.
Step 2: Identify what is causing your burnout
Once you have determined that you suffer from burnout, the next step is to identify the contributing factors. This is important because once you understand what’s causing your fatigue, you can ask your boss for the right support to fight it.
The goal of this entire process is to eliminate — or manage — the factors or stressors that caused your burnout in the first place. It’s not about getting out of your job or commitments, but instead finding a way to make work more manageable and enjoyable.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine what’s behind your burnout:
- Have you communicated your boundaries in the past and if so, have they been respected?
- Has your job description or regular working day changed? If so, identify the parts that led to your decrease in energy and productivity or increased negativity toward your work
- Do you have specific needs, like picking up your kids from daycare or managing anxieties that you haven’t shared (or been disrespected) with your boss in the past?
With that information, you can then advocate for the changes you need to make yourself – which brings us to step three.
Step 3: Find out what you need – and ask for it
Once you know what’s causing your stress, write it down and request a meeting with your boss or HR. It’s important to get the support you need to alleviate or eliminate the causes of your burnout and get back on track so you can feel more productive. To communicate effectively with your manager, you should be prepared.
Start the conversation by sharing that you will ask for a change, such as your job responsibilities, or that you will request more support. Then explain that you suffer from burnout and have investigated what caused or contributed to the problem. Share what causes you’ve identified—and be as specific as possible. For example certain tasks, the environment or an increased workload.
Make it clear that you want to return to a place of productivity and enjoy your work as it used to, but need support to make that happen. Tell your boss what solutions you think will help address the root causes of your burnout, such as: B. reducing the workload or adjusting your daily routine, and be open to his thoughts as well. The goal is to find a solution that works for everyone.
If you’re unsure of solutions, there are some simple changes that can help with burnout, including breaking up the monotony of your work—like being more flexible with where you work or working hours—or reducing how often you’re distracted by coworkers by booking deep work time every day with a strict no-meeting policy. And if your burnout is caused by too much work, it can help to take some responsibility off your plate by asking for extra support, such as: B. a freelancer.
Leave burnout behind
Feeling burned out isn’t a badge of honor or a tarnish on your reputation—it’s simply what happens when issues that cause exhaustion go unaddressed for a long period of time. Coping with burnout requires continuous effort and will change depending on your capacity, living and working circumstances. And unfortunately, not all employers or bosses support your request for assistance. If this is the situation you find yourself in after asking a straight question and not seeing improvement after a month or two, it might be time to look for a new job.
Experiencing burnout is tough, but the experience can help you spot the warning signs in the future and hopefully keep you from facing it again. Identifying root causes is an ongoing journey of self-knowledge, self-care, and self-defense—but it’s well worth the effort. Recognizing the signs of burnout and relieving them quickly will save you a lot of trouble and help you develop a healthier work-life balance.