5 signs of burn out in the workplace

28 May

The legal profession is a demanding place to be. The legal and mental wellbeing charity, LawCare have experienced a 21% increase in people seeking support since 2021. Last year, stress and anxiety (39%) were the most common reasons people contacted LawCare for support, followed by career concerns (15%) and workplace bullying and harassment (10%) [1]. As a profession, we often have perfectionist tendencies, and drive ourselves hard for exceptional performance in all areas, whether it be for our clients, for our families or for our firms. The demands on people with caring responsibilities outside of the workplace is even more intense, especially with the current push for a return to the office.

Burn out has been defined by the World Health Organisation as an occupational phenomenon, rather than a medical condition, and now has the following definition in the International Classification of Diseases 11:

‘A syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:

· feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;

· increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and

· reduced professional efficacy.’[2]

It is strongly linked to chronic stress, low mood and anxiety.

Here is a guide to how to spot burn out in the workplace:

1. Being unable to focus: Burn out is linked to an overactive sympathetic nervous system and chronic stress. My blog on why mindful breathing helps reduce stress looks at this in more detail. The body essentially goes into a state of flight, fight, freeze or fawn[3]. This can have the impact of reducing the blood flow to the pre-frontal cortex area of the brain, and focuses the body’s attention on the areas of the body key for survival, and fleeing the danger. Signs that a colleague may be struggling to focus include reduced productivity, an increase in non-billable time or ‘time dumping’ and feelings of agitation.

2. Feeling overwhelmed: Tasks which once felt manageable become overwhelming, due to a reduction in higher level cognitive function, and it can be hard to plan and adapt. This can be a vicious cycle, as this can lead to frustration, reduced performance, and isolation in the workplace. Signs that a colleague could be feeling overwhelmed include poor prioritising, emotional dysregulation and avoidance of tasks that are perceived to be demanding.

3. Withdrawing from social interaction: If a colleague is avoiding meetings, phone calls and team working scenarios, including having their camera off during video calls, being reluctant to come into the office or engage in business development, and being abrasive during interactions, this could be a sign that they are avoiding social interaction.

4. Sleep disturbances, and digestive issues: When the body is under constant pressure, this can cause lots of different physical symptoms. If a colleague seems unusually tired or is sharing that they have aches, pains and discomforts that aren’t due to other causes, this could be an indicator of burn out.

5. Lack of motivation and enjoyment: This is both inside and outside of work. Going the extra mile for a client, article or prospect may feel like too much of an effort, or a chore, when previously there was a sense of excitement, engagement and inspiration.

Burn out is not a ‘one size fits all’ condition, and as a result, it can be very hard to identify in oneself or others. It is therefore important that staff members are supported to identify concerns in colleagues, and empowered to take steps to help.

Please get in touch if any of the above rings true for you, and you want to chat through how you can make lasting changes, fast.

[1] LawCare 2024 Impact Report

[2] https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases

[3] https://www.simplypsychology.org/fight-flight-freeze-fawn.html