These are the main causes of burnout syndrome that affects workers.
Burnout syndrome, also known as “burnt worker syndrome” is a psychological disorder experienced by many workers around the world who are overwhelmed by their work situation and end up generating a series of physical and psychological symptoms of discomfort.
This phenomenon is usually caused by an overload of work or by a manifest inability of the worker to successfully fulfill those obligations entrusted to him in a stipulated period of time.
There are many ways that workers experience this pathology related to saturation at work; however, it is possible to identify a number of causes that often lead to burnout syndrome . Let’s see what they are.
The main causes of burnout syndrome
Here we will review the most common causes behind burnout syndrome; Now, in the vast majority of cases, only one of them does not trigger this problem by itself, but rather a combination of factors must occur.
On the other hand, although its name may indicate the opposite, burnout syndrome does not have to be an alteration arising from problems “inside” the person ; sometimes, it is in the work context where we can find most of the triggers and elements to improve to take care of mental health.
- Excessive working hours
A working day that far exceeds the 8 or 9 hours of work that are considered normal daily can be one of the main causes that explain a burnout or burned worker syndrome in any person.
The longer the person’s working day, the more likely it is that they will have greater difficulties at a cognitive, physical and emotional level to correctly carry out each of their daily obligations.
That is why it is so necessary to have normal working hours and have enough hours of rest and free time, otherwise we can end up developing a burnout syndrome.
- Monotony at work
The monotony at work due to the repetition of actions in a sequential manner are also factors that can generate great psychological discomfort in the person, as they feel stuck in a job with no future and in which they must repeat the same processes and obligations on a daily basis. almost automatic way.
The lack of diversity of occupations or weekly responsibilities at work can end up demotivating the worker, even more so if he does not harbor a positive vision of his daily work.
And it is that motivation is essential for the correct performance of each job and when it disappears or there are no incentives to continue working, a burnout syndrome can develop in the person.
- Too many responsibilities
A job with too many responsibilities can test the worker’s work and problem-solving abilities as well as psychological, physical or emotional , making him feel that the situation is overwhelming him.
It is evident that a job in which they ask us for more responsibilities will also be accompanied by greater pressure due to the fear of failing in the tasks that have been entrusted to them. This fear of failing or doing things wrong, together with an excess of responsibilities, can cause the person to become overworked or blocked by the excess of tasks that he must attend to.
- Few incentives or remuneration in relation to the work to be performed
As we have indicated, remuneration at work is one of the main incentives when it comes to working daily, which often pushes the employee to continue with their work, no matter how adverse the working conditions or their assigned responsibilities may be.
In addition to that, when the employee receives a low salary or a salary that, according to him, is not adjusted to his work , it can end up generating feelings of frustration and discomfort , which can negatively influence his productivity and end up generating a case of burnout.
That is why a demanding job must be accompanied by a good economic remuneration adjusted to its level of demand, otherwise there is a risk that the employee becomes demotivated or ends up overloaded by excessive responsibilities.
- Negative work environment
A work environment in which negative dynamics develop between workers and where relationships of camaraderie, collaboration or fraternity do not prevail, can also end up generating a burnout syndrome in employees in their daily work.
Work environments where competition reigns and in which each employee goes by himself without collaborating with any of his colleagues, do not promote good teamwork at all and sometimes these contexts can also affect the productivity of each worker individually.
- Bad communication
Communication is essential for the proper functioning of any company or organization of all kinds, since it allows a fluid relationship between the various workers and departments of the same.
Poor communication will hinder the flow of information between the different actors who work together to achieve business objectives, which in the long run ends up generating all kinds of errors or delays in the fulfillment and delivery of all kinds of common work and projects .
These problems in the work context can decisively affect the mental health of both employees and superiors or intermediate positions, seeing that the objectives set are not successfully achieved.
- Workplace harassment
Workplace harassment and other bad business practices with lower level workers can also be one of the main causes of burnout syndrome.
These types of practices tend to undermine people’s psychological health as well as their physical health, and have a very negative effect on their work abilities and productivity in general.
- Lack of autonomy
Some companies leave their employees little personal autonomy so that they can carry out their work duties with greater freedom or exercise a high level of surveillance over their jobs.
This type of practice that violates the employee’s freedom to work can also overload him and be the cause of a wide variety of behavioral or emotional alterations .
- Feature overload
An overload of functions also tends to be the main cause in the development of a burnout syndrome by workers.
That is why it is so necessary to distribute functions among employees and sometimes delegate all those functions that another person can perform, to avoid overloading functions in a single position.
- Job insecurity
The lack of means in the daily work by the worker and the use of inefficient or outdated tools can also be related to the appearance of a burned out worker syndrome.
That is why it is so necessary for all workers to have up-to-date and effective technological tools to successfully perform each of their daily work obligations.
