Corporate Burnout: When Work Feels Too Much

Burnout syndrome is characterized by three main symptoms:

• Emotional exhaustion: feeling drained, worn out, and unable to keep up with work demands
• Cynicism or mental distance: growing detached or having a negative attitude about your job or the people you work with
• Reduced personal achievement: doubting your abilities and feeling less effective or productive at work

What Contributes to Corporate Burnout?

Heavy workloads and pressure to perform

One of the biggest drivers of corporate burnout is the weight of constant demands from a heavy workload. If the pressure doesn’t ease up, the stress can turn into emotional exhaustion, where you feel too worn out to keep up. 

Working long hours without adequate time to rest and recharge can leave you feeling more and more fatigued. No matter how highly motivated you are, without enough rest, your productivity and creativity can suffer, in the corporate setting and beyond. 

“High achievement isn’t necessarily synonymous with potential burnout, but high achievers are often prone to their own internal pressures. Of course, perfectionism is not a flaw, but the drive for perfection is often insatiable and so the pursuit of it is susceptible to residual fatigue, exhaustion and lack of satisfaction when there is no clear picture of an attainable ‘perfect’ goal.”

– Talkspace therapist Elizabeth Keohan, LCSW-C

Lack of control or support

Corporate burnout symptoms can grow when you feel like you don’t have a say in how you do your work. Micromanagement, rigid rules, or constantly shifting priorities from management and employers can leave you feeling helpless. It’s difficult to stay motivated if you feel like you can’t make decisions on your own or use your own judgment. 

If you don’t have a support system at work, it can be even harder. Without encouragement from your managers or coworkers, the stress can feel even heavier and more difficult to manage. Having people you can turn to for guidance or backup at work can make the difference between feeling capable and burned out on the job. 

The workplace culture and “grind” of it all

If emails, calls, or texts follow you home from work, you’re not able to truly switch off and recharge. Without this time to recharge, corporate burnout symptoms can start to sneak up on you. Constantly being “on” can leave you with less energy to perform at a high level.

Signs and Symptoms of Corporate Burnout

Corporate burnout affects your mind, body, and behavior. Understanding the signs and symptoms of corporate burnout can help you know what to look for so you can get the support you need. 

Emotional and mental signs

Corporate burnout symptoms can affect how you think and feel. You might find yourself feeling detached, unmotivated, or cynical about your job. 

• Problems with concentration and memory 
• Struggling to focus 
• Difficulty making decisions
• Anxiety and depression
• Irritability 
• Low self-esteem

At first, these emotional and mental symptoms may only affect you at work. With time, many people find that these symptoms can begin to creep into their personal lives.

Physical signs

Corporate burnout can also show up as physical signs that affect your health. People with corporate burnout may be more likely to have health problems, such as: 

• Back pain
• Digestive problems
• Headaches 
• Frequent infections
• Sleep or appetite changes
• Chronic fatigue 

Behavioral signs

Corporate burnout can also affect how you act at work and in your daily life. Some behavioral signs of corporate burnout include:

• Withdrawing from colleagues or social activities
• Procrastinating tasks
• Calling out sick more frequently
• Relying more on caffeine, alcohol, or other substances 

Left unchecked, these behaviors can create a cycle that makes corporate burnout recovery more difficult. 

How Corporate Burnout Can Affect Your Personal Life

The impact of corporate burnout rarely stays confined to work hours. The exhaustion, irritability, and lack of motivation you feel at work can begin to spill into your personal relationships. You might find yourself withdrawing from loved ones, losing interest in activities you once enjoyed, or having a harder time managing your responsibilities at home. Ignoring corporate burnout symptoms can increase your risk of depression, anxiety, and chronic health problems. 

“We can typically source burnout to a specific work related stressor and its impact resulting in pure exhaustion; often overcommitting too much energy to one thing while not being able to ‘pace or space’ enough to impart time for restoration, to then refocus on healthy productivity goals. Anxiety and depression are more often characterized by a broader lens of emotional and somatic symptoms that impart loss of motivation, hopelessness and certainly negative feelings in multiple aspects of daily life.”

– Talkspace therapist Elizabeth Keohan, LCSW-C

Strategies to Prevent and Recover From Burnout

Building healthy habits and setting boundaries at work and at home can protect your energy, improve your focus, and restore balance to your life. Sometimes, corporate burnout recovery requires extra support from a mental healthcare professional. 

At work

You can help prevent burnout in a corporate setting with a few practical changes:

• Set boundaries: Try to stick to established work hours and avoid taking on too many projects at one time. 
• Communicate clearly: Talk to your manager and fellow employees to set expectations about deadlines and priorities. 
• Take breaks: Taking short strategic breaks to step away from your desk, stretch, or go for a short walk can help you recharge and reset your focus.
• Prioritize your tasks: Focus on high-impact and high-priority tasks before tackling other tasks.
• Limit multitasking: Concentrate on one task at a time to help minimize mental fatigue. 

At home

Taking care of yourself outside of work can help you maintain your bandwidth so you can deal with work stress more effectively. If you’re wondering how to destress after work, here are some ways to take care of your mind and body at home:

• Prioritize rest: Ensure you get enough sleep and downtime. 
• Move your body: Regular exercise can help boost your energy.
• Eat nutritious meals: A balanced diet nourishes your body and mind.
• Reconnect with your hobbies: Make time to rest and recharge with activities you enjoy.
• Nurture relationships: Spend time with friends and family who can support and uplift you.
• Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or other relaxation techniques can help you relax and be present in the moment. 

Getting professional help

A mental healthcare professional can teach you coping skills to manage stress, set boundaries, and build your resiliency. A therapist or counselor can give you a safe space to talk through your challenges at work and home so you can find the right strategies that fit your needs. 

When you’re dealing with corporate burnout symptoms, it may feel difficult to add therapy to your plate. However, there are many online therapy platforms, like Talkspace, that allow you to schedule therapy sessions when and where it works best for you. 

When To Seek Professional Support

Everyone gets stressed from time to time. If your stress starts to feel constant or overwhelming, it may be time to talk to a mental health professional. You might need professional support if you have symptoms of more severe corporate burnout, such as isolation, depression, or substance abuse.

A therapist can help with corporate burnout recovery by offering guidance, coping skills, and emotional support. Online therapy platforms, like Talkspace, make it easy to connect with a licensed therapist who can give you the guidance and support you need to manage corporate burnout in a healthy way. 

Recovering From Corporate Burnout

Corporate burnout is more common than many people realize. However, recovery is possible with the right strategies. Corporate burnout recovery doesn’t happen overnight — like healing from any kind of burnout, it takes time, patience, and constant effort. By prioritizing your mental health and making small changes, it’s possible to feel energized, motivated, and balanced at work and at home again. 

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