Burnout - Research - Medical

Stress management 

"I loved the buzz of it. There was a lot of stress involved, but I really enjoyed the adrenaline kick of having something turn out right in the end. It was very satisfying."

"When the doctor told me I'd burned myself out from too much stress, I found it difficult to believe. To me, stress meant being unhappy, whereas I was really enjoying my life. But it was true: there was no work-life balance and I was living a high-stress life."

"The physical symptoms were bad, but the mental 'fog' was awful. It was like someone had drilled a hole in my head and filled it with concrete." 

Of course, many people describe the symptoms of burnout a little bit differently so I've compiled a list from a few sources (including my own experience) to provide a broad view of what burnout can look and feel like:

• A generally negative attitude, often paired with the feeling that nothing is going to work out.
• Inability to concentrate.
• General apathy towards your work, chores, and other tasks.
• Feelings of stagnation.
• A lack of interest in social activities and being with others.
• Difficulty with healthy habits like exercise, diet, and regular sleep.
• Feeling like you're never doing enough.
• Neglecting your own needs (and putting the needs of others ahead of your own).
• Personal values and beliefs lose their importance.
• Short temper.
• Constant exhaustion.
• Feelings of inefficacy.
• Feelings of detachment from people and things you care about.
• Frequent boredom.
• Psychosomatic complaints, such as headaches, lingering colds, and other issues with a cause that's difficult to identify.
• The denial of these feelings

Mental health statistics: stress

Results of the Mental Health Foundation's 2018 study

The study was an online poll undertaken by YouGov, and had a sample size of 4,619 respondents. This is the largest known study of stress levels in the UK.

• In the past year, 74% of people have felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.

Age differences

• 30% of older people reported never feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope in the past year, compared to 7% of young adults.

Behavioural effects

• 46% reported that they ate too much or ate unhealthily due to stress. 29% reported that they started drinking or increased their drinking, and 16% reported that they started smoking or increased their smoking.

Psychological effects

• 51% of adults who felt stressed reported feeling depressed, and 61% reported feeling anxious.
• Of the people who said they had felt stress at some point in their lives, 16% had self harmed and 32% said they had had suicidal thoughts and feelings.
• 37% of adults who reported feeling stressed reported feeling lonely as a result.

Causes of stress

• 36% of all adults who reported stress in the previous year cited either their own or a friend/relative's long-term health condition as a factor. This rose to 44% of adults over 55.
• Of those who reported feeling stressed in the past year, 22% cited debt as a stressor.
• For people who reported high levels of stress, 12% said that feeling like they need to respond to messages instantly was a stressor.
• 49% of 18-24 year olds who have experienced high levels of stress, felt that comparing themselves to others was a source of stress, which was higher than in any of the older age groups.
• 36% of women who felt high levels of stress related this to their comfort with their appearance and body image, compared to 23% of men.
• Housing worries are a key source of stress for younger people (32% of 18-24 year olds cited it as a source of stress in the past year). This is less so for older people (22% for 45-54 year olds and just 7% for over 55s).
• Younger people have higher stress related to the pressure to succeed. 60% of 18-24 year olds and 41% of 25-34 year olds cited this, compared to 17% of 45-54s and 6% of over 55s).