WORK-RELATED
STRESS AND BURNOUT
Objectives
• Identify signs and symptoms of stress,
reality shock, and burnout
• Describe the impact of stress, reality shock,
and burnout on the individual and the
health-care team
• Evaluate his or her own colleagues’ stress
levels
• Develop strategies to manage personal and
professional stresses
Statistics
• More people have
heart attacks on
Monday morning
as they prepare to
go to work than on
any other day of
the week
• Two-thirds of all office visits to physicians are
the result of stress
• Stress plays a role in the two major killers of
adults: heart disease and cancer
Stress
• Effects of Stress
• Hans Selye first explored the concept of stress
in the 1930’s
• His description of the general adaptation syndrome
(GAS) has influenced our present-day notions about
stress and its effects on humans
• Stress is assessed on four levels
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Environmental
Social
Physiological
Psychological
Good Stress versus Bad Stress
• Seven factors identified:
• Good stresses allow people to exert a
high level of control over outcomes. Bad
stresses allow little or no control
• Positive feelings are associated with
good stress and negative or ambivalent
feelings occur with bad stress
• Eagerness is associated with good stress
Good Stress versus Bad Stress
• Exhaustion and avoidance are associated with
bad stress
• Good stress associated with personal growth
and improved interpersonal relationships. Bad
stress is associated with limitations and bad
relationships
• Processing all stress requires human action
Reality Shock
• First few weeks are the “honeymoon’’
phase
• Honeymoon phase won’t last forever
• Graduates often feel a conflict between
professional and work goals
Differences in Expectations
• To cope with reality, you must recognize:
• Expectations are distortions of reality (this can
bring about disappointment)
• To some extent, you need to fit yourself into
your work, not fit the work to suit your needs or
demands
• The way you perceive events on the job will
influence how you feel about your work
• Your mental attitude will affect whether
work is a pleasant or unpleasant experience
• Feelings of helplessness and powerlessness
cause frustration and unrelieved job stress
BURN OUT
Health Promotion Program
Definition of Burn Out
Usually is a gradual depletion of
emotional, mental and physical
energy due to work related stress.
Definition of Burn Out
“Characterized by emotional
exhaustion, a sense of
depersonalization, and feelings of
reduced personal accomplishment.”
-Dr. Kenneth Cooper
Burn out also known as• Listless
• Drained
• Fatigued
• Exhausted
• Unmotivated
• Bored
Common Causes
• Work Overload
• Lack of rewards
• Belief and or
lack of control
• Issues of
unfairness
Burn Out
• Everyone is at risk and
all are susceptible!
• Often it is your negative reaction
rather than the specific job...
Symptoms of Burn Out
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Poor work performance
Relationship problems
Health problems
Negative feelings
Substance misuse/abuse
Feelings of meaninglessness
Aspects (4 stages) of burnout
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High expectation and idealism
Pessimism and early job dissatisfaction
Withdrawal and isolation
Irreversible detachment and loss of
interest
Phases of Burn Out
What can I do?
What I can do!
• Take good care of myself on a
regular (daily, weekly) basis!
Review these siteswww.aomc.org/hodz/general/stress.html
www.clinique.com/busters.html
www.ucc.vt.edu/stdyksk/stressmgt.html
www.docpotter.com
What I can do
• Ask for help!
• Talk to others
about your
difficulties and
seek their
support…
• Develop a plan to
address burn out
What I can do?
Increase my Personal Power!
Find and establish ways to control
and manage my time, space,
workload, pace, resources, future
and perceptions...
What I can do!
•Rest & Retreat
•Release
•Regroup
•Make personal changes
•Regenerate
What I can do
• Find purpose and meaning in
activities- at work, home &
community!
• Handle workplace stressorsbefore they manage me!
What I can do?
• Reevaluate my goals and priorities
• Do not take the whole load myself!
• Learn my own limits, and set limits with
others
• Ask for what I want and do not assume
that I will get it
What I can do?
• Forgive myself when I make
a mistake...
• Get rid of any of my perfectionist
behaviors and expectations
• Do not take on others burdens!
Preventing Burn Out
• Know your stress danger zones
at work and at home
• Avoid or address the dangers as
soon as possible!
• Daily self care!
I CHOOSE…
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I choose to relish my days
I choose to enjoy this moment
I choose to be fully present to others
I choose to fully engage in the activity at hand
I choose to proceed at a measured, effective pace
I choose to acknowledge all I have achieved so far
I choose to focus on where I am and what I am
doing
• I choose to acknowledge that this is the only
moment in which I can take action.