Huge news this week that is validating stress in the workplace and defining burnout. The World Health Organization has now included a legitimate medical diagnosis or occupational phenomenon classified as “burnout” in the International Classification of Diseases, or the ICD-11 of the World Health Organization’s handbook that guides medical providers in diagnosing diseases.
ICD-11 Burnout definition
Burnout is 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
- Reduced professional efficacy
Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.
Before making the call, the document says doctors should first rule out adjustment disorder as well as anxiety and mood disorders. And the diagnosis is limited to work environments, and shouldn’t be applied to other life situations.
Burnout in the workplace
Have you ever felt mentally worn out or emotionally exhausted from work? 78% of Americans described their jobs as stressful, according to The American Institute of Stress. It seems to be all around us in the office.
According to the health agency, burnout isn’t just synonymous with being stressed out. It’s “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
Major headlines
This new medical news is making significant headlines in the Nation’s most prominent media outlets and is essential to all the companies with employees:
- USA Today
- Today Show
- ABC News
- CBS News
- CNN
- HUFF Post
- NY Daily News
- Good Morning America
- Boston News
- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Job burnout symptoms
Mayo Clinic offers these questions to see if you are experiencing job burnout:
Ask yourself:
- Have you become cynical or critical at work?
- Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started?
- Have you become irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers, or clients?
- Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?
- Do you find it hard to concentrate?
- Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?
- Do you feel disillusioned about your job?
- Are you using food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better or to not feel?
- Have your sleep habits changed?
- Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, stomach or bowel problems, or other physical complaints?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be experiencing job burnout. Consider talking to a doctor or a mental health provider because these symptoms can also be related to health conditions, such as depression.
Consequences of job burnout
Ignored or unaddressed job burnout can have significant consequences, including:
- Excessive stress
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Sadness, anger or irritability
- Alcohol or substance misuse
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Vulnerability to illnesses
Workplace Wellness Program
This diagnosis put out by the World Health Organization is a wake-up call for businesses all over. Chronic workplace stress that is not successfully managed can cause burnout and other health illnesses. There is enough evidence that we need wellness programs in the workplace.
Let Insight Wellness Works help you make a positive connection between healthy employees and company performance with a Workplace Wellness Program for your employees. We specialize in:
- Group Fitness
- Wellness Coaching
- Massage Therapy
- Wellness Consulting
- Wellness Education
Contact
Insight Wellness Works is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, and has been serving employers in Tampa Bay and its surrounding cities since 2010. We have a large team of credentialed wellness professionals offering a variety of workplace wellness services that focus on health promotion and disease prevention. We change lives and transform the culture of health in workplaces. Contact us today at 727-742-9137 to discuss how we can help your business and employees achieve wellness goals.
