Stress Versus Burnout: Is There a Difference?
- Destiny Johnston-Halas
- Mar 1, 2024
- 4 min read
As a healthcare worker I find myself asking a lot of the time, "Am I stressed out, or am I burnt out?" The job that I do, the people that I see, and the problems that I face are something that I carry with me throughout any given day. I've always been someone who cares wholeheartedly about the people I take care of. It led me to this idea; to find out what the real difference is between burnout and stress.
Stress | Burnout |
|---|---|
Stress is often triggered by a specific event or situation. | Burnout has a gradual onset when one is continuously exposed to long-term stressors. |
Stems from various sources, like work, personal life or other external factors. | Results from prolonged demands (whether personal or work related) and a lack of fulfillment. |
Causes feelings of anxiety, being overwhelmed or a sense of pressure. | Causes emotional exhaustion, detachment/disassociation, and decreased personal achievement. |
Usually an immediate response that pertains to a stressful situation | Affects all areas of life. This includes: Work, social relationships (friends and family), and overall well-being |
May cause irritability, troubles concentrating, and sleep disturbances. | May cause feelings of pessimism, detachment, and negative attitude towards the chronic stressor (work/caregiver burnout) |
Can cause physical symptoms like headaches, muscle tension, and fatigue. | Can cause a lack of motivation, decreased productivity, and reduced sense of purpose. |
Can be managed with stress-relieving techniques, self-care, and better coping strategies. | May require professional help, therapy, or changes in your environment (whether it be work, your career, or environment in general) |
While stress may be more easily managed by yourself, or on your own, it is something that must be managed before it turns into burnout. See my previous blog post on 8 ways you can relieve stress in a high stress job...
According to a survey done by Harris Poll, on behalf of Express Services in 2023, more than three quarters (78 percent) of Canadian employees say that they've felt burnt out in their careers at some point, and 35 percent of them currently feel burnt out. (I could not find specific statistics regarding just frontline workers, but imagine those numbers.)
84 percent of the companies recorded having measures in place to help prevent burnout, but almost all the employees (96 percent) who were experiencing burnout said their employer could take more action to prevent it from happening.
In my profession, I have watched numerous coworkers leave their careers to pursue something different and I have watched so many of those same people go on stress leaves due to burnout. I've also heard from numerous people that I know in both the police force and paramedics talking about how understaffed they are, how they can never get time off, and how they are expected to fill in those hours and not get time off.
That gets tiring. It is hard and it is frustrating. People start to lose hope, they become detached, and the negativity spreads like wildfire throughout workplaces.
So, how can you tell when you're starting to burn out? There are 5 different stages to burnout.
Honeymoon Phase Funnily enough, this phase isn't just for newlyweds or new couples. The honeymoon phase of burnout is where you begin. You are excited for all the new roles you face; you have commitment to your job, high energy, and productivity. In this phase, you may ask for additional assignments or accept more work to essentially "prove your worth". There are no signs of burnout in this stage.
Onset of Stress In this phase, you may start to notice your optimism decreasing. You may also start to notice some physical symptoms of stress like headaches, anxiety, or changes in your sleep. Your irritability will increase and productivity decreases.
Chronic Stress There becomes a marked change in you stress levels in this phase of burnout. Your frustration levels at this point are increasing, progressively raising your stress levels too. You may feel resentful, apathetic, powerless and your performance at work will be significantly decreased. You may also experience unceasing fatigue, increased exhaustion and a sense of dread on your well-being. At this stage, people may turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like drugs or alcohol to provide solace.
Burnout Once you reach this point, you are burnt out. Whether it be from your job or another commitment, you have reached a point where your stress is not manageable anymore. The exhaustion you have can feel crippling. Feelings of failure, self-doubt, and pessimism will set in, in this phase of burnout. People in this stage often disregard their own needs and may focus solely on the issues that they face (work related, or other commitments.)
Habitual Burnout After going through burnout for extended periods of time, burnout becomes a part of your everyday routine. Along with the exhaustion and fatigue you face, you may also face depression and chronic sadness. At this point, it is beneficial to get professional help.
Knowing all that we do now about burnout, is there any way to reverse it? Is there any way to prevent it?
Like previously mentioned in my blog about stress, prioritizing self-care is extremely important to both preventing and recovering from burnout. Enjoy nature, journal, spend time having fun with those friends you don't see as much because of your job. Whatever it is, do it for you. Take care of you.
Reducing the amount of stressors that are put on you at your job or outside of work can allow for burnout prevention and relief in some ways. Reset the pressure you put on yourself, and reset the expectations you have of those around you; your coworkers, managers, family members at home etc. Set firm boundaries with those around you as to how much you're willing to take on. While some people may be hesitant at first with you and try to test those limits, keep firm in your boundaries.
Seek out meaningful relationships with people you are close with. Make connections around you with more positive people. In some ways, having those positive people around you can effect you by allowing you to shift your perspective of your situation. Of course, not everything in your job or your life can be changed... but if you took a look at your life are there parts of your job that you can shift your perspective on? Is your workload really heavy, and is there any way to delegate some of that work?
As many of us frontline workers experience burnout, it's hard to believe that there is any other way to live. Hopefully one day we can return hope to the workplace and have flourishing, rewarding careers. Until that day though, you are not alone. You are valid, seen and heard.
Though there are some similarities between stress and burnout, it is evident that burnout is a direct result from chronic stress. I'm hoping that this information was informative, and that you can use some of the things I have said in your daily life, or at work.
Once again, thank you for reading! I'll be working on the next blog for a little bit here, but should have it out within a couple weeks.
-Destiny
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