Benefits Canada highlights a significant increase in online searches for burnout symptoms in 2024, with a 50 percent rise globally.
The study by Instant Offices analyzed trends across 30 major cities and found that Toronto workers had one of the highest burnout rates worldwide, with 710 searches per month, followed by Montreal at 540.
London topped the list with the most burnout searches, followed by Melbourne, Singapore, and New York. In the U.S., 57 percent of employees reported experiencing negative impacts from work-related stress, including emotional exhaustion, lower productivity, and lack of motivation.
In Singapore, nearly half of the workers felt mentally and physically exhausted at the end of their workday, and more than two-in-five employees found it increasingly difficult to find motivation to do their work. In the U.K., 91 percent of employees faced high or extreme levels of pressure or stress over the past year, with one-in-five needing to take time off work due to the impact of this stress on their mental health.
The top stress factors cited by U.K. workers included a high workload or increase in unpaid tasks (54 percent), regularly working unpaid overtime (45 percent), feeling isolated at work (42 percent), and worries about redundancy or job security (40 percent). Interestingly, while 25 percent of U.K. employees working in a fixed office location said working arrangements contributed to burnout, only 16 percent of home-based workers and 14 percent of hybrid workers said the same.
Commentary
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. As the source article highlights, searching the web for the signs of burnout is a sign of burnout. Other signs include:
- Feeling physically and emotionally drained, even after rest.
- A sense of dread and demotivation towards work or other responsibilities.
- Developing a negative attitude towards work and feeling detached from job responsibilities.
- Struggling to concentrate, complete tasks, and feeling ineffective.
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, leading to poor sleep quality.
- Inconsistent eating habits, either loss of appetite or overeating.
- Feeling more irritable, frustrated, or angry than usual.
- Getting sick more often due to a weakened immune system.
There are many steps managers and supervisors can take to help prevent burnout including:
- Encourage employees to prioritize a healthy balance between work and personal life.
- Foster a supportive workplace.
- Ensure employees take regular breaks to rest and recharge, preventing prolonged periods of stress.
- Evaluate workloads and make certain they are manageable.
- Create a positive and safe work environment.
- Cultivate trust, respect and support
The final takeaway is that employees want to know that their time and effort is appreciated. So, acknowledge hard work and achievements to boost morale and motivation.