What Causes Overwhelm, Stress, and Anxiety at Work?

Burnout at work is still on the rise. Statistics vary, but all of them point to a steady increase of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm at work, year after year.

The history of work burnout: In the early 1970s, a psychoanalyst named Herbert J Freudenberger coined the term “burnout syndrome” — diagnosing himself and his colleagues with it. He recognized that he, and other physicians affected by burnout, were tired, snippy, and cynical at work. In addition to bad attitudes, Freudenberger also noted physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach problems, trouble sleeping, and shortness of breath.

Fast forward fifty years, and burnout levels are at an all-time high. In 2019 the World Health Organization officially recognized burnout as a “workplace phenomenon" with the following definition:

Burn-out 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; and

• reduced professional efficacy.

As someone who has dedicated 20+ years to the study of attention, focus, and workplace satisfaction, I can’t help but dig into why this phenomenon is so prevalent. Why are people so unhappy with their jobs? How does this affect their lives outside of work? What needs to change?

While I can’t tackle all the complexities in this three minute video, I do share what some of the main contributing factors are. If we truly want to see the trajectory of corporate America change, the expectations we place on our people (and ourselves) must be altered.