Burnout vs. Stress: What's the Difference and How to Address Them

Key takeaways: 

• Understand the fundamental differences between burnout and stress to recognise their unique characteristics.

• Learn to identify and differentiate the symptoms of stress and burnout to address them effectively.

• Explore the impact of stress and burnout in the workplace and discover strategies for promoting employee well-being.

• Understand the underlying causes of stress and burnout, enabling proactive measures for prevention and support.

• Learn practical approaches to manage burnout and stress, fostering a healthier work-life balance. 

The world is more stressed than ever, with approximately 70% of people from 7 countries experiencing burnout in 2021 (Asana, 2021). According to Gallup (2021), 4 in 10 adults worldwide said they experienced a lot of worry (42%) or stress (41%). 

These numbers strike the urgency for workplaces to identify and understand stress and burnout. This can help organisations avoid the huge loss incurred due to these mental health concerns. In this article, let’s explore the difference between stress and burnout, its causes and ways to address these concerns. 

Also read: Retaining Remote Employees: Best Practices and Challenges

What is stress?

Stress is something that comes and goes. It is our body’s emotional response to any event that is unfamiliar, causes discomfort, is adversely pressurising/demanding, or requires too much cognitive strength. Workplace stress arises due to heavy workloads, tight deadlines, lack of control, and conflicts with colleagues or superiors. Common symptoms of severe stress can look like fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and even physical ailments such as headaches or insomnia.

Stress is often perceived as a negative emotion but can also have an upside. Stress makes us feel too many emotions, we tend to put in too much effort. This can then turn into a negative spiral making us feel anxious, and exhausted, and lowering our energy levels. 

What is burnout?

While stress is temporary and can still “hopefully” end when the situation is over or you find a way to cope with it, burnout seems to be a hopeless situation. Burnout is also characterised by a feeling of energy depletion, feelings of negativity or cynicism towards your job, decreased sense of accomplishment, and a lack of clarity in any situation. You might end up feeling no emotions, no motivation, and nothing seems to help the situation. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines burnout as a syndrome “resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

Burnout occurs due to excessive workload, perceived lack of control/autonomy, perceived lack of fairness, values mismatch, and more. Burnout goes way beyond just being stressed or merely ‘tired’ at work. When the stress is constant, it can eventually cause you to burn out. 

Understanding similarities between burnout and stress

Having many similar symptoms, stress and burnout often overlap and are used interchangeably. Both can lead to fatigue, irritability, decreased motivation, and impaired cognitive function. 

Some common mental and physical symptoms of burnout and stress include:

• Headaches

• Changes In Sleep Patterns

• Body aches

• Fatigue

• Heart Palpitations

• Constipation or diarrhoea

• Muscle tension

• Sexual dysfunction

• Weakened immune system

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Lack of motivation

• Irritability

• Trouble concentrating

• Forgetfulness

Also read: Role of Mental Health in Employee Burnout and Turnover

Understanding the differences between burnout and stress

For instance, you have a meeting or presentation you are stressed about or a disturbing event occurs. You feel emotional and physical tension and try to focus on how you can cope with the situation or the aftermath of it. In this current scenario what you experience is stress. 

However, when this situation gets compiled with other different stressful events like heavy workload, and lack of autonomy, you might feel a severe emotional and cognitive load. Sometimes, you might even question the ethic and your purpose in continuing your work. Each day seems like a heavy task and you feel emotionally blunted and hopeless. Even though there are occasions when you feel a change from your stressful situation, no positive or negative emotions seem to affect you. What you might experience here is burnout.

A few key differences between stress and burnout look like the following. 

When you’re stressed:

• You put in extra effort

• You feel emotions more strongly

• You feel hyperactive and anxious

• You feel physically tired and low on energy 

When you reach burnout:

• You hardly put in any effort

• You feel emotionally blunted

• You feel drained, helpless, and hopeless

• You have close to no motivation to do anything

Also read: The Role of Work-Life Balance in Employee Retention

Common causes and risk factors

Workload stress can occur due to numerous factors and keeps fluctuating. A transition, too much workload, monotonous work, and lack of flexibility/autonomy are some common causes of stress.

Burnout occurs when multiple stressful events get compiled. For example, an employee is stressed due to different deadlines and pressure at work. He is putting in extra effort to meet expectations and an excessive workload. Even though he often meets deadlines, and gives successful results, the company’s culture of outperforming competitors seems endless. This takes a toll on his mental health and work-life balance. These stressful events go unattended and he feels a lack of motivation to put in the effort. His passion to deliver successful results depletes and over time he feels unable to recharge effectively.

Here the employee may have reached burnout due to a lack of communication, heightened pressure, unrealistic expectations and lack of support from the management.

If leaders do not address the stressful events in their organisation, they might soon spiral out of control and lead to employee burnout. 

Also read: Employee Retention Strategies for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses: How to Keep Your Top Talent

Impact of stress and burnout on employee well-being and organisational success

When employees feel stressed or burnout, they might feel ‘checked out’ at work. This can lead to them losing purpose or motivation to continue working with the same enthusiasm or passion for their work. They might also face severe mental health concerns like depression and anxiety. This can lead to higher levels of presenteeism and absenteeism, and in extreme situations, even heightened turnover rates. These factors can affect organisational success and also cost a significant amount of money.

Ways to address workplace stress and burnout 

The approach to addressing and improving employee stress and burnout depends on various factors. Employees can set boundaries and try to communicate their concerns with their leaders. They can also learn effective ways to cope with stressful situations and prioritise self-care. This can help them find work-life balance and prevent burnout.

Managers and leaders play a crucial role in promoting employee well-being by:

• Creating a supportive work environment

• Emphasising work-life balance

• Managing workloads effectively

• Providing resources:

The role of employee well-being in reducing stress and burnout

Employee well-being includes physical, mental, and emotional health, and it is essential for reducing stress and preventing burnout. Organisations can support employee well-being by implementing initiatives such as wellness programs, flexible work arrangements, and mental health support services. 

More and more organisations like Microsoft,  Ernst & Young, Nivea, Godrej, Acko, and more are listening and realising the importance of comprehensive mental health benefits. A few are also leading the way in improving their company culture and benefits to put mental health first. (American Psychological Association, 2021)

Workplace stress and burnout are pervasive issues with far-reaching consequences for both employees and organisations. By prioritising employee well-being and addressing stress and burnout from a workplace perspective, organisations can create a healthier and more productive work environment.