Are you experiencing burnout without knowing it?

Hong Kong is known for its competitive work culture and relentless pursuit of success. Behind the glory, burnout is not uncommon among workers in Hong Kong.

Prevalence of burnout in Hong Kong

A study by Mercer in June 2022 reveals that 95 percent of employees in Hong Kong are feeling a risk of burnout, which is the highest across markets in Asia. And yet, only 25 percent of executives and human resource leaders have realised the risk and view exhaustion as a threat to a company’s advancement, indicating that this alarming phenomenon is largely unnoticed.  

What is burnout?

Classified as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ by WHO, burnout is a syndrome resulted from chronic workplace stress that are not successfully managed. You can check against the list of symptoms to see if you are experiencing burnout:

1.      Physical exhaustion: persistent fatigue and low energy levels even when you are having enough rest and sleep.

2.      Emotional exhaustion: feeling emotionally depleted, and perhaps having a sense of helplessness, apathy, cynicism, or detachment from work-related activities once found fulfilling.

3.      Increased irritability: feeling overly critical of events at work and easily snapping at others in unwarranted situations.

4.      Decreased productivity: taking longer to complete a task and may be a decline in the quality of work.

5.      Brain fog: finding it hard to stay focused, struggling with memory and decision-making. Some reported a stated of confusion or reduced mental clarity. 

6.      Withdrawal: a desire to cut off from friends, family, and colleagues.

7.      Loss of interest: stopped feeling enthusiastic about hobbies or personal interests.

8.      Sleep disturbances: experiencing insomnia, sleep fragmentation, or having non-restorative sleep.

9.      Physical health issues: having symptoms that could be caused by chronic stress such as headaches, muscle tension, high blood pressure, heart disease, gastrointestinal issues and frequent illnesses, or autoimmune diseases, depending on how your immune system responded.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, fear not, acknowledging that you are having burnout is the first step of tackling it.

Outlined here are 5 effective strategies to lift yourself out of burnout:

1.      Restore: Take a few days off work and other responsibilities is one of the best ways to turn things around and gives you perspective.

2.      Restructure: Come up with a healthy routine that prioritises your own wellbeing that includes exercises, sleep and healthy diet.

3.      Reclaim: Reclaim loss territories by establishing boundaries around your time and energy to avoid overcommitting yourself.

4.      Reaching out: Talk to a trusted friend or family member or consider seeing a therapist or mental health professional.

5.      Reflect: Reflect whether your existing job aligns with your value and long-term goals. Sometimes burnout is a sign calling for a pivot in your career path.

By recognising signs of burnout and implementing strategies to overcome it, individuals can embark on a journey towards recovery. However, it is clear that the burnout epidemic is a collective work-fatigue that requires a concerted response to shift our work culture. We hope executives and human resources managers will join hands in fostering healthier work environments and cultivating personal resilience.