Tilt Tuesday #7 Interesting Burnout Findings

Insights from the Tilt 365 Science Team

In a recent Tilt Tuesday post, we explained that there are four fears that can impede generativity.  While fear has derailing potential, it is not the only threat to the flow outcome of generativity.  Other dangers include frequent bad moods, lack of resourcefulness, and insufficient energy and motivation.

Our minds can be tired when our bodies are fresh, and vice-versa.  One term used to describe mental and emotional exhaustion is introvert burnout, and it occurs when we have engaged in more social interactions than we have bandwidth.  Tilt 365’s blog last week covered introvert burnout in detail, and the present article is going to discuss some interesting burnout facts that will help you better understand burnout:
 

1. Burnout is Nothing New: While it’s easy to assume that burnout is a function of our modern, fast-paced society, burnout was described thousands of years ago.  Burnout is even mentioned in the writings of Shakespeare, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that burnout research began to proliferate in academia.
    
2. Burnout Symptoms: Burnout symptoms include exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy problems.  In this context, cynicism refers to feelings of detachment from the tasks completed professionally.  Deficiencies in professional efficacy mean that an individual’s productivity begins to suffer.
    
3. Is It Burnout or Depression?: Symptomatically, there is an overlap between depression and burnout, but the two are distinct.  If the complaints seem to be primarily brought on by workplace matters and the three building blocks from above are present, it’s probably burnout, not depression. 

Yet, rebounding after experiencing burnout, can spark creativity.

Tune in to our upcoming blog to learn about how open communication and granting autonomy can help establish an innovative culture of generativity!   

Relevant Quotes

“Just because you take breaks doesn’t mean you’re broken.”

― Curtis Tyrone Jones

“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”

― Lou Holtz

“Burnout is not the result of doing too much; it is the result of not getting enough rest.” 

― John Patrick Hickey

“Burnout exists because we’ve made rest a reward rather than a right.” 

― Juliet C. Obodo