1. Ask for help if you need it. Reach out to colleagues to see how they are coping. Form a buddy system, don’t go through it alone. If you feel like you can speak with your supervisor, do it. If the pressure is getting to be too much, many companies have EAP’s or Employee Assistance Programs that can set you up with a counselor or psychologist to talk about why you are struggling.
2. Get regular exercise. Walk away from that computer as often as you can. Go outside, stretch, take a brisk walk, or practice yoga and meditation. It’s good for your mind and body.
3. Eat healthy meals. Healthy, well- balanced meals can get you set for the day. Avoid too much junk food and stick to healthier whole fruits and vegetables.
4. Get plenty of sleep — adults need 7–9 hours a night. This is key. Make sure you are turning off the laptop or phone an hour before bed. Take brief naps if you can. Find ways to relax. That could be listening to music or reading a good book. When it’s lights out — keep the phone off. It’s time to rest.
5. Avoid alcohol or drugs: they can make matter worse in some situations. If you are feeling extremely stressed or filled with anxiety talk with someone.
Millions of Americans are returning back to work after being home during the pandemic. While this has been exciting for many, some are feeling burned out by their work. What do you do if you are feeling burned out by your work? How do you reverse it? How can you “get your mojo back”? What can employers do to help their staff reverse burnout?
In this interview series called “Beating Burnout: 5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout,” we are talking to successful business leaders, HR leaders and mental health leaders who can share insights from their experience about how we can “Beat Burnout.”.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Vivian Pender M.D., President of the American Psychiatric Association.
Dr. Pender is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Weill Cornell Medical College and a Training and Supervising Psychoanalyst at Columbia University. She has mentored and taught medical students, graduate students, residents, fellows and post-graduates for thirty-five years. She has training in internal medicine and psychiatry. At the United Nations she represents the International Psychoanalytical Association and the American Psychiatric Association where she chaired the NGO Committee on the Status of Women and the NGO Committee on Mental Health, coalitions of non- governmental organizations in consultative status with the UN. As a UN Consultant psychiatrist, she was instrumental in the establishment of UN Women. She is a volunteer Asylum Evaluator for Physicians for Human Rights. In 2015, she founded Healthcare Against Trafficking, Inc. a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting education and advocacy in the healthcare sector. She is a co-investigator on a Weill Cornell Department of Internal Medicine Grant. Dr. Pender teaches undergraduate students at Cornell University in their global health program. She has produced four documentaries of conferences at the United Nations on mental health, human rights, human trafficking and violence.
Her book, The Status of Women: Violence, Identity and Activism was published in 2016.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series Dr. Pender! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory? What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
I grew up in a small town on Long Island and was inspired to go into medicine by the example set by our family doctor, Frances Karp. I loved her. She would make house calls, she would answer her phone, and she was always available. She treated everyone, regardless of circumstances. She was the epitome of the ideal physician.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
What helped me achieve academic success was the support of my medical school class that was all women at Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Founded in 1850, it was the only all women medical school in the U.S. We shared our class notes, studied together, and praised each other. We viewed any woman’s success as everyone’s success. We were united in our determination for women to succeed.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
I thought I was destined to become a radiologist, after working as a research assistant with Lucy Frank Squire, an eminent radiologist at Harvard Medical School. Then when I applied for residency training, I was visibly pregnant during my interview, but was asked nevertheless “Are you planning on being pregnant during your training?” That experience and some others helped me realize what I was meant to do. It was to go into psychiatry.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
There is no health without mental health. Because every person experiences their health filtered through their psyche. An individual’s mental health affects their healthcare decision.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
I am trying to establish some of the root causes of mental illness, firmly embedded in systems but preventable, that are harmful to individuals and destructive to population health. I have appointed a Presidential Task Force on The Social Determinants of Mental Health — those socioeconomic systems that negatively impact individuals through their communities. They include poverty, neighborhood dysfunction, racism, violence, adverse childhood experiences, access to healthcare, and criminal justice. This public health approach can improve the lives of many people.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Perseverance, activism, optimism
I tell my students to think ‘yes, I can do that’ because it sometimes takes a small group of committed people to accomplish a large task.
For the benefit of our readers, can you briefly let us know why you are an authority about the topic of burnout?
I have been a practicing psychiatrist for over 35 years and President of the American Psychiatric Association. I have clinical, teaching, research and administrative experience on the topic of burnout. Since the COVID19 pandemic, over the last 18 months, I have treated many frontline and healthcare workers who have had extremely high levels of mental burnout.
Ok, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview about beating burnout. Let’s begin with a basic definition of terms so that all of us are on the same page. How do you define a “Burnout”? Can you explain?
Burnout is included in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon. In the context of work experience, burnout is a form of exhaustion or energy depletion. It is often caused by constantly feeling overwhelmed and mentally drained. People report feeling dissociated from their work, they ‘just don’t care’. Sometimes they have negative or cynical feelings about their job. Their professional productivity usually decreases. Burnout can happen to anyone at any time. We get so busy with the demands on us, sometimes we forget to take a break and focus on our own wellbeing. We need to refuel our bodies and minds regularly.
How would you define or describe the opposite of burnout?
That would be wellbeing. It’s when you are feeling happy, healthy and comfortable in your personal life and your work life. It can be a feeling of satisfaction or having a sense of purpose with your life –including what you are doing for work.
This might be intuitive to you, but it will be instructive to expressly articulate this. Some sceptics may argue that burnout is a minor annoyance and we should just “soldier on’’ and “grin and bear it.” Can you please share a few reasons why burnout can have long-term impacts on our individual health, as well as the health and productivity of our society?
Never ignore the signs of burnout. Persistent high levels of stress can be toxic and can increase hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine. These are associated with experiences of depression, anxiety, substance use, heart disease, obesity and decreased life span. Burnout keeps you from being productive. It reduces your energy, making you feel hopeless and sometimes resentful. The effects of burnout can also hurt people around you — in your home, work, and social life. For some people it can make them more vulnerable to illnesses like the cold and flu. Never use drugs, alcohol or tobacco to make you feel better; they frequently cause more health problems.
From your experience, perspective, or research, what are the main causes of burnout?
Some of the main causes include heavy or unmanageable workloads and deadlines, unclear directions when it comes to work responsibilities, lack of support from supervisors and pressure and obligations from your personal life. When this all comes together, it can make a person feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and sometimes feeling angry, scared and desperate. Structural racism and discrimination can exacerbate burnout. Also, people of color experience a ‘minority tax’; because they are in the minority, they are asked to work extra to support diversity initiatives. Thus they have to over perform without credit and under pressure from their employers, families and themselves.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of our discussion. What can an individual do if they are feeling burned out by work? How does one reverse it? How can you “get your mojo back?” Can you please share your “5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout?”. (Please share a story or an example for each.)
I think the most important thing you can do is check in with yourself. Trust your feelings. Ask yourself the hard questions. How am I really feeling? Where is my stress and burnout coming from? What are the best ways to cut down on that added stress and how can I get help? The 5 things you can do:
1. Ask for help if you need it. Reach out to colleagues to see how they are coping. Form a buddy system, don’t go through it alone. If you feel like you can speak with your supervisor, do it. If the pressure is getting to be too much, many companies have EAP’s or Employee Assistance Programs that can set you up with a counselor or psychologist to talk about why you are struggling.
2. Get regular exercise. Walk away from that computer as often as you can. Go outside, stretch, take a brisk walk, or practice yoga and meditation. It’s good for your mind and body.
3. Eat healthy meals. Healthy, well- balanced meals can get you set for the day. Avoid too much junk food and stick to healthier whole fruits and vegetables.
4. Get plenty of sleep — adults need 7–9 hours a night. This is key. Make sure you are turning off the laptop or phone an hour before bed. Take brief naps if you can. Find ways to relax. That could be listening to music or reading a good book. When it’s lights out — keep the phone off. It’s time to rest.
5. Avoid alcohol or drugs: they can make matter worse in some situations. If you are feeling extremely stressed or filled with anxiety talk with someone.
What can concerned friends, colleagues, and life partners do to help someone they care about reverse burnout?
Be there for them and ask how they are doing. Talk to them and be prepared to listen with your full attention. People who are struggling often don’t know how to start the conversation. Sometimes talking about it out loud is half the battle. Journaling — putting your thoughts and feelings into words — can also be very helpful. Check in with your loved ones and colleagues and if you think they are overwhelmed, ask how you can help, or suggest that they talk with someone else who can help them. Sometimes that small effort can make a big difference.
What can employers do to help their staff reverse burnout?
Leaders set the tone and culture of organizations. They should remind people to take care of themselves and share what they are doing to stay healthy and well themselves. This may mean managers must get outside their comfort zone and be self-aware. It’s ok to check in with your employees. Ask them how they are doing and if workloads are manageable. Schedule team building events or time away from the computer. Remind employees to take breaks during the day and use vacation time. These are tough times, employers may need to offer additional small compensations.
These ideas are wonderful, but sadly they are not yet commonplace. What strategies would you suggest to raise awareness about the importance of supporting the mental wellness of employees?
The Center for Workplace Mental Health (a program of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation) has excellent programs for employers. We have found that employers do recognize their workforce as a highly valuable resource. Over the past few years, companies of all sizes and representing diverse industries began to focus more on addressing workplace mental health. https://workplacementalhealth.org/
What are a few of the most common mistakes you have seen people make when they try to reverse burnout in themselves or others? What can they do to avoid those mistakes?
You need to be patient with yourself when you are trying to break a habit. Take it step by step. Be mindful. Walk away from the computer a few times a day, even for just a few minutes. Make sure you log out when the day ends. Most of us had a commute at the end of the day that forced us to leave work behind, even for an hour. Working from home doesn’t always give us the chance to have that break.
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Reducing poverty would have the greatest impact on the health of humanity. Basic Income Programs with minimal investment are remarkably successful for population health. They have been around for a long time. The most popular example is social security that became U.S. law in 1935 to pay retired workers and improve the general welfare of the public. Other striking examples are experimental programs that provide financial support marginally above the assistance rate to families. Mostly government programs, they pay a stipend that over time is reduced as other sources of income increase. New jobs that are full time, provide benefits and opportunity for promotion replace temporary, low-paid work. Time and again, such programs show that as poverty rates fall, physical and mental health improve, family violence and crime decrease, and high school completion climb. Participants report less daily stress and new mothers chose to use some of the stipend to take a longer maternity leave. Children are taken to their pediatricians for basic healthcare more often. Mitigating social determinants such as poverty have been shown to ultimately reduce mental disorders. There have been many short term basic income programs but they must be made permanent.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂
I would like to have a private meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris. As a public servant, she is in a position to understand and implement progressive changes in public policy.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Please visit the American Psychiatric Association website for a trove of valuable information. www.psych.org
Follow me on Twitter md_pender
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!
