New data* reveals that Brits are heading to Google to find out more about burnout, including the symptoms and ways to prevent and cure it. Brits have searched for ‘burnout’ on average 22,000 times a month over the last year. 

Millions of people are turning to TikTok for help and advice on burnout
TikTok is being used more frequently than ever as a search engine, people trying to find out answers as to why they’re burnt out and what they can do about it, as well as looking for the feeling of ‘community’ that TikTok brings. Videos using the hashtag #burnoutrecovery have racked up MILLIONS of views (33.2 to be exact), with a huge amount of content being created around the subject of burnout, showing the magnitude of the issue. 

Michael McCreadie, Co-founder at Myles Wellbeing shares the hidden signs of burnout your team might be experiencing, and how to talk to them about it. 

Five hidden signs of burnout in your team that might go unnoticed

1. Sensitivity to feedback
If your team member is working extremely hard to the point that they are burning out, a simple bit of constructive feedback may bring their world crashing down as they already feel they can’t work any harder. If your team member reacts strangely to a piece of feedback, dig a bit further into how they are feeling.   

2. Lack of productivity
It can be a common mistake to think that employees that are burning out are doing too much work. In fact, it may be the opposite. If you’re noticing that your team members aren’t getting tasks done as efficiently or as well as they used to, it’s a good time to chat. Burnt out employees may have trouble prioritising, or be so worried about doing everything perfectly that they procrastinate, both problems that as their manager, you can help with. 

3. Clashes between team members
Got a team who were working in harmony but suddenly things have changed? It’s possible that members of the team are burnt out as this can lead to irritability. Speak to each member of the team individually to get to the root of the problem. 

4. Making careless mistakes
Is your team member making strange mistakes they don’t usually make? CC-ing the wrong people into email chains? They could be burnt out. These mistakes may only be minor but if they are doing things they don’t usually do, book in a quick catch up (but give them warning about what it’s about to avoid anxiety when the meeting invite lands in their inbox!).

5. Self-doubt
If when you’re catching up with your team members, they are very negative and cynical or if they’re feeling like their work isn’t good enough, this could be a sign of burnout. Encourage your employee to talk about how they’re feeling and give them a confidence boost as well as help them to work through any tasks they’re finding particularly challenging. 

Three ways to talk about and prevent burnout within your team

1. Make mental health part of everyday conversation
If you talk about mental health as a manager, both good and bad, your team will feel that you’re approachable if they are struggling or stressed. Ensuring that talking about mental health isn’t a taboo subject is key to employees feeling comfortable in chatting to you. 

2. Give your team your full attention
We are all very busy at work. Managers especially can find themselves in back to back meetings, often working on something whilst in a meeting or having a conversation. If you are having a 121 with your team member, ensure they have your full focus and attention so you’re able to read how they are feeling and their pain points. This will also ensure they feel listened to and not like you are too busy for their problems. 

3. Lead by example
If you work in a business where it’s common to work long hours, set yourself boundaries that your team will follow. If you stay three hours late every day, so will your team even if you tell them not to. Create a culture of work/life balance by limiting communication to office hours to give employees space to have their own time to wind down.

Deloitte burnout report ​​https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/deloitte-2022-genz-millennial-survey.pdf

*Research from Myles Wellbeing