World Health Organization Officially Recognizes Burnout As A Medical Condition

The World Health Organization has officially classified burnout as a medical condition and not just a reason for students and employees to avoid doing work. The WHO also included burnout in its International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) which is used as a referral basis for health workers and diagnostic centers.

WHO defines the medical condition as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” The announcement should come as good news for employees who for years have had to endure burnout without receiving the help they so desperately require. And marks a big step in treating workplace-related stress as well as other mental health issues.

In addition to this, doctors who have had a problem properly defining or diagnosing the condition for years, now have a benchmark for diagnosing and treating it.

Dealing With Burnout?

Most professionals and students, neverminding the industry or institution of study, have been here before: you feel tired, worn out, have trouble focusing and are unable to complete simple tasks.

The ICD released by the WHO lists the symptoms for which every individual can determine if they have the condition. These are what you should look out for: If you have

(1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;

(2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; 

(3) and reduced professional efficacy, according to WHO.

What must be noted by medical professionals though, is that a burnout diagnosis must be restricted to work and maybe school environments. Other situations such as family, friendships or relationships shouldn’t be taken into consideration.

Avoiding & Treating Burnout

These days there is more emphasis on work and hustle over health and mental wellbeing. You either do the work without complaints or lose it to someone else. Therefore, the question we ask ourselves is, how do you avoid burnout without losing your job?  

To understand how to avoid burnout, it is imperative to recognize why it happens in the first place so these are things we should look out for. Burnout happens when you feel overwhelmed by the demands of work being asked of you. You become emotionally and mentally depleted and unable to keep up, so as stress continues to build up, you may feel disinterested and rather lethargic when work is concerned. So how do you avoid this?

Exercising

Be it at lunchtime or a 10minute break. This way you will garner increased energy and alleviate stress. Exercise also helps boosts productivity levels and a good night’s sleep.

Meditation

Meditating and relaxing every once in a while is a great tool for avoiding burnout. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, centering and muscular relaxation are also great ways to avoid burnout.

Job Analysis/Share

Performing a job analysis is a great way of relaxing your mind, sometimes we get so caught up with unaccomplished tasks, we forget there’s so much we have completed. Also, learn to share. Sharing your workload is one simple thing we all forget to do from time to time.

The WHO is yet to release the appropriate medical treatment for burnout, but Pilipinas Popcorn cares so here are a few things you can do for now. For starters, disconnect entirely. This means turning off notifications and putting your phone on silent if need be, just get a good night’s sleep. The next step is to limit how much time you spend on social media so instead of checking Facebook or Twitter, how about a friendly chat with a co-worker? Or a 10-minute nap.

Don’t jump right away to do work that isn’t mandatory or needed ASAP. Take some time to breathe and focus on other things you actually love doing. Finally, practice meditation, get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet and spend some quality time with loved ones.

Now that the WHO has made burnout a mental health issue, employers and school professors can take the necessary actions to ensure that students and employees under their care don’t have to suffer it.