Excesses Can Lead to Burnout

If you want to dance, you have to pay the fiddler. If you dance too long, you have to pay the doctor.

This old saying holds true for other areas of life too.

Eat too much and get sick.

Drink too much and have a headache.

Too much sun will produce a burn.

Too much prolonged stress will cause burnout.

Exposure to prolonged, unrelenting pressure, especially on the job, usually leads to negative consequences that take some of the following forms.


Dullness, distancing, detachment and finally despair.

Feeling of isolation and being taken for granted.

The desire to escape the pain, often in unhealthy ways such as substance abuse, extramarital affairs, compulsive gambling.

Increased physical problems.

Rejection of friends, family, and event activities which formally yielded pleasure.

Erosion of self-confidence.

Compromise in character and value system.

Loss of objectivity, diminished insight and impaired judgment.

These symptoms may not all occur and may vary in intensity, frequently and duration. Some authorities label a pre-burnout phase, brownout.

The browning out individual often falsely believes that they can continue to drive themselves and not progress into burnout.

Fortunately help is available for these individuals. Interception of the problem in the brownout phase usually yields quicker results and recognition of the problem at this stage along with commitment to change should be encouraged.

Some of the following strategies may be helpful to the burnout victim:

• Introduce some variety into the routine. Change the work pattern, the working environment, the working times when possible. Changes such as these can help reintroduce feelings of control to someone who senses a loss of control as is common in burnout.

• Take steps to relieve pressure by exercising, minimizing.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 2003