Stress & Burnout

1. Stress & Burnout Presenter: Stephanie Brenenson

2. According to Webster’s Third online 1 Burnout (noun) 1 : a fire that consumes all the flammable contents (as of a building) broadly : a large and destructive fire 2 : a breakdown of an electrical circuit caused by fusion or combustion (as of a conducting element or insulation) resulting from abnormal increase in temperature 3 : an area of soil from which the organic material has been removed by fire or other agency leaving usu. a distinct depression of unfertile mineral soil 4 : the moment at which a jet or rocket motor exhausts its fuel Addenda Burnout (noun) 1 : the process or an instance of burning out 2 a : the cessation of operation of a jet or rocket engine as the result of exhaustion of or shutting off of fuel b : the point in the trajectory of a rocket engine at which burnout occurs 3 a : exhaustion of physical or emotional strength usu. as a result of prolonged stress or frustration b : a person suffering from burnout 4 : a person showing the results of drug abuse

3. Definitions of “Burnout” • Oxford English Dictionary - “burnout” does not appear but “stress” does appear - new terms include “stress buster” and “stress counsellor” • Urban Dictionary (www.urbandictionary.com) 1. Some one who smokes so much pot that they become slow and dumb 2. long term physical and mental exhaustion associated with a task (usually monotonous/repetitive tasks or one’s careers)

4. More Def… • ERIC Thesaurus: • Burnout: Negative feelings and/or behaviors resulting from unsuccessful attempts to cope with stress conditions -- characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion, chronic negative attitudes, very low productivity, etc. • Teacher burnout: Teachers' syndrome caused by inability to cope with stressful occupational conditions -- characterized by low morale, low productivity, high absenteeism, and high job turnover

5. What Does Burnout Look Like? • Exhaustion: first reaction to the stress of job demands or major change • Cynicism:minimize involvement at work and give up on ideals • Ineffectiveness: growing sense of inadequacy. (Maslach, p.17-18)

6. Physical Elevated blood pressure Coronary heart disease Poor immune system Increased occurrences of illness Physical exhaustion Mental Depression and mental exhaustion Change in professional goals Psychological withdrawal from work Growing concern for self instead of others Dread of teaching classes Negative attitude towards life in general Symptoms of Instruction Librarian Burnout(Barnett et al.)

7. Emotional Emotional exhaustion or detachment Inability to empathize with patrons Blaming patrons for their inability to understand concepts or tools Feelings of reduced personal accomplishment Seeking non-work pursuits for fulfillment, meaning, and stimulation Social Feelings of isolation from colleagues and profession Rude towards patrons Irritable or impatient No time for colleagues or activities Unwillingness to help patrons Depersonalization Symptoms of IL Burnout(Barnett et al.)

8. What Causes Burnout? • Herbert Freudenberger coined the term “burnout” 1974. • (1980) • “overdedication, overcommitment, and having unrealistic goals”. • “…whenever the expectation level is dramatically opposed to reality and the person persists in trying to reach that expectation.” • “Burnout is pretty much limited to dynamic, charismatic, goal-oriented men and women or to determined idealists.” (Becker, 1993)

9. Why Burnout is Thriving According to Christine Maslach,(author of the Maslach Burnout Inventory) “Burnout is always more likely when there is a mismatch between the nature of the job and the nature of the person who does the job” • We feel overloaded • We lack control over what we do • We are not rewarded for out work • We’re experiencing a breakdown in community • We aren’t treated fairly • We’re dealing with conflicting values (Maslach, p. 9-17)

10. More Contributors to Stress & Burnout • Technology • Constantly changing • Email • Virtual Reference & Technostress (Van Fleet) • Performance anxiety • Info overload • Loss of personal identity • Downsizing, layoffs and/or retrenchment have forced employees to take on the work of those who have left. • Public service workers are spending more time on administrative drudgery • Multitasking • Bringing work home • Busy home lives make it difficult to find relief outside of the workplace • Economic stagnation - salaries vs. purchasing power

11. Why academic instruction librarians? • Lower-division instruction • Repetitive nature of instruction sessions • Reaching uninterested, unmotivated students • Patterson & Howell survey of 112 instruction librarians (1990) • 33% believed their proficiency in educational methodology was inadequate • 38% were apprehensive about their teaching duties • 64% saw a need to improve teaching skills • 19.5 % indicated they had not been able to overcome the repetitiveness of the material they had to present. (Becker) • Faculty vs. Non-faculty / Tenure vs. Non-tenure • Conflicting expectations • Responsibilities for teaching, reference, collection development, liaison and on and on?

12. Everyone Loses • Employee’s personal loss • Quality of life and potential are both reduced • Organization’s loss of workforce • Drop in quality and quantity of work produced • Dedication, creativity and productivity diminished Who is responsible? Worker or workplace?

13. Individual or Organizational Responsibility? • Focusing on individual responsibility means “learning how to deal with the stressors on the job rather than figuring out how to get rid of them to create a stress-free environment.” • Focusing on organizational responsibility is not simply a matter of reducing negatives in the workplace; it is also an attempt to increase positives. • Strategies for developing engagement with work are those that enhance energy, involvement, and efficacy. (Maslach, p.77) Stress is not the fault of the individual or the organization, it’s the interaction between them. (O’Reilly)

14. Workplace is the Problem • Burnout is a barometer of a major social dysfunction in the workplace • The organization needs to change • There is “greater success in coping with burnout from focusing on promoting engagement with work rather than from just focusing on reducing burnout.” (Maslach)

15. Organizational Coping Strategies • Make “times-out” available (perform some non-client-centered work) • Limit hours of stressful work • Increase organizational flexibility (assign tasks to accommodate individual strengths and limitations, but do not overburden competent employees) • Train new professionals to handle mental and physical stress • Improve physical working conditions • Maintain a fair-minded workplace, recognizing the direct connection between consistent values such as loyalty, responsibility, and initiative (Frost, p.27) • Prepare intervention strategies for times of distress or change (such as layoffs, personal trauma among staff, or natural disasters) (Frost, p.28) • Build a company culture that values compassion and community as beneficial to productivity and to people (Frost, p.28) • Modify the library instruction program utilizing realistic goals, objectives and outcomes

16. Personal Coping Strategies • Be aware of the problem • Take responsibility for doing something about it. • Try new teaching techniques to battle repetitiveness including team teaching • Learn to distinguish the aspects that can and cannot be changed within the organization and distinguishing between the demands of the job and demands placed on oneself. • Seek assistance from the employee-assistance program. • Exercise: builds fitness, strengthens the immune system, reduces tension, improves sleep, aids concentration, provides a sense of well-being (endorphins).

17. Steps for Breaking Out of the Negative Stress Cycle • Stop the negative messages flooding your mind. • Breathe by taking a deep breath and slowly letting the air out. • Reflect on the situation • Choose to find a solution (Managing Stress, p.27)

18. Find some downtime at work Stay away from office politics Avoid the grapevine Deal with change better Watch what you say to yourself Do a plus-minus analysis Do not bring it home Find some time to relax at home Hang out with positive people Turn off the TV Count your blessings every day Do not sweat the petty stuff Rituals versus Change Get a thorough exam Get enough sleep Learn to manage your anger Share problems with others Smile a lot! From: Get a grip! Overcoming Stress and Thriving in the Workplace.

19. Reference List Barnett, Lisa and Melissa Browne, Katherine Harris. “Fanning the Flames: Strategies for Combatting Burnout and Reinvigorating Instruction.” LOEX 2003. (A 2004 version of their powerpoint is available online via www.niagara.edu/library/acrl/barnharr.ppt) Becker, Karen A. “The Characteristics of Bibliographic Instruction in Relation to the causes and symptoms of burnout.”RQ. 32.3 (Spring 1993): 346. (accessed February 25, 2008). Caputo, Janette S. Stress and Burnout in Library Service. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1991. Cunningham, Justin. “Just Relax.”Professional Engineering, November 22, 2006: 33. http://www.proquest.com/(accessed October 13, 2008). Frost, Peter J. Toxic Emotions at Work: How Compassionate Managers Handle Pain and Conflict. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2003. Haar, Jarrod M. “The downside of coping: Work-family conflict, employee burnout and the moderating effects of coping strategies.”Journal of Management and Organization. 12.2 (Sept. 2006): 146. Losyk, Bob Get a Grip! Overcoming Stress and Thriving in the Workplace. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2005. Managing Stress: Expert Solutions to Everyday Challenges. Boston: Harvard Business School Pub., 2007. Maslach, Christine and Michael P. Leiter. The Truth About Burnout: How Organizations Cause Personal Stress and What to Do About It. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997. O’Reilly, Sally. “Making Work Better.”Occupational Health 60.6 (June 2008): 22. ABIInform http://www.proquest.com/. (accessed October 13, 2008). Ray, Bernice. An Assessment of Burnout in Academic Librarians in America Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (The MBI). Diss. Rutgers University, 2002. Ann Arbor: UMI. AAT 3066762 Van Fleet, Connie, and Danny P. Wallace. "Virtual Libraries - Real Threats: Technostress and Virtual Reference." Reference and User Services Quarterly 42.3 (2003): 188-91. LISA: Library and Information Science Abstracts. CSA. 24 Oct. 2008 <www.csa.com>.