Burnout — Dissatisfaction Isn’t the Only Cause
Burnout is a costly condition for both employees and the organizations where they are employed. It’s also more prevalent than you might expect.
A July 2018 Gallup study found that 67% of employees they studied are experiencing burnout with a high degree of regularity at significant costs to their health, productivity, and job security, finding that employees suffering burnout are:
- 63% more likely to take a sick day
- 50% less likely to discuss approaches to performance goals with their manager
- 23% more likely to visit the emergency room
- 2.6 times as likely to leave their current employer
- 13% less confident in their performance
Employees with bills to pay are, without a doubt, in a difficult situation. Their employment could be in jeopardy if they’re stuck in a significant period of low productivity.
Classic Contributors to Burnout
According to the Gallup study, these five employee perceptions were most highly correlated with burnout:
- Unfair treatment at work
- Unmanageable workload
- Lack of role clarity
- Lack of communication and support from manager
- Unreasonable time pressure
Caring leaders and managers are also in a difficult position: They don’t want their employees to fall victim to burnout, but they also need to simultaneously lead and hold employees accountable to higher performance standards.
What If the Cause Were Medical?
As medical practitioners seeking to help patients solve problems related to wellbeing and productivity that have the potential to impact their livelihoods, we’d like to share some insight based on clinical experience.
What about burnout that isn’t caused by workplace or circumstantial factors?
Often, possible medical causes are overlooked entirely. Could there be a medical condition at the root of the problem, a hormone imbalance like low testosterone or hypothyroidism, causing the problems, or perhaps making them worse?
Hormone imbalance has a wide number of difficult and unpleasant symptoms that may mimic burnout, such as:
- Mild sense of depression
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Short-term memory difficulties
It would serve a manager or employer well to know the symptoms of hormone imbalance. When an employee continues to struggle with symptoms of burnout, but causes remain unexplained, a simple medical exam focused on the balance of hormone levels could be indicated.
TCT’s Hurst Clinic Offers Free Consultation
If you or someone you know is struggling with symptoms that are common to both burnout and hormone imbalances, consider contacting the Hurst clinic of Testosterone Centers of Texas.
Initial exams are free, either by appointment or on a walk-in basis. Getting back into a productive groove could be that simple. Click for more information about TCT’s Hurst Clinic.
