by Bryan Robinson, Ph.D. Forbes Contributor and author of Chained to the Desk in a Hybrid World: A Guide to Balance.
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially classified burnout as a medical diagnosis, including the condition in the International Classification of Diseases: “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Burnout is diagnosed by three symptoms:
Feelings of energy depletion, exhaustion and fatigue
Increased mental distance from your job, along with feelings of negativism or cynicism related to your job
Reduced professional efficacy
You can recover from stress with certain management techniques, but burnout results from cumulative and unmanaged stress that smacks you against the wall. Once that happens, there’s no quick fix. When people get overloaded with work, they often think PTO or a vacation will remedy the disease, but that’s a myth. You can’t cure it by slowing down, taking a long vacation or working fewer hours. The key symptom of burnout is exhaustion in the form of a deep fatigue that isn’t curable by rest or time off. You’re already out of gas. Burnout is difficult to detect, and the best recourse is taking preemptive action before you hit the wall.
Detecting Burnout Through Your Voice
Burnout, often referred to as the silent epidemic, is both a people killer and a career killer. In 2022, it was on the rise globally with 43% of employees reporting burnout. And it continued to rise in 2023 when a staggering 62% of employees said they hit the wall from the weight of burnout.
Now, a new and non-invasive technology from Sonde Health helps detect signs of burnout through your voice. Sonde Cognitive Fitness identifies and tracks changes in cognitive load and stress effort in real time through voice, helping users maintain mental wellness and detect potential cognitive changes early. Users can monitor their cognitive state with a 30-second voice sample collected through most smart devices.
The technology is particularly useful for high-stress environments like the military, call centers and large corporations, where employee well-being is crucial for performance. The device analyzes eight vocal characteristics from 30-second voice interactions and generates a score to provide insight into one’s cognitive state, helping people manage their mental well-being and productivity effectively. Scores ranging from 80 to 100 are labeled "Efficient" (low cognitive effort), 70 to 79 are considered "Balanced" (moderate cognitive effort), and 0 to 69 are categorized as "Demanding" (high cognitive effort).
Employees can track their cognitive fitness by identifying and monitoring cognitive effort levels, take steps to optimize their productivity and performance and enhance their well-being by reducing cognitive strain. These early indicators of cognitive strains enable organizations to take proactive measures to support employees and reduce the risk of burnout before it happens.
According to Sonde’s CEO, David Liu, "Sonde Cognitive Fitness isn't a diagnostic tool; rather, it assesses, through your speech, your current cognitive effort to provide early clues about your well-being—for instance, if you have consistently lower Cognitive Fitness scores when performing simple tasks."
A Little Self-Care Goes A Long Way
Until the new technology is more widespread, your first responsibility is to depend upon yourself to prevent unmanaged stress from morphing into job burnout. If you’ve spent back-to-back hours in virtual meetings you know exactly what that’s like. But you don’t have to drive yourself into the ground to be effective in your job. Science shows the opposite is true.
When we take time out to rest and relax, we’re more engaged and productive—even more effective at our work tasks. But that’s a hard sell to people under the gun with career demands and deadlines. One of the most common refrains is, “I can’t afford to take 20 or 30 minutes to meditate or exercise when I could use that time to meet a deadline.”
Traditional methods include various forms of self-care like easing into the workweek without major deadlines, meetings and sifting through inboxes. Taking Microsteps and Microbreaks throughout the workday to unwind and reset your energy level. After hours of sitting, short breaks are effective energy management strategies that can be as simple as stretching, walking up and down stairs, snacking, deep breathing, yoga or a five minute mindful meditation.
Practicing mindfulness is one of the simplest ways to bring your mind back into the present. Deep breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth and focusing on each inhalation and exhalation—following your breath through to a full cycle from the beginning when the lungs are full back down to when they’re empty—calms down your mind so that you can take action. Knowing your limitations and when to set boundaries is essential, and putting a hard stop time to your workday is crucial to prevent burnout.
One of the biggest mistakes burnout sufferers make is to try pushing through burnout, which can exacerbate the problem. The best medicine is to practice “being” instead of “doing.” There are many ways to achieve rest and relaxation. When you’re trying to relax, flip the old adage by saying to yourself, “Don’t just do something, sit there.”
Slow your pace and pay attention to your body and what it needs. Create a “to-be list” alongside your to-do list and engage in restful activities such as listening to soft music, reading a good book or gazing out the window at nature. Watch the grass grow or watch a sunset or bird nesting. And there’s always good reason to take a cat nap during the workday.
Meanwhile, until technology is available to you, don’t let shame or intimidation keep you from talking to your manager about the possibility of a deadline extension, a more flexible schedule or reduced work load. Seeking professional help is essential if burnout symptoms worsen or after you’ve tried other measures. Take advantage of counseling and other support programs offered through employee assistance programs. Or contact Mental Health America to find resources closest to you.