Understanding Burnout
Definitions
The term “burnout” has become more present in discussion with time, particularly as we navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and its continued influence and aftermath. But what is “burnout”? “Burnout” is not fully recognized as a clinical diagnosis yet, but it is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the International Classification of Diseases as a “state of vital exhaustion,” resulting from chronic workplace stress. WHO provides three dimensions of burnout:
- Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
- Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
- Reduced professional efficacy
Burnout is often also accompanied by conditions that do have clinical diagnoses—importantly, burnout itself can lead to a variety of other health issues that can be dangerous. This makes it all the more imperative that institutions take measures to prevent burnout while also emphasizing the need for all to understand burnout’s causes and effects in order to reflect on personal experiences of burnout and identify strategies to combat it.
A Systemic Issue
It is important to know that burnout is not the result of a personal failing or individual flaw; burnout is a problem at a systemic level, particularly in higher education. And, like many systemic issues, burnout is not distributed evenly. Women and faculty of color are more likely to experience burnout due to preexisting systemic inequities that contribute to the excess workplace stress that causes burnout.
Research shows that burnout and exhaustion are prevalent struggles in academia (Pedersen & Minnotte 2016, Pope-Ruark 2022, 16). Cultures and common practices of higher education create an environment where many, many faculty are experiencing feelings of burnout; these pressures were only increased by the demands created by the COVID-19 pandemic. If you think you may be experiencing burnout, know that you are not alone.
A Culture of Burnout
A Culture of Burnout
Systemic oppression, privilege, and barriers all shape our personal experiences of burnout. But why does burnout seem so prevalent in higher education? There are cultural elements deeply engrained in the world of academia and higher ed that make it an environment where burnout is more likely. Academia places high value on reputation, can have a competitive atmosphere, and oftentimes pulls faculty and instructors in multiple directions (Pope-Ruark 2022, 26). Scholarship itself can be isolating; you can become buried in your research, or maybe feel uncomfortable or underprepared for teaching roles (Pedersen & Minnotte 2016). All of this can be overwhelming, especially as demands from instructors continue to increase in a post-pandemic world.
For the purpose of keeping our focus on constructive solutions, we chose not to go too deeply into how burnout is a product of cultural norms and systemic issues. We understand that this type of in-depth analysis can be draining and sometimes, even discouraging. However, if you are curious or would like to learn more about intersectionality and burnout, as well as cultural conditions that perpetuate burnout, below we have included some links to academic journals, books, and websites that discuss these factors more fully. The culture surrounding burnout will also be discussed further in an attached podcast segment at the end of this section.
- “Unraveling Faculty Burnout: Pathways to Reckoning and Renewal,” Rebecca Pope-Ruark
- “They Need Us to Be Well,” Sarah Rose Cavanagh
- “Creating Spaces of Well-Being in Academia to Mitigate Academic Burnout; A Collaborative Autoethnography,” de Villiers Scheepers et al.
- “Workplace Climate and STEM Faculty Women’s Job Burnout,” Pedersen & Minnotte
Burnout and Student Interaction
Before being able to adequately connect and support students, it is a priority that instructors themselves are taken care of and supported. Burnout often becomes most obvious in interactions with students (examples). It may be more difficult to engage in quality conversation and interacting if an instructor is struggling with burnout; ability and capacity to connect with students is incapacitated (Pedersen & Minnotte 2016). Student interactions and relationships with their instructors are important to their learning; there is student performance decline associated with faculty burnout. This demonstrates just how much of an impact burnout can have not only on those experiencing it, but entire academic communities (Cavanagh, 2023). We, as students, do care about your well-being, and we understand that taking yourself is just as important as (and essential to) our classroom experience.