Hypnotherapy for a problem
Hypnotherapy for Chronic Stress and Burnout
Burnout, as the World Health Organization defines it, comes from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, so the job is part of both the problem and the solution. Hypnotherapy can help with the individual side, such as practicing relaxation and preparing for difficult conversations. It cannot reduce a workload, add resources or change how a workplace is run, and the burnout literature describes it as arising from the fit between worker and job.
What exactly is burnout?
The WHO’s description of burn-out in ICD-11 defines it as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, with three dimensions:
- Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion.
- Increased mental distance from your job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism about it.
- Reduced professional efficacy.
The WHO classifies burn-out as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition. Its definition applies specifically to work and “should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life.” Exhaustion from caring for a relative or from money worries is real and serious, but by this definition it is chronic stress rather than burnout.
How is it different from ordinary stress?
Stress is not always harmful. The NHS page on stress notes that some people find it helpful or motivating, but that being stressed all the time can become a problem. Its symptoms include headaches, muscle tension, stomach problems, difficulty concentrating, feeling overwhelmed, constant worry, irritability, and sleeping or eating too much or too little.
Burnout adds the other two dimensions: distance from the job and a falling sense that you are effective at it. It also overlaps with depression. The Wikipedia article on occupational burnout notes that a body of evidence suggests what is called burnout overlaps with depression. If you also feel hopeless, or have lost interest in things outside work, get checked for depression.
What causes burnout?
The burnout article describes it as thought to arise from a mismatch between the worker and the job. Christina Maslach and colleagues identified six areas of work life where that mismatch can occur: workload, control, reward, community, fairness and values. Work overload is one example, as when someone who survives a round of layoffs is left doing too much with too few resources.
The picture is not settled. The burnout article notes that recent meta-analytic findings suggest job stress is at best a weak predictor of burnout, and that personality also plays a part.
What helps?
Maslach suggested that preventing burnout takes a combination of organizational change and worker education. The burnout article describes workplace measures such as giving workers adequate resources for their workload, more control over their tasks, and a sense that it is safe to speak up. It also cautions that high-quality research on burnout prevention has been relatively rare.
On the individual side, the NHS suggests talking about your feelings with someone you trust, using simple time-management techniques, using breathing exercises, planning ahead for stressful days, setting small targets, and avoiding alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs as ways to relieve stress. It also notes that talking therapies may help with stress.
Can hypnotherapy help with burnout?
On the individual side, alongside the steps above. A session can:
- Give you a structured way to practice relaxation, as a companion to the breathing exercises the NHS recommends.
- Help you wind down at the end of a working day, if switching off is the problem.
- Rehearse the conversation in which you ask for a change in workload, control or support.
What it cannot do is fix the mismatch itself. If the workload is impossible, learning to relax under it is not the goal.
When should you see a doctor?
The NHS advises seeing a GP or doctor if you are struggling to cope with stress or the things you are trying are not helping. Burnout’s overlap with depression is another reason to have a professional assessment. In the United States, call or text 988 if you are in crisis. Outside the United States, contact your local emergency number or crisis line.
Bring one request to work
Pick the one of the six areas that feels most out of balance. Write a single, specific request that would ease it, such as moving one deadline, handing off one task, or gaining a say over one decision. Rehearse asking for it, then ask.
This article is general information, not medical or psychological advice; talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation.