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WHO says burnout is a medical problem

Burnout - Level 0

Many workers have burnout. This is mental exhaustion from too much stress. The WHO says it is a medical problem. People with burnout have no energy. They feel negative about their job. The WHO says doctors should treat patients for burnout. The number of people with burnout is going up quickly.

Burnout was found in 1974. Researchers say it can come from depression. Burnout causes serious health problems, like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. People with burnout should talk to their boss, co-workers, family and friends. They should do relaxing activities like meditation and going for a walk.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Burnout - Level 1

Workers have had burnout for decades. Burnout is mental exhaustion from too much stress. The WHO called it a medical problem. People with burnout have no energy and feel exhausted. They feel negative about their job. The WHO says doctors should treat patients for burnout. However, doctors get burnout two times more than other workers. The number of people with burnout is increasing very quickly. More workers are getting stressed at work.

A scientist identified burnout in 1974. Researchers said it is similar to anxiety. It can come from depression. Burnout can cause serious health problems, like insomnia, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. There is advice on how to manage burnout. People should talk to their boss, reach out to co-workers, family and friends; and do relaxing activities like tai chi, meditation, going for a walk in the countryside, and yoga.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Burnout - Level 2

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Workers have experienced burnout for decades. Burnout is mental exhaustion from too much stress at work. The WHO has now called it a medical problem. People with burnout often lack energy or feel exhausted. They feel negative about their job and have problems finishing things at work. The WHO says doctors should treat patients for burnout. However, doctors are among the most highly stressed workers. They get burnout two times more than other workers. The number of people with burnout is increasing very quickly. More and more workers are getting stressed at work.

An American psychologist identified burnout in 1974. Since then, many studies have tried to explain it. Researchers said it is similar to anxiety. It can come from depression. The Mayo Clinic website said burnout can cause serious health problems, like insomnia, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Mayo Clinic gives advice on how to manage burnout. It suggests talking to your boss to change things at work; reaching out to co-workers, family and friends; and relaxing activities like tai chi, meditation, going for a walk in the countryside, and yoga.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Burnout - Level 3

Workers around the world have experienced burnout for decades. Burnout is mental exhaustion due to too much stress at work. This problem has now been defined by the WHO as a medical problem. It says people have burnout if they often lack energy or feel exhausted; if they feel very negative about their job; and if they have problems finishing tasks in their job. The WHO says doctors should treat patients for burnout. However, doctors are among the highest-stress professions. They get burnout twice as often as average workers. The number of people with burnout has been increasing at a worrying rate. More and more workers are getting ill because of high levels of stress at work.

Burnout was identified as a problem in 1974 by American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. Since then, hundreds of studies have tried to explain what it is. Researchers have said it is similar to anxiety or mood disorders, and can come from depression. According to the Mayo Clinic website, burnout can cause serious health problems. These can include insomnia, heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. The clinic's website gives advice on how to manage burnout. It suggests talking to your boss to change your workload; reaching out to co-workers, family and friends; and trying relaxing activities like tai chi, meditation, going for a walk in the countryside, and yoga.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson