Burnout at Work for Disabled Employees

“Burnout” is a term that can be defined as, “a state of physical and emotional exhaustion, [that] can occur when you experience long-term stress in your job, or when you have worked in a physically or emotionally draining role for a long time.” 

The term is something we are hearing used more and more frequently within the world of work and employment. Especially so since the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people across the U.K. are feeling burnt out by their jobs and work responsibilities. 

An important aspect of burnout to consider is how it affects disabled employees. Burnout can be something particularly rife within the disabled community and it is a topic that needs increasing awareness. When we are more aware of a pattern, we are more able to take preventative action and take care of the people around us.

In this blog, let’s shed a little more light on this issue of burnout at work for disabled employees. 

What Does Burnout Look Like?

Burnout can have varied symptoms, including but not limited to: 

• Feeling frequently tired or drained both physically and emotionally
• Depression
• Feelings of helplessness
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Difficulties with sleep and appetite
• Numbness and dissociation
• Inability to finish tasks and concentrate fully 
• Withdrawal from others

For disabled people, the presentation may also look like:

• Increased pain or severity of symptoms 
• Chronic fatigue
• Flare-ups
• Decreased ability to function

Sometimes people experiencing burnout may feel that they are being “lazy” or that there is something “wrong” with them. It is something that can last a long time before we might realise what is happening and before we can get to work on figuring out how to get out of it. For some people, they may be experiencing burnout for years before they realise it. 

Why Does Burnout Happen?

Burnout happens when we are frequently stressed, overburdened, under pressure, and criticised at work. When we don’t take enough time off and when we are working in high-stress, low-care work environments, we can easily get burnt out. 

For disabled people, it is easier to get burnt out as you are already dealing with barriers to work. When you are already balancing symptoms, limitations, social stigma, and work, it is much easier to get overwhelmed with tasks and responsibilities. 

In our modern world, we are all expected to work a lot. Many of us work 40 hours a week, which is a significant portion of our time. On top of that, the work that we do can often be stressful and all-consuming. With fewer holidays and less free time than we ever had in the past, it really makes sense that at times we feel that we can’t take the stress of work any longer. 

Work From Home Burnout 

Another factor that can contribute to how widespread burnout is in our modern society is working from home. While working from home allows many of us a certain freedom and an ability to create our own working environment, it also greatly blurs the boundaries between our working time and our free time. 

When we work in our own homes, it is much easier to “stay at work” much longer than we should do in the day. It is sometimes far too easy to work late into the night to catch up on what we couldn’t finish during the day, simply because all of the equipment we need is already at home. 

There can also be the unfortunate pattern of bosses and employers expecting their employees to be available 24/7 because they are working at home. This can make many people feel suffocated by their work and their employers. 

How Disabled Employees Can Avoid Burning Out

While it is important to look at these statistics and understand just how widespread burnout is, we also don’t need to feel doomed. Burnout isn’t something inevitable or unavoidable. Even if you are working as a disabled person, there are ways in which you can look after yourself and manage your work-life balance in order to avoid burnout. At least as much as possible. 

Some ways you can do this are:

• Taking time off when you need it: It is important to take frequent breaks from work, especially when you are disabled or chronically ill. In order to manage our health properly, we need ample time to rest and recover. You should never feel bad for needing this, you deserve to take the time you need. 
• Drawing clear boundaries: To avoid burnout, we need to work during work hours and have free time during free hours. The more we allow our work and home lives to blend into one, the easier it is to feel overwhelmed and stressed. Draw boundaries around when you are working and when you are not. If someone tries to violate these boundaries, remind them why you are doing it. 
• Talk to someone professional about your stress: If you are feeling frequently stressed, it is a good idea to talk to someone about it. Talking to a counsellor or mental health professional can help you work through your stress in a healthy and appropriate way. It can also prevent stress from building up to an unmanageable level as you deal with it periodically rather than all at once. 
• Change jobs: It might not be an easy decision, but changing jobs can be a reasonable decision if you are dealing with burnout on a regular occasion. If we are getting burnt out frequently, it might be because of the work environment we are currently in. Moving somewhere with a better focus on employee wellbeing can help greatly. 

Find a Healthier Career Opportunity with Careers with Disabilities 

Here at Careers with Disabilities, we are advocates for disabled people at work. We want people of all abilities to be able to work in safe and happy environments that work for them. 

If you are struggling in your current employment position and you want to move on to something new, check out our disability-friendly job board. There you can find lots of inclusive, accessible and diversity-positive jobs posted by employers with the same mindset. 

You deserve the best possible work life so if you aren’t getting that right now, it could well be time for a change of scenery.