Do you know what burnout looks like at work?

Burnout has many consequences, but stress can manifest itself through illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, coronary heart disease, gastrointestinal issues, respiratory problems, depression and insomnia. (Photo: Krakenimages.com/Adobe Stock)

The last several years have offered a college-level course in adapting and ingenuity regarding our work and personal lives. As businesses, families, teachers, healthcare workers and others adjusted to the ever-evolving world of the pandemic, we developed new skills and shouldered a variety of responsibilities as our home and work environments changed or melded together and other events affected our quality of life. This reality has created a greater risk of stress and burnout to the point that the World Health Organization has recognized them as hazards.

In her presentation at the IASA Xchange Conference in Baltimore, Md., Cathy Ellwood, founder of Ellwood Enterprises, shared why it was critical to start thinking about burnout in our teams before it’s too late. “It’s a bigger problem than we realize,” she said.