Working in FIFO: The challenges for mental health (and tips to help)

Managing mental health while FIFO

By Charlotte Pugh

A Fly-in-Fly-out lifestyle is not for the faint-hearted – long days (think 12-hour shifts) working away in remote mining locations for weeks at a time, separated from family and loved ones, feeling isolated, sleep disruption, coping with heat and dust, and a workplace culture where bullying and sexual harassment are commonly reported. With these challenging conditions, it’s not surprising that approximately 33% of FIFO workers report a higher level of psychological distress compared to the average population [1]. FIFO workers experience higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms as well as higher levels of burnout compared to the standard population [1]. This article outlines some of the unique aspects of a FIFO lifestyle, its impact on wellbeing and mental health, and offers tips to striking a helpful work/life balance. Read on to learn more about:

• Common challenges in FIFO Roles

• Signs your mental health might need support

• Strategies to help your FIFO wellbeing

---

common challenges in fifo

FIFO roles are those based in remote locations away from towns, and often facing extreme weather conditions. Workers travel to site for several days or weeks at a time, then return home for days or weeks of rest (depending on rosters. Whilst on site, accommodation is often temporary (‘dongas’). Other common features of FIFO roles include long shifts (often 12 hours each day with highly regimented routines), working in male dominated industries (mining, construction, oil and gas), and working in an environment in which stigma regarding mental health often exists.

In light of the nature of FIFO work, it’s no secret that a FIFO lifestyle can take a heavy toll [2][3][4][5]. Let’s dive deeper into these challenges, and consider both workplace-based challenges (which may be harder to shift) and individual-based challenges (which we can have more influence and control over).

workplace-based challenges

Workplace-based FIFO challenges related to the organisation, how it structures work roles, the work environment itself (job conditions, physical environment), and also the organisational culture:

1. Workplace Culture. Numerous surveys point to the challenging workplace culture in FIFO environments, with gender-based discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment reported to be higher in what is typically a high pressure, male-dominated environment [1][6][7][8]. Living at camp means it can be difficult to separate from work, feel psychologically safe, find like-minded people to connect with.

2. Work Structure. Shiftwork, long hours, and roster length have all been shown to impact wellbeing. Shiftwork and long hours can increase fatigue due to disruption to sleep and sustained physical or mental demand [. The highly regimented structure of long hours with strict meal and recreation times can also create a challenge in maintaining connections with supports at home, especially if on night shift. Even-time and short rosters , choice in roster, and permanent rooms, are all linked to better mental health outcomes. [1][2][7]

3. Reduced Autonomy. The highly regimented nature of FIFO work (with strict compliance to safety and operational matters, and a highly structured daily routine and rosters) can lead to a reduced sense of control and autonomy and, in turn, poorer mental health outcomes. [1][2][3] Factors such as difficulty travelling home in emergencies, difficulty obtaining time-off or sick leave, changes to changes to camp rooms, and limited choice in job tasks, all impact mental health and a sense of agency over one’s life. [1][2]

4. Environmental Factors. Site-based work often occurs in harsh environments -  heat, flies, dust, camp conditions, food onsite and access to recreational facilities, can all impact on mental health and wellbeing. Not having your creature comforts can be challenging, as can living out of your suitcase not knowing if you’ll return to your same donger can contribute to feeling displaced and unsettled. Is it any wonder that the environment can impact your wellbeing? [2][3]

individual-based challenges

Whilst punishing work conditions that accompany FIFO work contribute to poorer mental health, there are also individual-based challenges at play. These include:

1. Managing multiple demands. While working FIFO, employees can feel as though they are leading two separate lives. Depending on your commitments, it can look like a feast/famine cycle (e.g. long hours with a highly regimented daily routine with set times on site vs. nothing structured when on R&R) or a continuously busy cycle with little respite (e.g. long hours on site then coming home to dive right into parenting duties and taking care of the household). Continuous adjustment is required when travelling to/from site, and time away can impact on relationships, friendships and parenting.[2][3] Learning how to juggle these demands is key to maintaining good mental health.

2. Maintaining social connections. FIFO workers report that time away often can result in feeling socially disconnected. [2][3][5] Time away often means missing important events and celebrations in the lives of loved ones  – missing out on friends’ major celebrations or children’s birthday parties - and can certainly create a barrier to forming new relationships or participating in activities on R&R.

3. Beliefs about seeking help. In spite of the higher prevalence of mental health difficulties in FIFO workers, there is often reluctance to seek support due to  significant stigma. [4][8] A machismo culture of ‘getting on with it’ and ‘toughing it out’ means that seeking support may be viewed as a sign of weakness, resulting in help being sought at the point of high distress. The reality is that by seeking help along the way – to fine tune negative thoughts, or learning how to manage a suitable sleep routine whilst FIFO – it can actually help prevent things from getting to breaking point.

4. Golden Handcuffs. One of the main benefits of FIFO is the financial security, allowing for more investment into building a life, supporting partners and children, and moving towards financial freedom. However, the seductive financial benefits can often lead to ‘lifestyle creep’ (nicer toys, more holidays) and higher levels of debt. In turn this can lead in FIFO workers feeling ‘trapped in their roles, resulting in increased stress and potentially taking on more overtime to catch-up. [2][3][5]

---

signs of poor mental health in fifo workers

Research into the mental health of FIFO workers has shown higher rates of depression, anxiety, burnout, as well as higher overall psychological distress, compared to the standard population. [1][2][3][4] Some early warning signs that your mental health may be impacted can include:

• Changes to mood: Feeling consistently stressed, numb, flat, or having a ‘shorter fuse’ than usual, or even reduced enjoyment during R&R.

• Changes to health: Difficulty sleeping, trouble winding down, fatigue

• Changes to behaviour: Withdrawing from social gatherings, increased alcohol and substance use, increased gambling

• Dreading work: Finding it hard to travel to site (i.e. becoming increasingly anxious or down on fly-out day).

Even though these may be signs that you experience it doesn’t mean that you have to put up with it because it’s part of the job. There are steps you can put in place to help improve your mental health.

---

tips to manage fifo life: relationships, health, wellbeing

One of the biggest challenges to FIFO life is maintaining positive social connections and looking after yourself. Others may seem to get on with their regular daily and weekly routines back home, but as a FIFO worker you’re transplanted into another world for a few weeks at a time, disconnected from your regular life back home. Below are some tips to help with managing your FIFO life:

1.     Sort out your priorities. Having a realistic understanding of the potential impact of FIFO work, and its challenges can assist in managing mental health and wellbeing. [1][2] Developing a plan with practical and financial goals, things to look forward to, and what you would like to get out of a FIFO career, all help with increasing a sense of autonomy and control.

2.     Prioritise Relationships. FIFO workers who are happy with their personal relationships have been shown to have significantly better mental health and well-being. [1][3][5][9] This may include planning social activities on your R&R, having alternative ways of communicating to maintain relationships with those back home, and prioritising time-off for key celebrations or events. This could also include exploring social activities onsite and connecting with your crew.

3.     Create a Routine. It’s common for FIFO workers to feel ‘lost’ or unsure of what to do on R&R, and therefore managing the transition between site and home can feel challenging. Creating a routine for site and home can help support wellbeing, as well as allowing you to make the most of your R&R.

4.     Know your warning signs. Tune in to some of the early signs that you may need some extra physical or mental health support. These could be physical signs such as feeling consistently tired, headaches, or difficulty sleeping, as well as emotional signs such as difficulty switching off, feeling flat, or being snappier and more irritable than usual.

5.     Check in with your physical health. FIFO work is demanding on your body, with long shifts, disruption to sleep schedules, night shift, heat, dust and continued physical demands. [7] It’s important to pay attention to your physical health, monitor alcohol and substance use, and work with a GP or psychologist to create a manageable sleep routine.

6.     Reassess as needed. Remember to regularly check in with yourself and reassess how you are going. Different life stages will often mean different goals (financial, career, relationship) and balancing different demands (i.e. relationships, sport, parenting). As you go through different stages of your life, remember to reassess and develop new routines and goals.

7.     Work with a psychologist.  You do not have to wait until you are exhausted or at the point of burnout before working with a psychologist. Ways a psychologist can help include:

• Laying the groundwork in preparing to start a FIFO role.

• Helping you to build helpful sleep strategies.

• Finding ways to support your relationships.

• Helping you to find a work/life balance.

• Supporting you with problematic alcohol or substance use.

An additional benefit of having periodic check-ins with a psychologist (like me!) is that psychologists are also trained to identify emerging wellbeing issues such as depression, anxiety, burnout, problematic alcohol use, and can work with you to build strategies to improve mental health and coping.

---

---

---

REFERENCES

[1] Parker, S., Fruhen, L., Burton, C., McQuade, S., Loveny, J., Griffin, M., ... & Esmond, J. (2018). Impact of FIFO work arrangements on the mental health and wellbeing of FIFO workers. https://www.mhc.wa.gov.au/media/2548/impact-of-fifo-work-arrangement-on-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-of-fifo-workers-summary-report.pdf

[2] Roets, A. (2021, October 19). How FIFO work impacts mental health and well-being. Engineering Institute of Technology.. www.eit.edu.au/how-fifo-work-impacts-mental-health-and-well-being/

[3] Gardner, B., Alfrey, K. L., Vandelanotte, C., & Rebar, A. L. (2018). Mental health and well-being concerns of fly-in fly-out workers and their partners in Australia: A qualitative study. BMJ open, 8, e019516.

[4] https://www.mmhg.com.au/blog/depression-and-anxiety-in-mining-and-fifo-work-australia

[5] Brook, E. R. (2020). Fly-in/fly-out working arrangements: Employee perceptions of work and personal impacts (Doctoral dissertation, Murdoch University) https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/esploro/outputs/doctoral/Fly-in--fly-out-working-arrangements/991005544778107891/filesAndLinks?index=0

[6] Pupazzoni, R. (2023, Aug12). ‘Not acceptable’: Women in mining speak out against sexual harassment and discrimination. ABC News,  https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-12/women-in-mining-speak-out-against-decades-of-sexual-harassment/102699944

[7] Joyce, S.J., Tomlin, S.M., Somerford, P.J., Weeramanthri, T.S. (2013). Health behaviours and outcomes associated with fly-in fly-out and shift workers in Western Australia. Internal Medicine Journal, 43(4), 440-444. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-5994.2012.02885.x

[8] Van Halm, I. (2022, October 27). Why the Australian mining industry needs to address workplace culture. Mining technology. https://www.mining-technology.com/features/why-australian-mining-industry-address-workplace-culture/?cf-view

[9] Meredith, V., Rush, P., & Robinson, E. (2014). Fly-in fly-out workforce practices in Australia: The effects on children and family relationships. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-400935781/view

Thank you to the FIFO workers who contributed to this article. 

---

---

Imposter Syndrome at work

Imposter Syndrome: TIPS for Success in the Workplace

By Tayla Stucke

Work is a core component of our identity – we spend around a third of our life at work, building relationships and a sense of self. Imagine, then, feeling like an imposter at work and wondering when you’ll be found out you’re not as competent as others think you are. Remarkably, around 70% of people have experienced Imposter Syndrome at some point in time [1] - where they feel like a fraud and aren’t able to internalise their successes. It affects people from all professions, including university students, academics, students, lawyers, tech professionals, construction, and the like. Transitions in work roles, increased work complexity, and promotions can all trigger self-doubt and lead to imposter syndrome. Let’s see how imposter syndrome shows up in the workplace:

Tate is hard worker who puts in long hours on a minesite. Their performance and can-do attitude has caught the eye of senior management, and Tate has been promoted multiple times within the first year at work and is now supervising people they first started work with. This causes Tate anxiety – after all, why would they listen when Tate has the same years of experience as them? Feeling underserving of the supervisor position, Tate takes on extra reading about management in addition to long days working onsite.

Alice is starting her first year as a surgical registrar. Whilst relieved to finally make it onto a surgical program she has significant doubts – Did she deserve a spot or was she let in due to an error…did she just fluke the interview? Alice feels like an imposter, and this is amplified on a daily basis when she encounters information she doesn’t know. To cope, Alice spends her free time studying up so that she has an answer for any question that comes her way, and tries to avoid giving responses if she is able to. Needless to say, she experiences overwhelm and burnout as a result.

Fresh out of university and two months into his first ‘real’ job as a lawyer, Ethan jumps at the opportunity to join a panel discussion on burnout in lawyers in front of an auditorium of university students. It’s not long until panic sets in as Ethan feels inferior to the other more experienced panellists, leading him to researching exhaustively on the topic. Whilst Ethan does receives positive feedback at the panel discussion for sharing his experiences with burnout, he brushes it off, more relieved that he hadn’t been exposed to be a fraud, and considers himself lucky that he had such a ‘junior’ audience.

Tate, Alice, and Ethan are all competent individuals who have earned their positions through hard work. However, they feel undeserving of the positions they find themselves in and can’t seem to shake persistent self-doubt. That’s the thing about imposter syndrome…it takes away your accomplishments and competence, tricking you into thinking that external factors are the reason for your achievement – luck, your skill in deflection and deception, and the audience’s kindness or lack of awareness of the subject matter.

“I still have a little imposter syndrome...it doesn’t go away, that feeling that you shouldn’t take me that seriously. What do I know? I share that with you because we all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is.”

— Michelle Obama

---

SIGNS OF IMPOSTER SYNDROME AT WORK

Think of imposter syndrome like a nagging voice in your head telling you that you're not good enough, even when all signs say otherwise. The term imposter syndrome is a variation of ‘imposter phenomenon’, a phrase coined by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes to describe the persistent doubt of one's success despite evidence suggesting otherwise, alongside an inability to internalise successes [1]. Below are some ways in which imposter syndrome shows up at work.

You feel like a fraud, that others think you are far more competent than you really are, and that you’ll be exposed.

Like our doctor Alice, there’s moments of looking over your shoulder and thinking that you’re only in your position because of some error, and that it will all be taken away from you in an instant. Holding this belief often leads to heightened pressure on yourself to maintain this perception of you. [2, 4]

You routinely compare yourself to your colleagues and come off worse.

Social comparison is a strong maintaining factor in imposter syndrome - you compare your perceived shortcomings to what you consider to be the talents of your colleagues. That is, you cherry pick your flaws and hold them up against others’ strengths – understandably, feelings of inadequacy can arise, and reinforce the belief that you’re not good enough to perform in your role. [5]

 

You struggle to internalise your achievements and successes

Thanks to imposter syndrome, your achievements are dismissed and explained away as resulting from external factors like luck or others’ support, rather than recognising the role that your skills and abilities played in the success. [2, 4]

You rely on behaviours to hide your perceived shortcomings

When you feel like a fraud, you behave in ways to avoid being found out:

• You may overcompensate (perfectionism, we’re looking at you!) by working towards impossible standards to avoid potential failure and exposure much like Ethan the lawyer.

• You may also procrastinate at first, then rush to finish the job and qualify your performance with the time pressure you were under (Learn more about the link between perfectionism and procrastination here).

• Or, you try to avoid the task altogether to avoid the potential for failure.

  While these behaviours may help you avoid scrutiny in the short term, unfortunately they maintain Impostor Syndrome by reinforcing your belief that your abilities aren’t good enough as they currently stand. [2, 3, 4]

---

WHEN DOES IMPOSTOR SYNDROME APPEAR?

Impostor syndrome can rear its head in a variety of workplace scenarios, with transitions and changes in roles and responsibilities often highlighting imposterism, as seen in the situations facing Tate our supervisor and Alice our doctor. Stepping into higher responsibilities often involves being confronted with unfamiliar tasks and scenarios at work, which can lead to uncertainty and feelings of imposterism. [2] Some more specific transition points may include:

• Moving from studying or training into a work setting when you find yourself facing new challenges whilst working with highly experienced colleagues. Feelings of insecurity and self-doubt can intensify due to unhelpful social comparisons with those far more experienced than you. [6]

• Promotions and advancement into more senior roles can also trigger impostor syndrome, leading you to doubt your competence and ability to meet the increased demands of your new position – this may be working on more technically complex projects, or taking on new tasks (for example, managing a budget for the first time). [2]

• Stepping into the leadership space or being lauded for your expertise can also prompt feelings of imposter syndrome. Being seen as a leader in a particular space or field means people may expect you to have all of the answers and be skilled at guiding and mentoring others. The pressure to meet both your own and others' expectations can be overwhelming. [2]

---

A NOTE ON IMPOSTER SYNDROME + MENTAL HEALTH

Given a significant amount of time is spent at work, constantly living in the imposter headspace can have a real impact on your mental health.

• Feeling out of your depth and scrambling to learn everything you can is likely to lead to overwhelm and burnout. In James’ case, spending all of his time learning about lawyer burnout has resulted in increased stress and leading to panic. Similarly, Tate is new to being a supervisor and upskilling on management techniques in addition to long work days onsite.

• Spending all your time preoccupied at work and/or overcompensating to avoid being exposed can result in stress, reduced quality of life and work/life balance, and depressive symptoms, as in Alice’s case. Unfortunately, Alice is only at the very start of her long surgical training period.

The challenge is that these difficulties can affect energy levels, motivation, concentration, and memory – all of which are important for work performance. This, in turn, can lead to feelings of inadequacy and exacerbate imposter syndrome.

---

TIPS TO MANAGE IMPOSTER SYNDROME AT WORK

If you feel plagued by imposter syndrome at work, here are our top tips to help you contain your inner critic.

TIP 1: Flip the Script on Unhelpful Self-Talk

Unhelpful self-talk can be a relentless companion, especially when grappling with imposter syndrome. Recognising and challenging the thoughts that come from your own inner critic can be a great first step.

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there. ”

— Theodore Roosevelt

The next time you feel anxious when faced with a competence-related task, turn your focus inwards to your thoughts. What do they sound like? Here are some examples to look out for:

• "I just got lucky this time. I'm not really that skilled."

• "Everyone else seems to have it all figured out. I'll never measure up."

• "I only succeeded because someone was nice to me. I couldn't have done it on my own."

• "I don't deserve to be here. Eventually, people will find out I have no idea what I’m doing."

Once you've identified your unhelpful thoughts, practice interrogating them, looking for what evidence there is to support your thoughts vs. what evidence there is against it, acknowledging BOTH positive and negative evidence exist.

For Tate the supervisor, this looks like balancing feeling out of depth in a new role and area they are not knowledgeable in (managing others) with recognising that they have been promoted on the merit of their performance.

TIP 2: Embrace Failure as a Friend and Not a Foe

A fear of failure in imposter syndrome can trigger stress and anxiety, as well as frantic efforts to avoid having failed. Fundamentally, it is the viewing of failure as a threat that contributes to negative feelings and actions. What this mindset ignores, however, is that failure is not always a negative outcome, but rather it is crucial to both personal and professional growth:

“Failure is information – we label it failure, but it’s more like, ‘This didn’t work, I’m a problem solver, and I’ll try something else.’”

— Carol Dweck

• If failure is viewed negatively and as something to avoid, being faced with the possibility of failure stress and anxiety can be daunting and result in avoidance and/or overcompensation.

• If failure is seen as part of a problem-solving exercise (involving trial and error), challenges and setbacks are seen as crucial to growth and development. A fear of failure (and, by extension, being ‘found out’) eases.

For our doctor Alice, this may include acknowledging that:

• She has a very steep learning curve ahead of her, and that she will make many mistakes - no registrar starts off as an expert and comparing herself to senior consultants with decades of experience is unhelpful.

• What she perceives to be ‘failures’ is just a collection of knowledge that she doesn’t yet possess, but being around the consultants highlight specific areas for her to focus on in her training. Adopting such a growth mindset helps her to embrace failure better.

TIP 3: (Really) Celebrate the Wins!

Imposter syndrome can overshadow successes, leading to the discounting of achievements. However, taking time to reflect on the work that you did, the skills that you drew on, and the process of achieving your goal can help bolster your sense of self-efficacy and esteem.

“Success is a series of small wins.”

— Unknown

For James, this would involve recognising that he was invited to speak on the panel, appreciating the positive feedback he received from his presentation, acknowledging that his input was well received alongside his more senior co-panellists, and seeing the panel discussion as an opportunity to learn from others.

TIP 4: Seek Tailored Support

As you can see from the examples of Tate, Alice, and James, each person’s experience of imposter syndrome and the circumstances they face are all unique. So, whilst we have suggested general tips above, we recommend you seek tailored support for imposter syndrome with a psychologist experienced working in the intersection between work performance and wellbeing (like me! I also have a particular interest in helping those stepping into the leadership space). Work collaboratively to understand the specific triggers for your imposter syndrome, identify unhelpful mindset and self-talk, and find a path forward to ease the hold of imposter syndrome.

---

---

---

REFERENCES

[1] Clance, P. R., and Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006

[2] K.H., A. and Menon, P. (2022), Impostor syndrome: an integrative framework of its antecedents, consequences and moderating factors on sustainable leader behaviors, European Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 46 No. 9, pp. 847-860. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-07-2019-0138

[3] Grubb, W. L., & Grubb, L. K. (2021). Perfectionism and the Imposter Phenomenon. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 21(6). https://doi.org/10.33423/jop.v21i6.4831

[4] Maftei, A., Dumitriu, A., & Holman, A.-C. (2021). ”They will discover I’m a fraud!” The Imposter Syndrome Among Psychology Students. Studia Psychologica, 63(4), 337–351. https://doi.org/10.31577/sp.2021.04.831

[5] Gutierrez, D. (2022) The Impact of Impostor Phenomenon in the Workplace: A Multi-Generational Perspective. dissertation. https://www.proquest.com/openview/549a251f717dbda4948fc53ef61abaf3/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

[6] Stelling, B. E. V., Andersen, C. A., Suarez, D. A., Nordhues, H. C., Hafferty, F. W., Beckman, T. J., & Sawatsky, A. P. (2022). Fitting In While Standing Out: Professional Identity Formation, Imposter Syndrome, and Burnout in Early Career Faculty Physicians. Academic Medicine, Publish Ahead of Print. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0000000000005049

---

---

Public speaking anxiety at work: Tips to manage a common challenge

STEPPING UP AT WORK: TIPS FOR OVERCOMING PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY TO HELP YOUR CAREER

By Giulia Villa

What holds you back at work? Over your working life, there will inevitably be barriers and missed opportunities. At times, these barriers will be external – the work environment may not be suitable, or the workload unrealistic. At times, however, these barriers are internal – your mindset, skills, and habits get in the way of stepping up to the next level at work. Some examples of these include difficulties with being assertive at work and setting boundaries, managing procrastination, managing a team, or managing burnout. Another common internal barrier we often see – that touches so many areas of working life – is that of public speaking. In fact, public speaking is seen as an important skill in the workplace. However, a fear of public speaking – or glossophobia – is widespread, with estimates ranging from upwards of 20% to a whopping 75% of populations. How far-reaching is the impact of public speaking anxiety at work? Let’s look at some examples:

Ella, a high-achieving teacher, has been asked by the Department of Education to train a cohort of early-career teachers. In spite of her passion for educating the next generation of teachers, Ella is considering turning down the role because it involves public speaking – training large groups of teachers, giving regular progress updates to senior staff, and speaking at Department of Education conferences. At present, Ella copes with public speaking anxiety by preparing for hours to reduce the likelihood of making mistakes and ease her anxiety. She knows given the sheer number of sessions she will be delivering, it will not be possible to overprepare for each session whilst maintaining her usual teaching duties without experiencing burnout. Ella could turn down the position and keep her workload and anxiety more manageable, however she knows she will feel trapped remaining at her current level, without opportunity to progress.

Oliver was recently promoted to management level due to his excellent technical skills as an engineer. However, while he excelled at research, problem solving, and producing written deliverables, the director of his team has recently expressed concern at Oliver’s performance in his new role. Notably, Oliver has cancelled several meetings, preferring instead to communicate via email to avoid being put on the spot and to have time to plan what to say. Rather than delegate project work to the team and Oliver being the ‘face’ of the project, Oliver carries out the technical work himself and assigns more junior staff to present project updates and lead team calls. After a conversation with his director, understands he will struggle to progress in this workplace without tackling his avoidance of public speaking.  

The situations faced by Ella and Oliver are just a few examples of how typically high-performing individuals may be held back by their fear or avoidance of public speaking in their workplace. Let’s break down public speaking anxiety a little further. In the DSM-5-TR (2022) public speaking anxiety is a specific subset of social anxiety. Key features of this type of anxiety include:  

• A fear of acting in a way or showing anxiety symptoms (e.g., blushing, trembling hands, excessive sweating) that will be embarrassing or lead others to negatively judge the speaker or the content of the presentation.  

• An avoidance of public speaking situations, or enduring these situations with fear and anxiety. Avoidance might crop up as frequent sick days, low involvement in work meetings, joining calls at the latest possible moment, or agreeing with everyone to avoid conflict.  

• The fear provoked by public speaking situations and the possibility of being judged negatively by others is intense and significantly impacts one’s functioning in their work and/or social life.  

---

HOW PUBLIC SPEAKING anxiety HOLDS YOU BACK AT WORK

As we’ve seen in Ella and Oliver’s examples, there are many situations at work in which public speaking may have a negative impact and hold you back from succeeding in your career. Let’s take a closer look at some of these scenarios.

 NETWORKING: A MINEFIELD FOR SOCIAL ANXIETY

Networking is often a highly dreaded activity for those with public speaking anxiety – in effect it’s being ‘on show’, making small talk in a work context, often in small groups. However, networking has become an essential component of success in our hyper-connected society – did you know over half of jobs are never publicly advertised? In 2016, LinkedIn reported that 70% of professionals starting a new role already had an existing connection at their company. The takeaway? You’ve got to meet groups of people and make connections so as to be at the forefront of people’s minds when upcoming jobs arise. Unfortunately, nerves about being on show in public can make the ever-important act of networking a nightmare and may lead you to connect online, to avoid unfamiliar people, or even to undersell yourself during in-person networking events. In any case, anxiety stops you from making the most of an important networking opportunity. 

WORK MEETINGS

Speaking up in front of others – whether it’s the weekly check in around the meeting table, or your turn to give an update on a project – can feel extremely daunting to someone who dislikes public speaking. You may focus on all eyes being on you, and have spent the night before thinking about how exactly to present what you need to but minimise your time ‘on display’.

Post-pandemic flexible work arrangements may mean that many meetings now take place over video calls. For some, these online meetings may be even more anxiety-inducing than face-to-face meetings. You may feel more aware of being watched and of being negatively judged by others, and thus experience more pressure to perform well. Social anxiety can also lead to a greater focus on scrutinising one’s own onscreen image, thus amplifying self-consciousness. Additionally, brief moments of silence that feel natural in person may become accentuated and feel awkward in a video call.   

DELIVERING PRESENTATIONS AND SALES PITCHES

If the idea of delivering a presentation to a client or even your own colleagues is enough to make your heartrate quicken, you may have developed ways to deal with this seemingly inevitable anxiety. For example, you may spend hours overpreparing like Ella. Or you may be so focused on getting the presentation over and done with, you don’t have much energy to put into designing the presentation itself. Then, of course, there is question time – a period where you don’t know what questions will be thrown at you.

A good presentation in a work setting boils down to how you design your presentation and the speaking techniques that you employ to deliver your message. Unfortunately, it can be incredibly challenging for someone with anxiety to simultaneously manage uncomfortable physical symptoms, quiet down unhelpful self-talk, remember the content, and remember how to deliver it, and have the presence of mind to adapt the presentation to the audience.  

Public speaking anxiety might also affect your presentation by impacting:  

• Speech rate  

• Tone of voice  

• Posture and body language  

• Use of filler words  

• Use of visual materials  

• Engagement with the audience  

Public speaking anxiety may hold you back from being able to recognise what style is most appropriate for your audience and situation, and also on helping you to handle unknown questions (as part of question time). This is where we can help – keep reading to find out how our team of counsellors and psychologists can help you manage anxiety and become a more confident public speaker in your workplace. We’ve helped students manage anxiety for their university presentations, helped doctors to present confidently in their clinical exams, helped teachers to present to peers and parents, and helped professionals develop networking and sales pitch skills. We enjoy helping people grow their skill set and their confidence.

---

tips for managing PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY

Try the following tips for managing social anxiety at work:

TIP 1: LEARN TRIGGERS AND HABITS THAT MAINTAIN PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY

What exactly is it about public speaking that causes you anxiety? Perhaps it’s the idea of drawing attention to yourself, or perhaps you’re worried about visibly freezing or sweating. Having a clear grasp on what causes and maintains your anxiety goes long way in developing a targeted action plan to reduce your fears. 

TIP 2: DISMANTLE UNHELPFUL SELF-TALK THAT FUELS YOUR FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

Negative self-talk is a common thread underpinning public speaking anxiety. The ‘stories’ you tell yourself can increase your anxiety. For example, Ella might notice a senior staff member check their phone during one of her presentations. Self-talk along the lines of “I’m not doing enough to hold their attention, they can tell I’m inexperienced and underprepared” is likely to make Ella more nervous, possibly increasing her likelihood of making mistakes.

On the flipside, self-talk can also be a helpful tool to reduce anxiety and help you to feel more comfortable during your presentation.  A more helpful thought for Ella in the above situation could therefore be, “They may be checking their phone as they could be expecting a call”. In this case, Ella would feel less nervous and better able to continue with her presentation as planned.   

TIP 3: FINE-TUNE YOUR PRESENTATION STYLE

We all have a different idea of what it means to be a good public speaker. Presenter ‘personas’ can vary widely across people, furthermore different types of speeches require different styles and components – presenting a sales pitch marketing muesli requires a different approach to delivering a lecture on research developments in biotech. By clarifying your goal – for example, who is your target audience (Formal? Informal?), what are you trying to achieve (Sell a product? Disseminate information?) – you have a clearer idea of how to shape your message and design an effective presentation. By having confidence in your materials and your messaging, you will also feel more comfortable in delivering!  

TIP 4: GET EXPERIMENTING

Running ‘experiments’ on yourself is a great way to challenge pesky thoughts and fears that are standing in the way of your career success. Thoughts aren’t exactly the most reliable source of information when it comes to public speaking – fears that ‘everyone will laugh at me’ or ‘if I stumble over my words I’ll get fired’ can disproportionately dial up your anxiety to the point of interfering with your presentation. 

In order to move past your fears try setting up small behavioural experiments to test how true these predictions are. The next time you are asked to speak in front of others, perhaps intentionally slip in a small mistake. Carefully notice the reaction of your audience – does it fit with your predictions? This testing can help you to determine whether the evidence fits with what you’ve been telling yourself.   

If you’re interested in a tailored approach to dismantling your public speaking anxiety at work, check out our Speaking Volumes course. Over six weeks (allowing for time to practice your new skills in between sessions), you will work individually with one of our clinicians through an evidence-based, practical approach, to reduce public speaking anxiety and provide you with the skills and tools you need to succeed in the workplace.   

---

Speaking Volumes, our 6-week course to help with public speaking anxiety covering how to improve your presentations skills as well as anxiety management skills (cognitive restructuring, exposure therapy). This course is based on CBT and social skills training.

---

---

---

---

REFERENCES

Aderka, I.M., Hofmann, S.G., Nickerson, A., Hermesh, H., Gilboa-Schechtman, E., & Marom, S. (2012). Functional impairment in social anxiety disorder. Jounral of Anxiety Disorders, 26, 393-400. Doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2012.01.003

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text revision). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

Blöte, A. W., Kint, M. J. W., Miers, A. C., & Westenberg, P. M. (2009). The relation between public speaking anxiety and social anxiety: A review. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 23(3), 305–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2008.11.007

Ebrahimi, O. V., Pallesen, S., Kenter, R. M. F., & Nordgreen, T. (2019). Psychological Interventions for the Fear of Public Speaking: A Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 488. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00488

Martin-Lynch, P., Correia, H., & Cunningham, C. (2016). Public speaking anxiety: The S.A.D. implications for students, transition, achievement, success and retention. In: Students Transitions Achievement Retention & Success (STARS) Conference 2016, 29 June - 2 July 2016, Perth, Western Australia. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/39766/1/SAD.pdf

Vriends, N., Meral, Y., Bargas-Avila, J.A., Stadler, C., & Bogels, S.M. (2017). How do I look? Self-focused attention during a video chat of women with social anxiety (disorder). Behaviour Research and Therapy, 92, 77-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.02.008. 

Social anxiety at work: How social anxiety affects your performance

How social anxiety AFFECTS work

By Giulia Villa and Joyce Chong

Living with social anxiety can be challenging, particularly in the workplace. Even if your job seemingly does not involve much social interaction (for example, working with computers, in data entry, as an author, or as an artist) when you dig a bit deeper it’s surprising how many social interactions are involved in performing your role. These situations include speaking to colleagues and managers, speaking up in meetings, giving a presentation, even being ‘put on the spot’ and asked for your opinion. Other roles may involve a greater social component including networking, client contact, and pitching projects. Indeed, social anxiety can be quite debilitating in the workplace. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

Will is an engineer who wishes to become a manager and lead interesting projects within the organisation. However, a major obstacle is Will’s social anxiety and his worries that others think that he is incompetent. His social anxiety stops him from sharing ideas in a meeting, giving project updates, and networking at industry events to build industry connections. Will’s fears lead to excessive preparation in relation to reading up and fact-checking, on rehearsing what he is going to say, and on anticipating how others may react. Needless to say, this increased workload - and mental load - has brought Will close to burnout a number of times, and he sees that if he were less concerned about what others think that he could be more productive and less overwhelmed.

Ali believes that social anxiety has led to a ‘failure to launch’ in their career as an accountant. Having lived with social anxiety for decades, they’ve found many ways to minimise their social anxiety through avoidance. Ali avoids the lunchroom to reduce the likelihood of making small talk, agrees with others’ opinions just to avoid conflict, and is unable to set boundaries regarding their workload. Ali does not apply for jobs that require interviews, instead working for family friends who sought them out because that way they know they’re good enough to be wanted in the workplace. In fact, Ali rationalises their way out of applying for promotions because this would involve an interview as well as potential rejection. Even if Ali were to be successful, it would then mean meeting new people (and facing the possibility of additional rejection). an element of public speaking, they avoid the lunchroom in case small talk arises, and agrees with others’ opinions at work just to avoid conflict. Ali is also unable to set boundaries at work and as a result feels taken advantage of, as well as feeling overwhelmed.

Ali and Will are not alone. Let’s dive deeper into situations at work that can be challenging for those experiencing social anxiety (see below):

What is social anxiety?

According to the DSM-5-TR (2022), some core features of social anxiety include:

* Significant anxiety regarding social situations wherein one may be scrutinised by others, with a fear of acting or behaving in a way that will lead to being negatively evaluated.

* The fear or distress is persistent, out of proportion to the situation, and interferes with functioning (e.g. occupational, social).

* These social situations are avoided, or endured with intense anxiety. Avoidance of social situations may be quite common in the form of sick days, ‘alternate appointments’ occurring at the same time as feared situations (e.g. work meetings), or even in subtler ways such as choosing to transact via emails rather than face to face, or attending a meeting but ‘hiding behind’ a more outgoing colleague.

* Social anxiety may also be specific to performance situations (e.g. musicians, athletes, public speaking).

stressful workplace situations for social anxiety

Various workplace situations that present difficulties for those with social anxiety. Indeed, it is unsurprising that social anxiety is linked to increased absenteeism (for example, calling in sick on training- or team-building days) and declining promotions or opportunities because they involve a greater degree of social interaction. Such situations include:

 Small talk and networking: A minefield for social anxiety

In situations of small talk and networking, whilst there may be common ground (e.g. the workplace) or a common goal (networking and promoting your organisation), the initial exchange of social pleasantries may include talking about a wide range of topics - the weather, holidays, current affairs, entertainment, travel… the possibilities are endless. Navigating the transition from making small-talk to focusing on work-related discussions can also be a source of stress.

work meetings

Work meetings are also often a source of anxiety. In addition to making small talk with colleagues prior to the start of the meeting, once the meeting commences you may be called upon to provide an update on your projects or asked your thoughts on a work issue. Cue all eyes on you and being the focus of attention, and being ‘put on the spot’. These situations can seem highly intimidating, and often those with social anxiety may miss meetings altogether, or opt to dial in remotely (with their camera off so they can sit silently in the background).

Public speaking, giving presentations, and being observed

In our work with individuals with social anxiety, public speaking is easily one of the most dreaded scenarios. In fact, public speaking is a very common fear - and not just for those experiencing social anxiety. Avoidance of giving talks and presentations is very common in individuals experiencing social anxiety. To learn more about public speaking anxiety in the workplace, read our article and find out how you can helps your fears.

Another workplace concern is that of being observed, particularly by supervisors and managers but also more junior colleagues (or even students on placement), where you are required to demonstrate competency in a skill. This can impact a wide range of professions including those in healthcare, hospitality, education, and performance.

Talking to managers and authority figures

Talking to managers and authority figures can be extremely daunting for those experiencing social anxiety. Each interaction with someone who is in a position to assess your work is seen as potential for scrutiny, and common unhelpful thinking styles that dial up anxiety in these interactions include mind-reading (assuming that your manager thinks poorly of you) and catastrophising (worrying that saying something incorrect will lead to criticism and punishment down the track). Performance reviews are likely to further exacerbate anxiety.

Job interviews

Job interviews may be avoided by those with social anxiety for several reasons. This is a scenario where the goal is to convince someone (and often, a panel of interviewers) that you are ‘good enough’ for the position. Sources of stress in job interviews typically include being asked unexpected questions, crafting a response that answers their question, monitoring non-verbal responses (for example, tone of voice, use of fillers, what to do with your hands), and speaking about your strengths and experiences.

---

tips for managing social anxiety at work

Try the following tips for managing social anxiety at work:

Tip 1: Flip the script on your socially-anxious thoughts

A fear of social situations can trigger a host of unhelpful thoughts and assumptions:

• “I can’t give the presentation, it’ll be disastrous.”

• “They think I’m incompetent.”

• “I’ll make a fool of myself.”

• “They’ll see my anxiety leaking out and I’ll look weak.”

These thoughts are often exaggerated or even untrue, and it’s when you flip the script on these thoughts that you reduce your anxiety. Helpful questions to ask yourself include whether your thoughts are realistic and proportionate), and whether you are able to cope with a negative situation should it arise.

Tip 2: Avoid your avoidance of social situations

Whilst avoidance leads you to feel better in the moment, in the longer term it reinforces your fear of the situation. Instead, face your fears gradually through setting small exposure tasks. Start with making a conversation about someone’s weekend, or by briefly drawing attention to yourself by clearing your throat.

Tip 3: Build a set of social skills for work

Often social anxiety can be exacerbated when you don’t have a set of skills to cope with social situations. Skills such as making small talk, networking, attending job interviews, being assertive and setting boundaries, and public speaking, are some examples of skills to develop so that you can build up your confidence to navigate your workplace.

Hopefully the above tips will help you to better manage social anxiety in the workplace. If you’d like a more tailored approach you can book in with one of our team by contacting us (click on button below). Alternatively, you can look into our Social Set or Speaking Volumes courses:

Social Set, our 8-week course to help you better manage social anxiety. Social Set focuses on building four sets of skills for social anxiety - skills to improve your mindset, skills to help your body’s anxious response, social skills across a range of situations, and skills to help you set the scene for success in real life through exposure therapy. It is based on CBT and Social Skills Training.

Speaking Volumes, our 6-week course to help with public speaking anxiety covering how to improve your presentations skills as well as anxiety management skills (cognitive restructuring, exposure therapy). This course is based on CBT and social skills training.

---

---

---

---

REFERENCES

Aderka, I.M., Hofmann, S.G., Nickerson, A., Hermesh, H., Gilboa-Schechtman, E., & Marom, S. (2012). Functional impairment in social anxiety disorder. Jounral of Anxiety Disorders, 26, 393-400. Doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2012.01.003

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text revision). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

Hidalgo, R.B., Barnett, S.D., & Davidson, J.R.T. (2001). Social anxiety disorder in review: Two decades of progress. International Journa. of Neuropsychopharmacology, 4, 279-298.

Hofmann, S.G. (2007). Cognitive factors that maintain social anxiety disorder: a comprehensive model and its treatment implications. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 38, 193-209.

Hofmann, S. G., & Otto, M. W. (2017). Cognitive behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder: Evidence-based and disorder-specific treatment techniques. Routledge.

Mendlowicz, M. V., & Stein, M. B. (2000). Quality of life in individuals with anxiety disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 669-682.

Moitra, E., Beard, C., Weisberg, R.B., & Keller, M.B. (2011). Occupational impairment and social anxiety disorder in a sample of primary care patients. Journal of Affective Disorders, 130, doi:10.1016/j.jad.2010.09.024

Stein, M. B., & Kean, Y. M. (2000). Disability and quality of life in social phobia: epidemiologic findings. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 1606-1613.

Zhang, I.Y., Powell, D.M., & Bonaccio, S. (2022). The role of fear of negative evaluation in interview anxiety and social-evaluative workplace anxiety. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 30, 302-310. doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12365

Early career burnout - Part 2: Workplace factors

EARLY-CAREER Burnout (Pt 2: workplace factors)

by Giulia Villa, Fel Donatelli + Joyce Chong

EARLY CAREER BURNOUT – A REFRESHER

In case you missed it, our last article was a primer on early career burnout and those individual factors that increase the risk of suffering from this affliction. To refresh:

• Early career burnout refers to the work-related state of mind comprising exhaustion, distancing from one’s work, and decreased personal achievement [1] affecting new graduates.

• Burnout is affecting millennials at a higher than average rate compared to the general population (84% vs. 77%), resulting in higher levels of turnover according to a survey on burnout conducted by Deloitte.

• The proportion of Gen Z experiencing burnout is catching up to Millennials, with this in part attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic that saw the lines between work and play blurred even further, as well as removing office-based social networks as a coping strategy.

• Individual factors that lead to early career burnout include constant connection to work (no) thanks to technology, a fear of failure and negative feedback, as well as mindset, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism.

Looking at individual factors in burnout sheds light on only one piece of the puzzle. Critically, workplaces shape conditions that lead new graduates down the path of burnout. In this second part of our series on early career burnout, we look at those organisational factors and see what actions workplaces can take.

---

Organisational factors in early career burnout

Various organisational factors contribute to early career burnout, and it’s helpful for workplaces to consider how they can promote better wellbeing to buffer against it.

Job characteristics and design

The overall environment of a workplace is a major contributor to the wellbeing of every employee. Burnout has been linked to excessive workload, inadequate compensation, lack of community and absence of administrative support [2] . More specifically, the following job characteristics are believed to contribute to burnout:

• Low autonomy and job control where an employee does not have much independence or influence in their role.

• Low role clarity where an employee has low understanding of their role and responsibilities.

• Subjective overload where the expectations of the workplace exceed the employee’s capabilities.

Optimising job design means crafting a balance between keeping the employee engaged and benefitting the organisation. The presence of low autonomy/job control, low role clarity, or subjective overload, all pose a risk to employee motivation and satisfaction. Indeed, job characteristics are more likely to predict burnout than individual factors, suggesting that job re-design is the most effective way to prevent burnout.

Onboarding processes: Lack of adequate support, training, and socialisation in the role

Commencing a new role is fraught with confusion and uncertainty. Questions fill the heads of new graduates - what will my colleagues be like? What does my future have in store? What’s expected of me? Indeed, a lack of role clarity is most frequently observed as ambiguity in relation to:[3]

• How their job performance will be evaluated.

• Whether there are paths for career progression.

• What is the scope of the responsibilities.

• The expectations of others.

This confusion about their role is just another thing for new starters to worry about and in fact has been linked to higher stress levels and emotional exhaustion.[4] A good understanding of the job description and the relevant duties and responsibilities is crucial to ease the anxiety and inadequacy often experienced by new graduates. It is important to inform new starters of all things relating to their role as part of their onboarding process.

Sometimes, new graduates face a culture of ‘learning by osmosis’. However, a lack of adequate support, training, and socialisation as part of an onboarding process, can contribute to individuals feeling overwhelmed early on in their career. This can lead to feeling underprepared for the role, and inadequacy and frustration can set in thereafter. A lack of socialisation with peers into the role may mean new graduates struggle to assimilate into the role.

Flexible work practices and ever-evolving technology breeds the ‘always on’ culture

Even before COVID-19’s arrival we were witnessing an increasingly blurred boundary between work and play due to technology and flexible work practices (in fact, take a look at this article on constant connection contributing to burnout amongst millennials ). Smartphones and laptops have revolutionised the way that we work; their portable nature means we can essentially always be ‘always on’. Notifications and alerts can lead to overwhelming ‘telepressure’: the feeling that you have to respond to any email as soon as it arrives[5] .

If the separation between work and play wasn’t already challenging enough, the global pandemic transformed traditional ideas of what can constitute a workplace. Many companies opted out of physical office spaces indefinitely in favour of working from home, whilst others were in prolonged lockdown and forced into a more permanent state of blurring the boundaries between work and home lives.

Unfortunately for those commencing their careers just before, or during the pandemic, working from home early in the piece meant missing out on structured formal onboarding processes as well as the informal, ad hoc collegiate support that emerges from being co-located. Put simply, it meant that some new graduates were left to navigate the overwhelming world of their new career from the solitude of their home.

Organisational culture

Workplaces play a pivotal role through their culture, so is your organisational culture building graduates up or burning them out? Organisational cultures that expect high performance and value output above all else, reinforce maladaptive perfectionistic behaviours, emphasise constant connection with the expectation of immediate replies to emails sent all hours of the day, and disparage errors made upon first attempt, are environments that may contribute to burnout.

Certainly, organisations hiring graduates are aware that they are in the early stages of their career, thus careful consideration should be given as to how to support them through this process through a combination of setting expectations in relation to a learning and feedback culture, as well as communicating realistic work practices and performance expectations.

---

Tips for organisations

 Given the importance of the workplace in fostering burnout or sustainable work practices amongst new graduates, how can organisations better support those in the early stages of their careers?

1.   NURTURE A SUPPORTIVE ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

Getting an organisation’s culture right is critical as it serves to support new graduates early on in their career. Ways to promote a positive organisational culture include:

• Hiring the right leaders who practice intentional leadership styles who will promote a culture of support and sustainability across the employee lifecycle and emphasise realistic work practices as well as valuing the idea of failing forward. The standards and behaviours imposed by leaders trickle down to affect all employees, greatly influencing organisational culture. Transformational leaders, who engage and motivate employees to enact the change they want to see, have been shown to decrease burnout by improving job satisfaction, performance and personal accomplishment.[6][7]

• Actively discourage leaveism, or the practice of working when one is not supposed to be working, including using annual leave, sick days, or weekends to catch up.[8] This may include limiting access to technology and encouraging ‘proper’ time off. Discourage long working hours and constant connection as badges of honour, and instead stress the responsibility of employees to look after themselves to enable optimal performance when they are at work.  

• Model realistic work practices and work/life balance, particularly in high performance cultures. It’s important for early career individuals to get an idea of how to step into this next phase of their lives, and how to set boundaries around work so that they have time to recuperate and focus clearly the next day.

• Have a culture of learning and foster a feedback culture insofar that a new graduate is expected to not know the answers, to make errors, and to fail and these are all viewed as a necessary part of career development. Emphasise the value that new graduates can bring to the organisation. A rigid feedback culture can foster feelings of frustration and hopelessness in new hires. The ability to give feedback is an important component of any employee’s job control and engagement, which we know can be a predisposing factor for burnout.

2. HIRE NEW GRADUATES FOR ‘BEST FIT’ AND CHECK IN REGULARLY

Organisations that hire on the basis of school grades fail to consider if a graduate will be a good fit for that particular role. Developing capability frameworks and success profiles means that organisations are aware of what it takes to succeed in the roles they are hiring for. This cascades down to the hiring process, and incorporating psychometric assessment to match job characteristics to new graduates can not only reveal who may be the ‘best fit’ for the role, it may also reveal areas for an employee’s development and potentially reduce turnover.

Once hired, it’s important to check in on a regular basis with graduates particularly on those aspects known to contribute to burnout (autonomy, job control, role clarity, workload) and make adjustments to their role where indicated.

3. INVEST IN YOUR LEADERS (and, in turn, your culture)

Leadership plays a vital part in your organisational culture.[9] Leaders set the tone for their team in terms of expectations for performance, they can motivate them towards high performance and cohesion, and in doing so weather challenging times.

There are factors that contribute to good leadership, and by investing in the development of their leaders organisations are investing in better organisational culture. Perquiro outlines these factors in their A BRAVE Leader model, identifying these qualities as critical to good leadership:

• Authentic leaders have a strong understanding of their own values and act with integrity.

• Balanced leaders remain calm in challenging situations and are open to feedback.

• Rational leaders use logic to guide decision making, are consultative, and check their own assumptions.

• Action-oriented leaders act promptly and demonstrate accountability.

• Visionary leaders communicate the organisation’s vision and invests in building collective goals.

• Empathetic leaders show genuine care and concern for others.

4. SEEK ASSISTANCE

In much the same way that we would encourage individuals to reach out and seek help if they’re experiencing burnout, organisations would be well-placed to call in consultants to look at their overall culture, as well as their hiring and onboarding processes, and how these facilitate or buffer against burnout in their team and, particularly, their new graduates.

A blend of organisational design and workplace consultants (such as our organisational psychology arm Perquiro) and clinical and registered psychologists that focus on workplace mental health (that’s us!) can help set your organisation on the right path through helpful work design, appropriate recruitment practices, and equipping employees with the right tools to help them manage their own wellbeing.

---

Early-career burnout getting you down? Grab our tip sheet below to learn more about how to help yourself.

You're almost there! Check your email and you're one step closer to the tip sheet on How to Recover from Burnout. (Tip - Can't find our email in your inbox? Check your junk mail folder, and be sure to add us to your Safe List!).

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Email Address

I'd like to receive the free email course. Send it to me!

Grab our tip sheet and you'll also get access to our Resource Library filled with even more tips on wellbeing, mental health, and performance. You'll also receive news and updates at The Skill Collective. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any newsletter email you receive from us, or by contacting us. For more information please read our Privacy Policy and Terms + Conditions.

---

---

REFERENCES

[1] Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B., & Leither, M.P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review in Psychology, 52, 397-422.

[2] Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2008). The truth about burnout: How organizations cause personal stress and what to do about it. John Wiley & Sons.

[3] Handy, C.B. (1976). Understanding Organisations. Penguin, Harmondsworth.

[4] Jackson, S. E., Schwab, R. C., & Schuler, R. S. (1986). Towards an understanding of the burnout phenomenon. Journal of Applied Psychology 71, 630-640.

[5] Peake, M. (2015, July 10). Do you have early career burnout? Friday Magazine. https://fridaymagazine.ae/life-culture/people-profiles/do-you-have-early-career-burnou-1.1547679

[6] Lowe, K. B., Kroeck, K. G., & Sivasubramaniam, N. (1996). Effectiveness correlates of transformational and transactional leadership: A meta-analytic review of the MLQ literature. The leadership quarterly, 7(3), 385-425.

[7] Zopiatis, A., & Constanti, P. (2010). Leadership styles and burnout: is there an association?. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

[8] Hesketh, I., & Cooper, C.L. (2014). Leavism at work. Occupational medicine, 4, 146-147.

[9] Mohelska, H., & Sokolova, M. (2015). Organisational culture and leadership – joint vessels? Procedia – Social and Behavioural Sciences, 171, 1011-1016.

Early career burnout - Part 1: Individual factors

EARLY-CAREER Burnout (Part 1: Individual factors)

by Giulia Villa + Joyce Chong

What is EARLY CAREER BURNOUT ?

Commencing a career is an important transition point in a young person’s life, and the first ‘real’ job should be an exciting new adventure. Yet the challenge of adapting to a new role and a new lifestyle can come with a great deal of stress. For many who are in the early stages of their career, and starting to feel stressed and anxious about work, it’s important to consider if poor wellbeing is tipping into early career burnout. Burnout is a work-related state of mind comprising exhaustion, distancing from one’s work, and decreased personal achievement [1].

Why are new graduates at the beginning of their career at a higher risk of burnout? There may be a combination of factors, including experiencing challenges they feel underprepared to cope with, or unable to fit into a new culture and way of life. Overwhelmed and unable to adjust to their new circumstances (both professionally and personally), these individuals then start to experience burnout.

Burnout is a phenomenon recognised in many professions - something routinely identified amongst junior doctors and nurses, teachers and academics (amongst many others) - yet we all have the potential to experience burnout, no matter our profession or our stage of career, and it has a very real effect.

“Consider the impact of health professionals caring for the lives of others, workers operating heavy machinery, and teachers tasked with educating the next generation, turning up to work feeling frazzled and overwhelmed. ”

Indeed, burnout is regarded as such a significant issue that the 11th Revision of the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) has classified it as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.[2]

Organisations should sit up and notice the very real implications that burnout has for employee wellbeing and mental health, lost productivity, and turnover, and it is something that is disproportionately affecting early career employees. In fact:

• Burnout is affecting millennials at a higher that average rate compared to the general population (84% vs. 77%), resulting in higher levels of turnover according to a survey on burnout conducted by Deloitte.

• The proportion of Gen Z experiencing burnout is catching up to Millennials, with this in part attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic that saw the lines between work and play blurred even further, as well as removing office-based social networks as a coping strategy.

In this two-part series on early career burnout we look at reasons why new graduates at the beginning of their career trajectory are at risk of burnout, and what can be done to make the transition easier at the organisational and individual levels. Here, we shine a light on those personal factors that contribute to early career burnout.

---

Individual factors in early career burnout

For many, ‘early career’ follows many years at university or in an apprenticeship. Stepping into a job can look very different from sitting in a classroom, or working under significant direction, as you transition into working independently in an organisation. Below are some individual factors that contribute to early-career burnout.

Mindset, Imposter syndrome, Perfectionism, and early career burnout

Mindset plays a powerful role in early career burnout. Consider the expectations you had of your first ‘real job’, and your desire to make a good impression in the workplace. Stepping into the real world may even trigger Imposter Syndrome, in which you feel like an intellectual fraud and fear being exposed. These fears can then lead to perfectionistic coping behaviours so as to avoid negative evaluation, which in turn can inflate workload and contribute to burnout. [3][4]

Openness to feedback and normalisation of ‘failing’

When there is a fear of failure, feedback and asking for help can seem taboo - as if bringing into sharp attention one’s inability to understand what’s expected of them. This mindset [5] can be self-sabotaging, particularly where goals are not communicated clearly to you - rather than asking for clarification, a fear of failure can lead you to spend too much time trying to guess what you’re supposed to be doing.

Ability to manage yourself - what your study habits reveal

Congrats! Your uni days are finally behind you. Or are they? You may have heard every tertiary student’s favourite saying: “Ps get degrees”, mainly that passing your course and getting a degree helps with finding a job. While this is hard to argue against, there are certain student characteristics that set you up for a helpful adjustment to your new role or early career burnout. An 18-year exploratory longitudinal study tracking students through their university studies and subsequently into the workforce found that individuals who showed high initial social optimism, and whose social optimism increased, were less likely to withdraw and ‘self-handicap’ through task avoidance.[6],[7]. Put simply, being able to manage yourself and avoid procrastination bodes well for an easier transition into the workforce.

Constant connection and social comparisons

Yes, smartphones and laptops, as well as the blurring of work and personal spaces thanks to COVID-19, means that many early career individuals can essentially be constantly connected. However, is it in your best interest to be tethered to your work at all hours of the day, dreading each time you receive an email notification?

Constant connection can also breed upward social comparisons with other early-career colleagues, or even those whom you studied with. This can lead to lowered self-esteem as you believe that everyone else has achieved more than you, and create pressure to perform at - or even exceed - what you think others are doing [8].

---

Tips TO MANAGE early career burnout

1.Manage your expectations

The start of your career is an exciting time indeed, but it’s important to manage your expectations (about the job, about your work pace, about what is expected) appropriately to avoid burning out. Learn all you can about your role, look to others who perform similar roles for guidance, but above all recognise that you are at the very start. Avoid comparing yourself to someone who has done this for 5 or 10 years.

2. Practice self-care (no, really!)

Nurturing your mind, physical health and social life is just as important as nurturing your career. Some ideas for finding balance are:

• Make the most of your lunch breaks. Take a mindful break by going for a walk, enjoying a meal away from your desk or calling a friend. This will give your brain a much-needed rest and boost your energy levels for the rest of the day.

• Schedule ‘me time’ as you would schedule meetings. Whether it’s an exercise class, your meal-prep time or a social outing, blocking this time out in your calendar will help you stick to your plans.

• Listen to your body’s cues. Everyone is different. You may find yourself losing sleep, getting sick more often, or simply being in a worse overall mood. Ignoring these signs is likely to lead to a breaking point later down the track, so be vigilant that your body may be trying to tell you something.

3. Set boundaries with others and with yourself

This may seem daunting to a new starter, but protecting your own wellbeing will make you a better employee in the long run. If you are able to, consider removing unessential work-related content from your mobile phone. Reducing the notifications you’re receiving after work hours will help you switch off, so that you can be more refreshed and productive the next day. New employees often overestimate what their boss actually expects of them. To avoid miscommunications, setting boundaries may involve having a conversation with your employer about your availability outside of work hours and the importance of this time for your rest and wellbeing. Our article on leavism can help you understand what leads us to work outside of work hours or on holidays and what we can do about this.[7]

4. Seek help

Our tip sheet below looks at some ways in which you can manage burnout, but if your burnout symptoms have reached a level that you feel you no longer can control, it may be time to speak to a professional. Most workplaces provide confidential psychological support services via Employee Assistance Programs, or you can reach out to an external professional to assist you in this time such as a psychologist who works with workplace mental health (like us!) to help you understand the cause and drive of your burnout as well as help you manage them so you can go back to feeling like yourself.

---

Early-career burnout getting you down? Grab our tip sheet below to learn more about how to help yourself.

You're almost there! Check your email and you're one step closer to the tip sheet on How to Recover from Burnout. (Tip - Can't find our email in your inbox? Check your junk mail folder, and be sure to add us to your Safe List!).

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Email Address

I'd like to receive the free email course. Send it to me!

Grab our tip sheet and you'll also get access to our Resource Library filled with even more tips on wellbeing, mental health, and performance. You'll also receive news and updates at The Skill Collective. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any newsletter email you receive from us, or by contacting us. For more information please read our Privacy Policy and Terms + Conditions.

---

---

REFERENCES

[1] Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B., & Leither, M.P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review in Psychology, 52, 397-422.

[2] https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases

[3] Sakulku, J., & Alexander, J. (2011). The imposter phenomenon. International Journal of Behavioral Science, 6, 75-97.

[4] Dudau, D.P. (2014). The relation between perfectionism and imposter phenomenon. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 127, 129-133. Doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.226.

[5] Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.

[6] Salmela-Aro, K., Tolvanen, A., & Nurmi, J. E. (2009). Achievement strategies during university studies predict early career burnout and engagement. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75, 162-172.

[7] Salmela-Aro, K., Tolvanen, A., & Nurmi, J.A. (2011). Social strategies during university studies predict early career work burnout and engagement: 18-year longitudinal study. Journal of Vocational behavior, 79, 145-157.

[8] Patrick, H., Neighbors, C., & Knee, C.R. (2004). Appearance-related social comparisons: The role of contingent self-esteem and self-perceptions of attractiveness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 501-514.

[9] Hesketh, I., & Cooper, C.L. (2014). Leavism at work. Occupational medicine, 4, 146-147