1. Headsets911
Recognizing Burnout

2. What is Stress?
An adaptive response to a situation that is perceived as challenging or threatening to the person’s well-being

3. What is Burnout?
Burnout is physical, emotional or spiritual exhaustion brought about by sustained stress without adequate adjustment.
Burnout is otherwise know as exhaustion or when the bodily reserves used in the stress response have been used up.

4. Who Suffers From Burnout
Anyone can suffer from burnout.
It is not a sign of weakness, mental illness or inability to cope with life.
Burnout can be treated, overcome, and prevented in the future.

5. A Healthy Stress Pattern
Uh Oh!
Excited
Normal
Ah!
Relaxed

6. A Unhealthy Stress Pattern
Excited
Uh Oh!
Uh Oh!
Breakdown
Uh Oh!
Relaxed

7. Telecommunicator Stress Compared to Other Occupations
Accountant
Artist
Auto Mechanic
Forester
Hospital manager
Physician (GP)
Psychologist
School principal
Police officer
Police Dispatcher
Air Traffic Controller
Waiter/waitress
Medium-Stress
Occupations
High-Stress
Occupations
Low-Stress
Occupations

8. The Stress Response
The Clue to Burnout

9. Three Stages Initial Response - Alert Stage Resistance Stage
Exhaustion Stage

10. The G.A.S. in Action Stage 1 Alarm Reaction Stage 2 Resistance Stage 3
Exhaustion
This is where the curve
Peaks if adaptation
Occurs normal
Notice how the curve first dips before ascending upward?

11. The General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
A Three-Stage physiological response to stress.
Sometimes also known as the “Fight or Flight” response.
Occurs several times a day.
Occurs every time a stressor is introduced into our environment.

12. The GAS – Stage One – ALERT
Digestion is slowed
Sugar is released
Adrenaline is secreted
Blood thickens
Respiration increases
Heart rate increases
Blood pressure increases
Muscles tense
Blood shifts away from the skin

13. Some of The Biological Reactions to Stress
The brain signals the release of adrenaline, dopamine, and norepinephrine, as well as the primary stress hormone coritisol.
Your heart rate and blood pressure elevate and breathing becomes rapid and shallow. This restricts oxygen to the brain which increases the tension and stress.
The spleen pumps more red blood and white blood cells into your bloodstream to enable increased transportation of oxygen to the body. The immune system is suppressed as white blood cells are transported to parts of the body that may be injured.

14. The GAS – Stage Two - RESISTANCE
Not as intense as the Alarm Stage, but bodily levels of hormonal secretion are still above normal
Occurs during the stress response and if stressor is removed helps return the body to normal levels.

15. The GAS – Stage 3 - EXHAUSTION
Resistance all but ceased
Bodily systems have been depleted due to prolonged resistance
Can bring about the threat of onset of “diseases of adaptation”

16. Role-Related Stressors
Job Burnout Process
Interpersonal and
Role-Related Stressors
Emotional
Exhaustion
Physiological,
psychological,
and behavioral
consequences
Depersonalization
Reduced Personal
Accomplishment

17. Stressors and Stress Outcomes
Work
Stressors
Physical
environment
Role-related
Interpersonal
Organizational
Individual
Differences
Consequences
of Stress
Physiological
Behavioral
Psychological
Stress
Nonwork
Stressors

18. Symptoms of Burnout Symptoms are grouped into three categories:
Physiological
Cognitive/psychological
Behavioral

19. Physiological Symptoms
Loss of appetite/gain of appetite
Weight loss/weight gain
Trembling
Fatigue
Insomnia
Anger
Depression
Malaise

20. Physiological Consequences
Colds, headaches, and situations caused by muscle contractions may occur.
Cardiovascular disease and hypertension may result.
Unexplained weight gain or loss.

21. Psychological Consequences
Emotional exhaustion - also called compassion fatigue, it represents the first stage of burnout and plays a central role in the burnout process.
Depersonalization - follows emotional exhaustion and is identified by the treatment of others as objects rather than people.
Reduced personal accomplishment - the final component of job burnout which refers to the decline in one's feelings of competence and success.

22. Behavioral Consequences
When stress becomes distress, job performance falls and workplace accidents are more common.
High stress levels impair the ability to remember information, make effective decisions, and take appropriate action.
Overstressed employees tend to have higher levels of absenteeism.

23. Signs of Excessive Stress
Confusion in thinking
Difficulty making decisions
Increased heart rate
Rapid breathing
Depression
Change in eating habits
Feeling overwhelmed

24. More Signs of Excessive Stress
Headache
Sleep disturbances
Difficulty in concentrating
Short temper
Upset stomach
Job dissatisfaction

25. What to Do? Know Yourself Know your limitations
Gage your reactions, learn to take each day one step at a time
Become a “Stress Expert”, know about Stress and how it affects your mind and body.
Don’t do nothing, if you think you are getting burned out and have the symptoms speak to someone about it!

26. We are here to help!
Headsets911 is the ONLY Dispatcher Specific Stress Management Company. We know about Dispatcher stress and how to help you cope with it. We have a trained and competent network of professionals to help you.
Contact us by with any questions you may have. Again, the worst action is NO action. If you are suffering from burnout, you are not alone. There is hope, there is help!