More and more people are feeling tired and lonely at work. In analyzing the General Social Survey of 2016, we found that, compared with roughly 20 years ago, people are twice as likely to report that they are always exhausted. Close to 50% of people say they are often or always exhausted due to work. This is a shockingly high statistic — and it’s a 32% increase from two decades ago. What’s more, there is a significant correlation between feeling lonely and work exhaustion: The more people are exhausted, the lonelier they feel.
Burnout at Work Isn’t Just About Exhaustion. It’s Also About Loneliness
More and more people are feeling tired and lonely at work — and it’s having an impact not just on individuals but organizations too. The authors’ research shows that 50% of people across professions are burned out. Experts and companies have struggled to figure out how to counter this growing level of burnout. Many recommendations focus on relieving stress, teaching mindfulness, or reducing workload — all of which treat burnout as an individual condition. But its link to loneliness suggests that greater human connection at work may also be key to solving the burnout problem. Leaders and managers can play a key role in helping people feel less lonely, and therefore, less burned out at work by promoting a workplace of empathy and inclusion, encouraging employees to build networks that can provide emotional support, and celebrating collective success that fosters a sense of belonging.