Burnout
Dan Ward
p0lr@p0lr.org
What is Burnout?
“Burnout is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and
interpersonal stressors on the job, and is defined by the three
dimensions of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.”
Excerpted from Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B., and Leiter, M.P, Annual Review of Psychology, V.52, 2001,pp.397-422
“Burnout is a psychological term that refers to long-term
exhaustion and diminished interest in work.”
Excerpted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnout_(psychology)
“the failure of the existential quest”—that moment when we wake
up one morning and realize that what we’re doing has
appallingly little value.
Ayala Pines - Excerpted from http://nymag.com/news/features/24757
“the gap between expectation and reward”
Alden Cass - Excerpted from http://nymag.com/news/features/24757
Why Do We Talk About Burnout?
The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire…
•
Burnout has become a high-profile issue in the
infosec community
•
@secburnout team raised this issue early
on…Security BSides Las Vegas, 2011
•
◦
(McKeay, Corman, Thayer, Yerrid, Shpantzer, Daniel)
◦
http://www.slideshare.net/secburnout/burnout-in-information-security
…And it continues to be a problem
Why Do We Talk About Burnout?
Early identification is the key to prevention & recovery
1.
The personality that excels at information
security is also highly susceptible to burnout
2.
We’re not exactly a humble or social bunch
◦
◦
3.
Symptoms may manifest differently and, therefore,
not be recognized.
Reaching out for help is difficult
You may be more burned out than you realize
http://www.cio.co.uk/news/security/stress-burnout-hazard-in-infosec-careers/
http://www.businesscomputingworld.co.uk/it-security-professionals-are-facing-burnout-risk/
Stages of Burnout
The Compulsion to Prove Oneself
2. Working Harder
3. Neglecting Needs
4. Displacement of Conflicts
5. Revision of Values
6. Denial of Emerging Problems
7. Withdrawal
8. Obvious Behavioral Changes
9. Depersonalization
10. Inner Emptiness
11. Depression
12. Burnout
Employer loves you
Employer tolerates
you
Employer acts
Escalation of burnout
1.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnout_(psychology)
Causes of Burnout
“Imagine investigating the personality of
cucumbers to discover why they had turned
into sour pickles without analyzing the vinegar
barrels in which they’d been submerged!”
Christine Maslach - Excerpted from http://nymag.com/news/features/24757
• Working too much
• Unjust environments
• Little support
• Working where you feel unable to effect change
• Serving values you loath
• Insufficient reward (whether the currency is money,
prestige, or positive feedback)
InfoSec Burnout Survey Results
Maslach Burnout Indicator (MBI)
5
4.5
4
InfoSec
3.5
General Population
3
2.5
0 – Never
1 – A few times a year or less
2 – Once a month or less
3 – A few times a month
4 – Once a week
5 – A few times a week
6 – Every day
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Exhaustion
Cynicism
Efficacy
InfoSec Burnout Survey Results
Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS)
4
3.5
3
2.5
InfoSec
General Population
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
1 – Strongly Disagree
2 – Disagree
3 – Hard to Decide
4 – Agree
5 – Strongly Agree
Burnout “First Aid Kit”
1. Realize there is a problem
2. Determine why there is a problem
• Start with expectations and commitments
3. Make small changes
• Can you reset or renegotiate expectations?
• Can you gracefully rescind commitments?
4. Take care of yourself
• Sleep
• Diet
• Exercise
5. Enforce downtime
6. Find a purpose outside of work
Additional proactive steps
1. What is your “first alert”? (Personal danger signs &
triggers)
• Danger signs: What are your stress habits
(eating, drinking, being rude)
• Triggers: Too many assignments, office politics,
comments from co-workers, boss, friends
2. Enlist your own personal EMT crew
• People you trust to identify your danger zone
• Give them a list of triage tricks
3. Share your “get-well” plans
• Asking for help, helps
• Helping others, also helps
• Strengthening connections = key
Burnout: Long-term Management
1. Examine things outside of work that may be contributing to
stress and burnout
2. Examine your job role and your career ensuring that they fit
your personality and natural talents
3. Examine your employer and your community to ensure that
you share common values
4. As you discover areas of stress and conflict, start building
longer-term plans to resolve them.
5. As you implement larger changes, check back periodically to
make sure things are improving and adjust your plans
accordingly
6. Once you create a more compatible work life, perform
burnout self-checks to make sure you don’t recreate the
problems that drove you to unhappiness.
For More Information
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/burnout_qt/what_is_burnout.pdf
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/burnout/WL00062/
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm
http://www.stressdoc.com/four_stages_burnbout.htm
http://www.slideshare.net/secburnout/burnout-in-information-security
http://nymag.com/news/features/24757/