Burnout impacts people in all fields. It’s certainly not exclusive to those working in communication and public relations. However, there are a few unique factors in our chosen profession that makes burnout especially difficult to address. My shortlist:
🔥 Our work is never truly “done”
🔥 Impacts of the changed media landscape
🔥 Operating in reactive mode
Before getting into these in more depth, let’s explore what’s happening everywhere.
What the data tells us about burnout
I recently looked at the 2024 Eagle Hill Consulting Workforce Burnout Survey conducted by Ipsos in February. The survey included more than 1,200 respondents from a random sample of employees across the country. Highlights from the report:
Overall, just under half of workers in all fields are experiencing burnout and it’s not getting markedly better. Progress has plateaued. Ugh.
Challenges specific to communicators
Moving on to our profession, how do things look for us? Back in 2020, burnout during the pandemic soared for communicators. Check out this 2020 statistic from Forbes:
"A recent survey that polled 7,000 professionals nationwide found that marketing and communications professionals fared the worst among job functions with the highest burnout, with 83.3% reporting they were burned out."
By late 2022, burnout rates for communication and PR pros had stabilized:
"New research has found that half of people working in PR, marketing and comms reported experiencing severe stress, anxiety or burnout on several occasions over the past 12 months."
I think it’s safe to assume that the rate remains similar today to that 2022 number. Not worse, but not much better either. And it's higher than most other professions. I think that's due to some of the specific challenges we face. Starting with ...
🔥 Our work is never really done
Here is a phrase that just about any communicator will recoil from upon hearing: “We need to tell our story better.”
It hurts just to type those words!
Why?
First, that statement is totally dismissive of the excellent stories we do tell. Second, it’s not a measurable goal. No matter how well you tell your story, someone will always think it could have been done better. You could always reach more people. And their recall could always be stronger.
No company CEO has ever come up to a communicator and said, “I think we’ve told our story about as well as we possibly can. Everyone knows and understands what we’re telling them about our company. I'm totally satisfied. Let’s step off the gas for a bit.”
Never happened; never will happen. That’s just reality. We respond by keeping our foot on the gas and looking for the next opportunity to do something bigger, better and bolder than before.
🔥 Working with a changed media landscape
So much has changed in working with the media over the past two decades. Even business-oriented news is now 24/7/365. At the same time, the number of traditional media reporters has declined. We work harder than ever to pitch stories and respond to inquiries from overworked reporters.
The rise of "citizen journalists" and content creators is filling the traditional media void. Blogs, podcasts, webinars, social media and other opportunities abound.
Overall, the demand for content is higher than ever. It’s an insatiable beast and feeding it is our never-ending task.
🔥 Never shifting out of reactive mode
Working in both marketing and communication/PR roles during my career, I’ve noticed a specific challenge for those in the latter category.
So much of our work is reactive in nature. Crises pop up and we must respond. Sometimes they take days, weeks or even months to resolve. It puts planned work on hold. Those of us who dealt with the CrowdStrike IT outage a few weeks ago are familiar with that experience!
In marketing, there are very few real crises. You build a plan and work it. Things come up, but most of your planned work remains in motion.
The chaos factor isn’t set at 11 all the time like it is for communication/PR. Marketing is more like a 2 or 3.
Steps communicators can take to manage burnout
OK, I have stated the problem. Do I have a solution that will reduce burnout? Not totally, but there are some actions that can help.
The most important step is acknowledging that certain aspects of working in communication/PR will never change. We’re unlikely to have a dramatic reduction in crisis needs. Clients and partners are not going to become infinitely more reasonable. The media landscape won’t go back to how it was years ago. Workloads will always be heavier than we want. We need to focus on things we can control.
Here are four steps you can take:
Celebrate your wins: When things go right, don’t just move on. Share the good news with your partners. Apply for awards. Send thank-you emails. Take your team out to lunch. It’s human nature to dwell on the negative far more than we celebrate the positive.
Engage and educate your stakeholders: People who understand why and how you do your work are less likely to have unreasonable expectations. Look, I’m not saying it will be perfect. However, getting even a 10% improvement in partner relationships would be a step in the right direction. Right?
Ask others for help: So often, we are reluctant to say we need help with workloads. We wait until we’re at the breaking point. Don’t do that! Most likely, there is someone on your extended team who has time or is looking for a new challenge. Perhaps you can bring in a contractor. Maybe your boss will step up to assist. Only one thing is certain: nothing will change if you don’t ask for help.
Practice self-care: Please don’t be a martyr. Take time off. Use your PTO, even if it’s just for a staycation. It’s essential to take breaks from the type of work we do. If you need help to do that, ask. If you’re in a bad job with a boss who doesn't care, it’s time to start looking for something new.
💡 Closing thought: The action is the juice
When I’m asked why people like working in communications/PR, this movie quote always comes to mind, "For me, the action is the juice.”
I think most communicators would answer in the same way. Days are often unpredictable. You must move fast most of the time – often with less information than you need. It's an adrenaline rush for sure.
It's good to embrace the "action" of our jobs, because that's what keeps the work exciting. However, that action can also be a recipe for burnout.
Understanding when to dial things down and focus on self-care, team development and long-term planning is critical.
Doing both is possible, but it requires self-awareness and intention.
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