How do you feel about your work? Do its daily demands leave you burned out<\/a> and drained of energy? Do you find yourself reducing how much effort you make to engage in some “quiet” or “soft” quitting<\/a>? Or maybe you dream of taking a more decisive step and joining the “great resignation”<\/a>.<\/p>\n The prevalence \u2013 and popularity \u2013 of these responses suggests that there has been quite a change in many people’s attitude to the way they earn a living. Some think that this change stems from a post-pandemic<\/a> evaluation of work-life balance. Others say it’s an individual form of industrial action<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, these explanations keep the spotlight firmly on workers rather than the work itself. Perhaps the truth lies in a fundamental deterioration<\/a> in people’s relationship with their work and maybe the work needs to shoulder some of the responsibility.<\/p>\n We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences<\/a><\/p>\n From RT\u00c9 Brainstorm, why do we work? A deep dive into the motivations, purposes and challenges about why we clock in from 9 to 5 (or 7 to 3)<\/b><\/p>\n Our experience of working, and its impact on our lives, is about more than what goes on within the office or school or hospital or factory which pays our wages. Even something as simple (yet important<\/a>) as the number of hours someone works might be the result of a complex combination of national law, professional expectations and an organisation’s resources.<\/p>\n This is where something known as the “psychosocial work environment”<\/a> comes in \u2013 an approach (especially popular in Scandinavia) which examines the various structures, conditions and experiences that effect an employee’s psychological and emotional wellbeing. Research in this field suggests that there are three conditions vital to the modern work experience: autonomy, boundary management and “precarity”<\/a>.<\/p>\n Autonomy is about how much control and influence you have when it comes to doing your job and is key to how most employees feel about their work<\/a>. Low levels of autonomy can leave people feeling overwhelmed<\/a> and powerless. But high levels can also be detrimental<\/a>, leading to excessive levels of individual responsibility<\/a> and overwhelming hours<\/a>.<\/p>\n We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences<\/a><\/p>\n From RT\u00c9 Radio 1’s Reignite, all you need to know about burnout in the workplace<\/b><\/p>\n Setting boundaries<\/b><\/p>\n Ideally, you should have enough autonomy to feel a sense of flexibility and self-determination \u2013 but not so much that you feel you need to always be available and constantly on the clock<\/a>.<\/p>\n Boundary management<\/a> is the ability to manage the physical and mental boundaries between work and non-work lives. Achieving a suitable work-life balance has become even more important in a world of hybrid working<\/a>.<\/p>\n But in jobs with high levels of autonomy and responsibility, boundaries<\/a> can become blurred and unpredictable<\/a>. Phones ping with work related notifications, and leisure becomes work at the swipe of a screen.<\/p>\n We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences<\/a><\/p>\n From RT\u00c9 Radio 1’s Today with Claire Byrne, how to say no at work<\/b><\/p>\n All of this can lead to feelings of anxiety and exhaustion. The goal here is to set clear boundaries that bring predictability and clarity around work time and demands. This provides flexibility which is empowering rather than exploitative<\/a>.<\/p>\n Finally, “precarity” <\/a> refers to a lack of stability and security in life. It refers specifically to a harmful state<\/a> of uncertainty which is typically associated with job insecurity<\/a> (zero hours contracts for example).<\/p>\n This uncertainty and insecurity<\/a> can dominate daily work time (and free time), leading to feelings of stress and anxiety<\/a>. It can also have a negative impact on personal finances and career plans.<\/p>\n We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences<\/a><\/p>\n From RT\u00c9 2fm’s Laura Fox show, do you suffer from betterment burnout?<\/b><\/p>\n Income and contract security can help here, although people working in insecure jobs often have little power when it comes to persuading their employers to make the necessary changes.<\/p>\n But addressing the deteriorating relationship between employees and their work means confronting certain core conditions. Reflecting on the psychosocial elements of employment can help to identify the gap between expectation and actual experience.<\/p>\n Before experiencing burnout or resorting to quitting (in any of its forms), this approach encourages employees and employers to reflect on two key questions. How does work make you feel? And what are the things that cause those feelings?<\/p>\n Research on psychosocial work environments provides some guidance. It suggests that workers are more likely to thrive when they have autonomy that feels like control rather than abandonment, and flexibility and clarity that allows for a good work-life balance. They also need security that offers certainty in the present \u2013 and confidence in the future. Follow RT\u00c9 Brainstorm on WhatsApp<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> for more stories and updates<\/b><\/p>\n John-Paul Byrne<\/a> is a Lecturer in the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences<\/a>. This article was originally published by The Conversation<\/a>.<\/p>\n The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RT\u00c9<\/b><\/p>\n ![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1751639049_61_count.gif\"\/)
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