Flight attendants in the United States have asked for special federal legislation, called ‘air rage laws,’ to protect them against unruly passengers.  It could be that airlines (both management and cabin crew) need to look at how to make the whole flying experience more friendly, rather than blame their customers of which it is estimated only one in three million engage in air rage.

- Janelle Barlow and Dianna Maul, Emotional Value

As Janelle Barlow and Dianna Maul point out, if burnout is let to grow too large, it easily results in a complete loss of perspective.  In their example, the flight attendants were vastly overestimating their risk of being a victim of air rage because there were other issues at play—instead of only focusing on protecting themselves, they could instead focus on how they can improve the environment for the passengers so they can eliminate the issues before they start.  No one is saying customer service representatives shouldn’t be protected, but that their burnout has resulted in a lack of perspective that prevents them from seeing the underlying problem.  

Combat this situation first with awareness—just knowing that this is a common occurrence can help you take a step back and make a more appropriate decision.  And second, attack your burnout stress head on.  For example, check out these 10 stress reduction tips or these tips for being your best self at work for a bigger-picture perspective.