If you think burnout can be cured by taking few days off, think again!
Not long ago working from home was an added benefit that organisations offered their workforce However, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit us, work from home was no longer a perk but became a necessity. Extreme of anything can have adverse effects, and now with several months of working from home people are experiencing burnout effects. The World Health Organisation defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that’s characterised by feelings of exhaustion or energy depletion, negative or cynical feelings related to a job, and reduced professional efficacy.
A recent survey, from FlexJobs and Mental Health America reported that 75% of employees have experienced burnout and 40% of those polled expressed that it was the direct result of the pandemic. In fact, 37% of employed respondents say they are currently working longer hours than usual since the pandemic started.
Mental health has been an area of concern since the beginning of the pandemic, but stress has gone up at an alarming rate especially for the working individuals. As a Global Wellness Coach, let me share some common signs that people are experiencing due to the burnout but are not aware of it.
Low levels of energy
When one gets overworked, the productivity and efficiency goes down. So if you find yourself making a lot of mistakes, taking longer to finish tasks, or producing lower quality work, it could be a sign of burnout.
Change in behaviour
Exhibiting personal or professional behaviours that are new, different, or less productive than in the past. So, if you are becoming less communicative than usual or feeling detached and isolated then there is a possibility that you’re experiencing burnout.
Emotional outbursts
Frustration building up for small things, getting angry, showing a change in mood, impatience with colleagues are all examples of emotional display of any pent up negative feelings. These emotional outbursts become frequent when one is burnt out.
Physical impact
Since our mind and body are connected, it is inevitable that when our mind is not functioning well, our body will give reactions, these reactions can be in the form of pain in the neck or back, indigestion, acidity, insomnia, loss of appetite etc.
As a business leader it is imperative to find ways to ensure that team members are supported and their wellness is taken care of even if you don’t meet them personally. If you think that burnout can be cured by taking just a few days off, think again as burnout is not just exhaustion from work, it is known to cause several physical and emotional conditions; and sometimes even death.
While burnout may become challenging to solve, it is an apparent concern especially with the new ways of working. Thus, a need to create Wellness Culture while working virtually is becoming increasingly important.
Following are the responses recorded in the survey done by FlexJobs and Mental Health America where the respondents said that they would be open to participating in virtual mental health solutions such as:
Meditation sessions
45% of the respondents expressed their desire to experience meditation as a part of their daily routine.
Healthy eating classes
38% were open to the idea of learning to cook and eat healthy
Virtual workout classes
37% wanted to experience workout classes virtually to enhance their physical health.
Desktop yoga
32% of the respondents were eager to learn quick yoga exercises to do while sitting on your desktop.
Webinars about mental health topics
31% of the respondents expressed their desire to become aware of mental health through talks and webinars.
As business leaders we have to create a wellness culture; which enables the individuals to adopt the appropriate system of wellness in their lives and thus ensure a healthy, productive and effective workforce.
While the organisation can provide ways for their members to avoid burnout by building wellness culture; let me share some simple tips that individuals can use and cope with work from home burnout.
Be kind to yourself
Recognise and accept that you may be experiencing any of the above given symptoms. To help ease the stress- try to implement a routine and structure in your day-to-day life.
Do something that feels good
Doing any activity that makes you feel happy releases some of the feel-good neuro-chemicals in your brain that gives you a bolt of much needed energy. It can be watching a fun video, sitting or walking outside for some time, playing an instrument, etc basically anything to soften that work brain a bit.
Creating a routine of doing mindful exercises
Consider doing following mindful exercises as a replacement to your old routine that can help you to improve focus and manage uncertainty.
- Breath-workThis simple breathing exercise can lower stress in the body and you can set timers during the day to do this. Here’s how to do it.
- On the inhalation, hold and count 1-2-3-4
- On the exhalation, hold and count 1-2-3-4-5-6
- Repeat this for 5 times
- Mantra MeditationThis helps in building focus and it can be done in continuation to the previous exercise. Pick your mantra, it could be any statement or an aim and say it as if you have accomplished itsuch as “I am calm”, “I’m relaxed” or “I’m focused” etc. Repeat it for as many times you wish silently after the breath-work.
- Gratitude MindfulnessThis requires you to list down the things that you are grateful for each day. After you write it down, concentrate and be thankful and mindful of the feelings you are experiencing. This helps in creating the feeling of being hopeful rather than being fearful.
The situation is indeed alarming and building a Corporate Wellness Culture is deemed necessary both for the welfare of the organisations and for the workforce too.
Key takeaways
- Data shows 75% of employees have experienced burnout and 40% expressed that it was the direct result of the pandemic.
- Mental health has been an area of concern since the beginning of the pandemic, but stress has gone up at an alarming rate.
- If you find yourself making a lot of mistakes, taking longer to finish tasks, or producing lower quality work, it could be a sign of burnout.
- It is inevitable that when our mind is not functioning well, our body will give reactions,
- Building a Corporate Wellness Culture is deemed necessary both for the welfare of the organisations and for the workforce.
