Occupational burnout: A Problem That Needs to be Solved (Part 2)

As we’ve established before, to take care of employees’ mental well-being both individuals and organizations need to take action. The following strategies are recommended to employees to help prevent burnout:

1. Balance your Workload

A busy workload is the result of not being able to say “No” when necessary. If your workload is too heavy it’s ok to let go of your perfectionism and ask for help. Planning ahead of your deadline is also a great way to distribute your work so that you won’t feel pressured by the end. Balancing your workload can effectively reduce your stress levels.

2. Take your work under control

Gaining a sense of control over your work can affect your mood. Avoiding role conflicts in the workplace and examining your boundaries can help you feel more at ease whilst working. It’s important to remember that you should keep work at work and you have other priorities in your life.

3. Build healthy relationships

Developing a healthy team with colleagues can help you feel a sense of belonging and boost your morale. With more team bonding, you can easily rely on each other and share your concerns which decreases the chances of burnout.

4. Communicate with your managers

Your manager can make a huge difference in your experience as an employee. You need to feel valued and recognized for your hard work and the contributions you make. Therefore, if you perceive your work as unfair or if your values are not matching up with your work, you need to voice your concerns and communicate with your leaders. You may not be the only uncomfortable employee therefore approaching your managers might make a positive change.

5. Take care of your mental health

Burnout is closely related to your emotional and mental health. Sometimes you might not be aware that you need a break from your busy schedule. Pushing your limits at work is not only unproductive but can also be the cause of your burnout. It’s important to practice mindfulness and take some time off to do the things you enjoy. If needed, try therapy to ensure your mental wellbeing.

6. Pay attention to your physical health

Be sure to have a healthy sleeping schedule. Try to fit in daily exercise in your routine and don’t forget to eat healthily. Additionally, stress can take a toll on your body. Muscle tension, headaches, and other issues may be due to the lack of self-care and anxiety so it’s important to take care of your physical health.

According to limeade, burnout doesn’t happen over a night and there are different phases that finally lead to this issue. Being aware of these phases and knowing when to step in, is crucial for managers who want to help their employees recover.

 The approaches mentioned below are recommended to managers and leaders to manage their employees’ burnout:

1. Provide time off for employees to recover and take care of their health. Make sure that employees can take a break without feeling guilty. This break not only increases one’s concentration but also reduces stress levels.
2. Check on your team’s well-being. Arrange meetings to address existing issues and hear out your employees’ concerns. By creating social connections, employees can get encouraged to communicate and seek help for their stress and tension.
3. Give value to your employees’ work and give them a sense of purpose. Assign everyone’s goals and acknowledge their contributions and let them know how their work plays a role in the company’s values. This allows individuals to feel motivated to do better in their job while being satisfied with their current position.
4. With remote working becoming the new norm, it’s important to set boundaries to help employees balance their work and life. Workers who have to be available 24/7 throughout the day tend to experience burnout early on.
5. Managers should be educated about stress, anxiety, and burnout. They should know how to guide troubled employees to resources since many companies have already had a plan in place for their employees’ mental health and well-being such as therapy sessions, webinars, and so on.

According to Moss “The key to [creating] comfort inside organizations is being permitted to prioritize mental health.” In her interview with CNBC she claimed that to prevent burnout, leaders should trust their employees and create flexibility in the workplace.  A 15-minute meeting a week between managers and employees was recommended by her to help employees connect with their leaders and talk about mental health issues. Questions like: “How was this week?” or “What can I do for you next week to make things easier?” should be covered during these meetings.

Burnout isn’t just feeling exhausted. It’s and physical reaction to constant excessive stress which can be avoided if treated correctly. Both individuals and companies have a role to play however, it’s up to the companies to create an ideal environment and make well-being a part of their work culture. Fortunately, more and more companies are acknowledging the importance of mental health and hopefully, with the correct approach, employees’ stress and burnout can be managed.