This article was originally posted on LinkedIn on 15th Dec 2021.

Recently there has been an increase in the awareness of workplace burnout, but perhaps more as a buzzword than with the serious focus it deserves. In some cases, you could argue that it has been used as a badge or symbol of the ultimate sacrifice to our tendency to overwork and be a martyr to our “always on” culture. Read on to hear the risks, symptoms and proactive ways to tackle and reverse burnout.

Setting the scene - Workplace stress is a known phenomenon. But it was in 2019, the World Health Organisation officially recognised “Burnout” as a health condition, a “syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress”. Adding the current context of a global pandemic, research is constantly finding that “living at work, as some call it, or working from home only, is beginning to take its toll. In fact, a recent Eurofound research has shown that longer working hours, not ideal workspace conditions at home, and isolation, are just a few of the negatives being reported. With boundaries between work and life increasingly being blurred, longer working hours and the inability to switch off are now becoming common complaints.

At its very worst….Although not classified as a health condition but a more occupational phenomenon, burnout, if ignored, can result in absenteeism due to stress, poor performance and general feelings of malady related to one's work. If there are other stressors and underlying health conditions, it could end up in longer periods of absence from work. 

Knowing the signs - The following list represent some of the early warning signs related to burnout that you should be mindful of:

• feeling disengaged and mentally at a distance from work - possibly feeling negatively towards work-related tasks

• the manifestation of physical symptoms, like headaches and muscle tension

• exhaustion and energy depletion

• reduced performance, lack of focus, and decreased productivity

• heightened emotions and sensitivity

Read more about recognising these signs here in this Silicon Republic article.

Employer’s duty of care - Managers and employers have a duty of care for their workers. This encompasses more than just physical wellbeing and includes addressing “psychosocial” risks as well, such as burnout. Professor John Gallagher from Cognate Health, encourages a proactive approach - ask, don’t assume“What I always say is that managers and employers need to ‘ask, don’t assume’ when it comes to discussing mental health concerns. We can’t assume a person is dealing with an issue and we can’t leave them to handle it by themselves. Managers need to reach out to employees and ask them how they are doing, especially if there have been any warning signs,” said Gallagher.

The additional challenge of stigma - Concerns and complaints that are “psychosocial” or related to an employee's mental health, can also have an added layer of complexity: a stigma, throwing a shadow over these types of conversations, where an employee does not feel comfortable discussing his/her own mental wellbeing in the work setting. In fact, a recent survey 70% of workers said they “fear disclosing mental health issues to their employer”

Key tactics to combat burnout - Going back to the list of warning signs above, do you recognise any of the signs of burnout? Take these key steps below to make sure you start to reverse any risk of burnout:

1. Rest and take downtime wherever possible - From taking extra breaks during your working day, to taking lunch time away from your desk to proactively taking your annual leave. Focusing on recovery through rest is key.

2. Focus on the quality of that downtime - Be clear with your intention that any downtime should be of a high quality, without interruptions and ideally with the opportunity to switch off from technology and devices.

3. Dedicated focus time and calendar blocking - Distractions and interruptions can add to that feeling of overwhelm. Block your calendar with key time periods for focus time and concentration

4. Escape the zoom tomb - Escape the zoom tomb - whenever you can, reduce the potential of zoom fatigue check out our previous article for key tips and ways to manage the threat of too many video meetings

5. A concern shared is a concern halved - talk about how you are feeling and the signs you are noticing. Find a confidant, friend or colleague you feel comfortable sharing with. Some people find writing and journaling about what they are noticing helpful to process these feelings, take positive steps to ease the pain and move to positively changing their daily routines.

As the month moves on now in December, we are nearing the Christmas season, finally having the opportunity to put some of these positive practices in place during our holiday season. Embrace this moment to reset any bad habits, aiming to adopt new and healthier habits as we move into 2022.

Find out more today about the "RoRemote" approach here.

This article was originally posted on LinkedIn on 15th Dec 2021.