Back to school/work...
The summer is nearly over, at least in this part of the world, where temperatures are less than half those of the South of France and nearly a third of Southern Spain regions.
The UK is still as humid as ever and with cooler days upon us, we can only wish for an Indian summer and a few more sunny days before we swim in the greys.
In the coming days, kids will go back to school and our workload will once again increase.
It is very easy to go back into a routine and push ourselves until the next break.
How are you looking after yourself and your mental health until then?
Have you developed healthy coping mechanisms or are you just living a day at a time, hoping for a better day tomorrow?
People across the world are burned out, exhausted and depressed.
Burnout isn’t new, and news of burnout isn’t really news.
So why is it still an issue, and what can we do about it?
Before answering this question, it’s important to appreciate the significance of the issues.
Burnout is Widespread
Burnout is a feeling of being exhausted or trapped in a job with no options to grow. it is also characterised by pessimism and feelings of ineffectiveness, and increasingly linked anxiety disorders and depression.
A new study by Asana looked at over 10,000 knowledge workers across seven countries and found approximately 70% of people experienced burnout in the last year.
84% of Gen Zs report burnout along with 74% of Millennials and 47% of Baby Boomers, according to the study.
Does this mean that human evolution, our environment and constant overstimulation, are making us less resilient, equipping new generations with very poor coping mechanisms?
Our post-COVID era has changed the way we work and the orchestrated world shenanigans broke every pillar that supported our health and our mental health.
Today, one worker is expected to be as productive as three other people or face losing his job. This creates much uncertainty and contributes further to anxiety disorders.
Plus, 40% of workers believe burnout is an inevitable part of success.
Something has to Change
Burnout is hard on people, and it also has negative effects on companies. The study above showed that when people experience burnout, they are also more likely to have lower morale, be less engaged, make more mistakes and find it difficult to communicate effectively.
They are also more likely to leave the company.
Symptoms of burnout:
Physical Exhaustion: Feeling consistently drained, fatigued, and lacking energy, even after a full night's sleep.
Emotional Detachment: A sense of cynicism, detachment, and reduced enthusiasm for things that used to bring joy.
Reduced Performance: A decline in work or personal performance, often accompanied by feelings of ineffectiveness.
Cognitive Difficulties: Struggling with concentration, memory, and decision-making, often leading to increased errors.
Increased Irritability: Becoming easily frustrated, impatient, or short-tempered with colleagues, friends, or family.
Physical Symptoms: Frequent headaches, muscle tension, gastrointestinal issues, high blood pressure, breathing more rapidly, and/or changes in sleep patterns.
Isolation: Withdrawing from social interactions, feeling isolated, or experiencing a sense of loneliness.
Negative Outlook: Developing a negative perspective on work, life, or future prospects fuelled by negative inner talks.
Loss of Motivation: Feeling a lack of drive, enthusiasm, or purpose, even in tasks that were once motivating.
Increased Absenteeism: Taking more sick days or time off than usual due to feeling overwhelmed.
Depersonalisation: Viewing oneself as a distant observer rather than an active participant in daily life. Sitting in the passenger seat and no longer in the driving seat of your life.
Escapist Behaviours: Turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as excessive alcohol consumption, overeating, or substance abuse.
Consequences of burnout:
Burnout can have far-reaching and detrimental effects on various aspects of your life. Here are some potential results and consequences of experiencing burnout:
Physical Health Issues: Prolonged stress and burnout can lead to physical health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, weakened immune system, and gastrointestinal issues.
Mental Health Challenges: Burnout is closely linked to mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The emotional toll of burnout can exacerbate existing mental health issues or lead to the development of new ones.
Impaired Work Performance: Burnout can significantly impact your professional life. Decreased productivity, errors, and poor decision-making are common outcomes. Your ability to meet deadlines and handle responsibilities may suffer, potentially harming your career trajectory.
Strained Relationships: Burnout can cause you to become irritable, detached, and less engaged in social interactions. This can strain relationships with friends, family, and colleagues, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts.
Reduced Creativity and Innovation: Creative thinking and problem-solving often decline when experiencing burnout. Your capacity to come up with fresh ideas and approaches may be hampered.
Loss of Motivation and Engagement: Burnout can lead to a loss of enthusiasm for work and life in general. Hobbies, interests, and passions you once enjoyed may lose their appeal, making it harder to find joy and purpose.
Physical and Emotional Exhaustion: The persistent exhaustion associated with burnout can make even simple daily tasks feel overwhelming. Emotional exhaustion may leave you feeling emotionally drained and detached.
Increased Risk of Substance Abuse: People experiencing burnout might turn to alcohol, drugs, or other substances as a way to cope with their stress and emotional distress, potentially leading to addiction issues.
Neglected Self-Care: Burnout often leads to neglecting self-care routines, which can impact sleep, nutrition, exercise, and overall well-being. This, in turn, can further exacerbate physical and mental health issues.
Long-Term Impact: If burnout is not effectively managed, it can have a lasting impact on your well-being. It might take a significant amount of time and effort to recover and regain your physical, emotional, and mental equilibrium. Burnout can lead to adrenal insufficiency and eventually to adrenal exhaustion and more severe diseases like Addison's disease and heart problems.
Solutions
Despite the statistics, it is still possible to balance your work and life, and create routines that support your mental well-being and provide mental support such as developing healthy coping mechanisms.
Create Meaning
One of the most effective countermeasures against burnout involves infusing work with a sense of purpose. Companies and leaders can strive to align individual passions with their tasks, emphasising how each person's efforts contribute to the overarching organisational vision. Additionally, leaders should facilitate opportunities for personal growth and career advancement. Recognising and valuing every role can underscore the significance of each individual's distinct input.
Research also underscores the influence of extracurricular time on work satisfaction. Interestingly, when individuals experience fulfilment in their non-work pursuits, they often find greater contentment within their work. Companies can ensure flexibility to allow for downtime beyond work commitments and promote a culture that discourages excessive work hours, taking work home, and permitting weekends and vacations without negative judgment.
Create Belonging
Human beings yearn for connections, which may be lacking both within and beyond the workplace. The Deloitte/Workplace Intelligence study reveals that 24% of individuals feel isolated, while a BetterUp study highlights that 22% lack a single friend at work. Furthermore, the study indicates that 69% of people feel dissatisfied with the extent of their social interactions in the workplace.
Organisations can proactively create avenues for people to unite through cross-departmental collaboration and regular team-building exercises.
Create Leadership
One of the primary reasons people leave a company is the influence of their leader. The impact that leaders have on the work environment is profound. Therefore, it's prudent for companies to invest in leadership development, enabling leaders to adapt to hybrid work scenarios or new modes of operation. This also sets an example of practising effective approaches and prioritising their own well-being.
Leaders excel when they excel in communication. The most exceptional leaders are those who ignite inspiration and grant empowerment to individuals.
Leaders also contribute to positive workplace experiences when they exhibit empathy and compassion. Astonishingly, the Asana study revealed that 51% of individuals do not feel comfortable discussing burnout with their managers.
Create Supports
In addition to linking people with meaningful work, colleagues and leaders, organisations can also reduce burnout by ensuring policies, practices, and processes and provide mental health support via different channels.
Companies are wise to ensure work is distributed equitably and reasonably, and that processes support getting things done efficiently and working through problems constructively. It’s also important that wages, benefits and policies support people accordingly.
Create Perspective
An important aspect to prevent burnout (and stress/anxiety) from impacting your work and your life is to rethink work completely. Nowadays, work is often been synonymous with monotony, but in truth, it provides a platform to showcase your talents, and skills, and make a positive impact on the community. It is thus valuable to recognise that no job is perfect (unless you are lucky enough to have found your calling and working for a company that truly respects you, rewards your achievements and allows you to become a better person). Remember that certain aspects of a job will resonate more with you, while others might be less appealing — this variation is entirely acceptable.
It is natural for feelings of satisfaction at work to fluctuate. There will be times when you're on cloud nine, but there will also be periods when work becomes particularly demanding or stressful. A bit like life… and most relationships.
All of the above also applies to school.
Parents should encourage their kids to enjoy plenty of time outdoors and allow for their imaginative side to strengthen as they grow and not repress it.
Children should not have to deal with grown-up problems and feel that what is happening in the home is their fault. I have been there and most of my childhood years where filled with exhausting anxiety that was only made worse with year-long sleep deprivation. It took my mid-20s to realise that things had to change… because of burnout!
It took me 18 months to get back to some levels of normality. Adrenal exhaustion is no joke and the pain I had to deal with, I do not wish it on anyone else.
Somehow, it was the life lesson I needed. I changed my entire look on life and developed more self-awareness, deeply connecting with myself and my goals, and what I want out of life.
I also studied nutrition and naturopathic medicine as a new step on my life path and I have no regret. Burnout was a lesson I had to learn. And I did.
Today, you can benefit from my experience and take pre-emptive actions to prevent burnout and build up your resilience and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
I will be with you whatever your journey, if you let me.