Burnout in the Workplace

Feeling overwhelmed and burned out in the workplace? You’re not alone.

By Mallory Earby, PHR, HR Support Specialist

During the Burnout vs Depression: Detecting and Protecting your Workforce webinar presented by Jill Gafner Livingston, Owner of the internationally renowned organization Global Training Experts, it was found that a recent study, based on survey responses from over 7,000 full-time employees, showed that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have had a huge toll on remote working professionals.

75% of the individuals surveyed stated they have experienced burnout in the workplace and 40% of those individuals indicated that the burnout was a direct result of the pandemic. When working remotely many professionals find it difficult to balance their personal life and work life. These difficulties can range from having their social life dimmish over time when they become so used to interacting online instead of face to face or could be due to the neurological changes our brains undergo from the isolation experienced such as anxiety and depression.

The positive side of this is that our brains are incredibly flexible, which means they can change and can counteract damage such as depression or anxiety.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the person an employee reports to is more important to your health than a family doctor. Only 21% of people have said are able to have open conversations about these difficulties with their HR department.

“Company leadership, including executives, HR, and management, have a responsibility to their employees to model and talk openly about behaviors that reduce stress, prevent burnout, and help employees establish the appropriate boundaries when working remotely,” said Paul Gionfriddo, President, and CEO at MHA (Mental Health of America).

Symptoms of burnout can range from irritability with coworkers, lack of energy, trouble concentrating, change in sleeping habits, physical ailments such as headaches and stomach issues as well as feeling dissatisfied with your job.

But never fear! Several methods have been found to assist in creating the perfect work-life balance to encourage a healthy mindset as we all navigate through the challenges of these difficult times.

• Develop boundaries between work and personal life, even if that means creating a designated workspace. Turn off email and work notifications after work hours.
• Schedule more personal activities so you have something specific to do with your personal time.
• Discuss a flexible schedule with your supervisor, to control your days and balance personal and professional responsibilities.
• Focus on work during work time, and don’t let “life” things creep too much into work. If you’re productive in that work frame of time, you’ll feel accomplished and better enjoy your personal time.

To get ahead of this crisis professionals should encourage work environments filled with employee engagement and support for those team members suffering from the effects of the pandemic. Remember the acronym “LEAP” …..LISTEN, ENCOURAGE, APPRECIATE, PROVIDE. Listen to your employees, Encourage your employees, Appreciate your employees’ accomplishments, Provide support to your employees. And IF you need a HRBOOST®, we are on Standby!

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