Burnout seeps in when work stress builds up and becomes too much to handle. It is so common that as high as 71% of workers reported feeling burnt out at least once in 2020. Nearly half (46%) of those surveyed felt excessive workloads were the major cause. Employee well-being is crucial and companies should never overlook it, especially if you know you have a fast-paced workplace. In a corporate setting, higher-ups including managers play an important role in preventing burnout before and helping your team recover if it does. With the right training and tools, you can spot signs of burnout in corporate teams easily. And if someone is already struggling, you can guide them toward finding balance again. In this blog, we tell you the common signs of burnout and some of the best strategies to prevent and manage burnout.
Signs of Burnout
You might already know how stress can show up in different ways for different people. The same goes for burnout. While many of us associate burnout with just emotional exhaustion, it is not true. Burnout can affect both your physical and mental health. But the best way to tackle burnout in corporate is to know the common signs first. This way you can look out for how they might appear mentally, physically, and emotionally:
Mental Burnout
- Dreading going to work
- Losing interest or motivation for tasks
- Feeling like you are not achieving anything meaningful
- Constantly procrastinating, even on important tasks
- Struggling to handle new challenges
Physical Burnout
- Persistent tiredness, no matter how much rest you get
- High levels of stress that don’t seem to go away
- Irregular sleep patterns or trouble sleeping
- Recurring health issues, like headaches, colds, or even signs of depression and anxiety
Emotional Burnout
- Becoming overly cynical about your work
- Feeling irritable or angry while working
- Suddenly disliking your job intensely
- Experiencing a sense of hopelessness tied to your work
- Wanting to isolate from others
What Commonly Causes Burnout in Corporate?
Just as burnout shows up differently for everyone, the reasons behind it can also vary. But at its core, burnout happens when stress or pressure from work becomes overwhelming or lasts for too long without relief. Recognizing burnout is just the start. The good news? Many causes of burnout can be addressed with supportive leadership. That is where your company leaders play an essential role.
You are more likely to experience burnout if you face challenges like:
- Having little to no say over your workload
- Not being recognized or appreciated for your efforts
- Dealing with unclear or confusing job responsibilities
- Facing unreasonable or overly demanding expectations
- Working in a high-pressure environment
- Being overloaded with work, leaving little time for personal activities or relaxation
Tips for Employers to Prevent Burnout on Their Team
Who can experience burnout, you ask? The truth is that it can affect anyone. Whether you love your job, tolerate it, or work from home or an office, you are not off the list. And burnout is also not just a workplace issue. It can happen in your personal life too. One of the most impactful you can do is to provide the right tools to your employees. Prevention is better than cure. Thus, the focus should be on creating an environment that helps prevent burnout from happening in the first place. This can be done through robust corporate training programs from an expert provider like EducationNest. Other than that, you could also follow these strategies in your workplace:
- Be Proactive
It is easier to stop burnout before it starts than to fix it once it sets in. Being proactive simply means staying ahead of a team’s workload. Here is how to prevent burnout by being proactive:
- Check in on workload regularly. While conversations are essential, having a visual overview of your team’s tasks can be incredibly helpful. Use productivity and management tools for capacity planning and resource management to ensure no one has more tasks on their plate than they can handle.
- Such a tool can also allow you to spot if someone is free to take the load off someone else when needed.
- Set clear and achievable goals. Confusion or overwork often stems from unclear priorities. Lay out specific, realistic goals so your team knows what they are working toward and how it fits into bigger projects.
- Check Capacity in One-on-One Meetings
Sometimes some tasks may take longer than expected. Sometimes personal challenges affect focus. Personal check-ins make people feel more valued. Schedule weekly or biweekly one-on-ones to ask team members about their capacity and well-being. During these meetings, clarify how each person’s work connects to broader team goals. This not only helps with prioritization but also helps them see the bigger picture. This can create a more balanced environment for your team.
- Learning Opportunities
One powerful way to combat burnout is through Learning and Development (L&D) programs. Through corporate well-being programs, leadership, and soft skills training, companies can equip managers and leaders with the tools they need to recognize and address stress – both for themselves and their teams.
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Strategies for Employees to Tackle Burnout At Work
WHO defines burnout as an “occupational phenomenon.” But unfortunately, it does not just stop at work. In clinical psychology, burnout can also happen in personal areas of life. Once you start spotting the signs of burnout, it is best to start treating them through some lifestyle changes to get back on all four wheels as soon as possible. Here are some strategies to manage burnout at work:
- Reduce Exposure to Stressful Triggers
Not every situation is a crisis. And being a good professional does not mean you are available 24/7. Sending emails at 11 p.m. regularly is not healthy. It is crucial to reduce exposure to the stressors in your life. This could be high-value activities and relationships at work. This might mean resetting expectations with colleagues about what you can realistically handle. If it becomes clear that no amount of adjustments can help you manage burnout at work, it may be time to consider a bigger change.
- Open Communication
You may face resistance, but it is important to communicate that these changes are about improving your health and productivity in the long run. Establish clear ground rules for collaboration and communication. You need to know when saying no is the right choice. It takes determination to stand by your boundaries without guilt.
- Take Some Me-Time
Taking time for hobbies, exercise, or social connections is vital to recovering from unending bad days at work. These activities help you relax and recover from daily stressors. Choose an activity you enjoy – whatever you like – walking, dancing, or yoga – and make it a consistent part of your routine. Schedule regular personal appointments with yourself to do something you love. These moments of self-connection are essential for recharging and maintaining balance in your life.
Conclusion
Managers have a huge hand in shaping workplace culture. As a leader, you can create a positive ripple effect by modeling healthy behaviors. They are crucial in building resilience in teams. Building resilience through L&D helps employees manage frustration, insecurity, and helplessness – the common causes of burnout. These programs provide skills and better coping strategies for the present and future.
If your workplace is struggling with burnout issues with no solution in sight, the best gift for them could be a comprehensive well-being workshop or retreat with EducationNest. Being India’s top corporate training provider, their courses are designed by experts to deliver the right outcomes. They offer corporate training and development opportunities in many areas including leadership, soft skills, cybersecurity, and more.
