#8: "Burn Bright, Not Out"

This week we're talking about burnout. Something of a buzzword lately, and rightly so because in 2023 65% of employees said they experienced burnout. It's commonplace, but it shouldn't be, and understanding it better is the first step to avoiding it.

What is Burnout?

Burnout, as described by the World Health Organisation, encompasses symptoms such as exhaustion, disengagement, and reduced productivity. However, the burnout people are experiencing in recent tears also includes symptoms such as moral stress, moral injury, cognitive impairment and emotional impairment.

Signs of Burnout

Noticing the signs of burnout are key to avoiding and preventing it, so what should you lookout for?

• Feeling drained.
• Use more alcohol or other substances to cope.
• Insomnia.
• Be sad, angry, irritable or simply not caring.
• Getting ill more often.
• Sense of failure of self-doubt.
• Loss of motivation.
• Feeling lonely.
• Increase anxiety.

What Can YOU Do to Prevent Burnout?

Set Wellbeing Goals

Whether it’s a quick 5-minute meditation, a walk on your lunch break, a jog after work or making sure you eat a healthy breakfast on weekdays, setting wellbeing goals is a fantastic way to look after both your mental and physical health. Having and sticking to goals can also provide a sense of structure and achievement in difficult times.

Finish Work on Time

Taking time off is a common piece of advice given to burnt-out individuals. But, actually finishing work on time regularly can have an enormous impact on your wellbeing and happiness at work. Although not always possible, it should be the rule, not the exception. If you find yourself working late every day, this could be a prevailing cause of burnout.

FUN

This might seem like a trivial one, but all work and no play...

Burnout can leave you feeling like it's Groundhog Day, and injecting some fun into your week can breathe some fresh air back into your life. For example, joining a midweek class like pottery or dance, can force you to leave work behind and focus your mind on something else. Equally, planning something different at weekends will give you something to look forward to and, as a bonus, means you aren't tempted to work the weekends.

Top tip: the more you can get outdoors the better, there's a reason 'getting outdoors' is on every mental health tip list ever.

What Can YOUR COMPANY Do to Prevent Burnout?

Whilst you have to be responsible for your own mental health, many companies have taken intitaives to prevent employee burnout too. We've listed some below to inspire any HR managers, company leaders, or employees:

• 4-day week trials.
• Mental Health ambassadors/champions/advocates.
• Programmes to support Mental Health First Aiders.
• Proactive Employee Assistance Programmes.
• More face-to-face meetings.
• Team building exercises.
• Personality profiling courses for teams.
• Financial wellbeing support.
• Salary increases due to the cost-of-living crisis.
• Wellbeing holiday incentives.

Final Burnout Advice

Be kind to yourself. Sometimes, it really is that simple. Don't berate yourself by saying that you're just tired, if you're feeling detached, exhausted, or anxious there's a good chance you're experiencing burnout. There will always be a million things to do, at home and at work, but taking even just an hour to reset your mind, will make you twice as productive in the long run. Promise.

Share For a Win-Win

Please click the share button so that your network can start their procrastination prevention today. And, as an incentive to share, we're giving away a free coaching card deck to the first 5 people who share this week's newsletter. Simply share and email [email protected] to claim your freebie. So, get sharing!

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