So long, burnout? New trends pave way for work-life balance

Have you ever faced the conundrum of not knowing when to end your work day? And the difficulty may have multiplied while working remotely with the lack of work-life boundaries. Is there a solution to this dilemma??

Enter “Loud Leaving”!

According to new LinkedIn research, 60% professionals in India have experienced “Loud Leaving” wherein managers make it known when they leave the workplace — normalising ending the work day at a reasonable hour. The report suggests that professionals in India have become more conscious about balancing work and life priorities and this is one way in which managers are initiating support.?

While a step in the right direction, what brought about this change?

Pause on the ‘cause

A 2023 survey by health service company Cigna of 12,000 global employees found that 94% of them experienced at least one symptom of burnout in the past 12 months, reports the Fast Company. The report also highlights another global survey by Future Forum that found 42% of the surveyed global respondents felt burned out.?

Sharing his view on the subject, HabitStrong’s founder Rajan Singh says, “The desire for work-life balance has changed. But the reality of the modern workplace is sadly not that different.”?

Singh talks about observing two trends. While there are people who crave better work-life balance and reasonable work hours, “...they also realise that many well-paying jobs have gruelling work demands.” According to him, the professionals give into the grind to make and save money considering it a temporary situation. But this, according to Singh, can go on for years and decades, compromising on health and leading to issues like diabetes, hypertension, back pain, and stress.?

Shift’in’ perspective?

Weber Shandwick’s head of people Vikas Dua believes that the importance of professional well-being has heightened post pandemic.?

“When it comes to choosing career opportunities or even making career transitions, professionals are evaluating their options much more holistically,” Dua says. Apart from compensation, other factors like location and work model, workplace culture, learning opportunities have been added to the mix, according to him.?

Writing for the Fast Company, author Jennifer Moss shares that knowing the causes of burnout at a workplace can help professionals avoid unhealthy work situations later. Moss suggests the following ways to identify it during the job hunt process:

?? Determine a culture of overwork at the company by asking about meeting guidelines, paid time off, and right to disconnect policies.?

?? Check how the company defines a team, and if the focus is limited to technical skills or expands to social-emotional skills like empathy, openness, and curiosity. A lack of community leading to isolation or toxic relationships is often a cause for burnout, Moss shares.?

?? Before moving to the interview stage, check if the organisation has diversity, equity and inclusion strategy in place. ?

?? Ask about upskilling, reskilling, and training opportunities to decipher if the place is a match.?

?? Consider what factors define freedom for you and what your negotiables are before the interview. Lack of autonomy is not just limited to where you work, but also your achievements and productivity.

Head in the game

Another term doing the rounds, according to LinkedIn research, is the practice of “Monk Mode”.?

To increase their focus while working out of office, professionals go into this mode to focus on one task at a time. The research found that 47% workers in India have tried and were successful in this approach. Overall findings suggest that structuring your work week and announcing your focused work day to your colleagues can help you be more productive.

With professionals establishing and adopting these productivity hacks, what are some measures companies can take to foster a culture that supports work-life balance??

In Singh’s opinion, companies should enable two-three hours of focused work and support employees with training programs catering towards building focus-building.?

Measures like the hybrid work model, leave policies with mandatory paid time off, employee assistance programs with counsellors on board, and HR initiatives and events to build internal communities are already being adopted by companies, shares Dua.

In the nick of time

The answer to burnout is right outside your front door, life coach Olivia Bowen shares with the Fast Company. Engaging with natural surroundings and spending time in nature can help you recover, Bowen says. A breath of fresh air with your morning cuppa, adding plants to your work space, or taking a hike at the end of the day are some ways Bowen suggests going about it.?

But how can you manage time and stay productive during work hours? LinkedIn’s research found that professionals are creating their own productivity hacks. While 18% of professionals in India switch off their phone and messaging apps notifications, 15% shut themselves in a meeting room to stay focused.?

Here are some more effective productivity hacks, according to Singh and Dua:?

??? Make a to-do list of tasks to accomplish. Only get to the next task after finishing one.?

?? Follow the Pomodoro technique.

??? Put a pen to the paper, the old way, to set an agenda for the day to stimulate sharp thinking and action orientation.?

??? Colour-code tasks per their category on your online calendar. This practice can draw focus towards important tasks.

?? Cipla’s India Rx head Dr. Vikas Gupta draws parallels between the practice of Monk Mode and the India versus Australia cricket series. Read this post for details.??

?? Dell’s project manager Mary Tresa Gabriel shares three techniques to juggle multiple tasks in this post.?

• Make monthly time for yourself. This piece by LinkedIn’s News Editor Nabila Rahhal focuses on why personal downtime is important to prevent burnout.?
• How to find joy at work. Here’s a piece by LinkedIn’s News Editor Namrata Bhawnani on one way to find happiness at work.?
• Socialising can sometimes drain you. Check out this newsletter by LinkedIn’s Associate News Editor Gianna Prudente on how to recharge when your social battery runs out.?

Looking for ways to combat burnout? This LinkedIn Learning course by Bright Ideas Only founder Kim Kaupe helps you with tips like reassessing your to-do list and learning to recognise your triggers.

This is the fifth edition of the biweekly newsletter from Get Hired by LinkedIn News India. Each issue aims to provide insights on everything jobs-related combined with expert views and member voices. Click here to read the previous edition that provides tips on asking for a letter of recommendation.

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By?Dipal Desai — LinkedIn News Editor covering jobs and career development in India.

Creator Managers:?Raunak Ramteke, Neha Upalekar