This informal CPD article Breaking down the B’s of burnout was provided by Let’s Get Healthy, a multi-award winning corporate health and wellbeing provider.
COVID-19 has inspired, some would say driven many employers to focus on their health and wellbeing activity, how they rebuild a resilient, energised workforce who thrive in new ways of working.
In March 2020, Gallop (1) reported that 76% of employees felt burnout sometimes and 21% very often.
Burnout and how to prevent it, is one of the main topics of discussion as employers witness great teams becoming fatigued at the very time they need them energised and focused.
What is burnout?
The World Health Organisation (2) suggested burnout has three dimensions:
- feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and
- reduced professional efficacy
It makes it very clear that it is caused by chronic workplace stress that has not been managed and that it should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life, it is very much focused on ‘at work’ pressure.
Let’s Get Healthy has supported employers and designed programmes to prevent and help colleagues recover from burnout. Below are the key learnings colleagues take away:
What are the B’s of burnout?
- Burnout - understanding what it is, what it looks, feels like and who is most likely to suffer from it
- Boundaries - helping everyone at all levels lead impactful meetings, learning effective change management techniques, end of day routines and helping each other learn how to leave work behind at the end of a working day
- Buddies - facilitating social events and connections so loneliness and isolation are eradicated
- Balance - helping colleagues achieve balance between what is important to them outside of work and a brilliant, purpose led career at their place of work
- Boss - the line manager has the biggest impact on burnout, not the hours worked. Setting clear, achievable expectations, offering support and coaching or meaningful, authentic feedback
- Be Your Best Self - establishing a working environment that empowers colleagues to learn how to become the best version of themselves, at a pace that works for them
Reducing chronic workplace stress is achievable when line managers and colleagues are aware of what to look out for in themselves/others and are provided with tools, techniques and support to help each other.
Structuring a programme of learning to help employers scale out such initiatives drives an increased performance at all levels and allows the teams to feel the positive B’s at work.
- Brilliant - working to a purpose that empowers you to say ‘no’ to allow you to stay on your top game
- Brave and energised - mentally alert, focused with the ability to switch off in your out of work time
- Balance - achieving personal balance between home and work routines
- Being your best self - a sense of fulfilment, calmness and happiness at work and at home
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Let’s Get Healthy, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively please visit the CPD Industry Hubs for more CPD articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
Sources
1 – Gallup - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/288539/employee-burnout-biggest-myth.aspx
2 – WHO - https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases
