Navigating Mental Health and Burnout in the Workplace
In today’s fast-paced world, where hustle culture is glorified and social media paints a picture of perfect lives filled with endless travel and luxury, the pressure to keep up can be overwhelming. This constant comparison and the push to always be “on” make the conversation around mental health and burnout more crucial than ever. While everyone seems to be chasing the next big thing, it’s easy to forget that behind the filters and the grind, real people are struggling.
For years, I prided myself on being the go-to person at work, the one who always had the answers and never missed a deadline. I wore my perfectionism like a badge of honor, believing that my job was not just a part of me but the entirety of my identity. I poured everything into my career, often at the expense of my well-being and personal life.
But as time passed, I started to feel the cracks. The endless striving for perfection, the late nights, the constant pressure - it all began to take a toll. I realized that by making work the center of my universe, I was losing sight of what truly mattered: my health, my relationships, and, ultimately, my happiness.
Unlearning this mindset hasn’t been easy. It’s a daily effort to remind myself that I am more than my job title or my achievements at work. I’m currently focusing on unraveling years of making work the front runner in my life. My job should flow around my life, not take from it. Life is too short to let a career define your entire existence.
Having worked in the HR/People space for just under 10 years now, I’ve seen firsthand the toll that burnout and mental health challenges take on individuals. I’ve watched as talented, dedicated employees slowly disengage, their passion drained by the relentless demands of their roles, and as you just read, it has even happened to me! This post has been a long time in the making because I’ve wanted to address these issues that I’ve witnessed so many times. Burnout isn’t just a buzzword - it’s a very real problem that affects not only the individuals but the entire organization.
If burnout isn’t a buzzword, then what is it?
Workplace burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress in the workplace. It occurs when employees feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet the constant demands of their job. From an HR perspective, burnout is not just about individual fatigue; it's a systemic issue that affects overall employee well-being, productivity, and organizational culture.
Signs of Burnout:
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight; it creeps in gradually. Here are some red flags to watch out for:
Chronic Fatigue: Feeling exhausted even after a full night’s sleep? This persistent tiredness is often the first sign.
Detachment and Cynicism: A once-enthusiastic employee may start feeling disconnected from their work and colleagues, becoming increasingly cynical.
Decreased Productivity: Despite working long hours, productivity dips. Simple tasks feel overwhelming, and there’s a constant sense of inadequacy.
Decreased Work Quality: You may notice a decline in the quality of work, with more mistakes and less attention to detail than usual.
Arriving Late or Signing On Late: Consistently arriving late to work or signing on later than usual can be a sign that an employee is struggling with burnout.
Changes in Communication Norms: Shifts in how someone communicates, such as becoming more withdrawn, irritable, or avoiding conversations, can indicate burnout.
Physical Symptoms: Headaches, muscle tension, or digestive issues can be physical manifestations of mental stress.
Preventing Burnout:
The best way to tackle burnout is to prevent it from taking root in the first place. Here’s how:
Promote Work-Life Balance: Encourage employees to take regular breaks, use their vacation days (or mental health days if offered), and set boundaries between work and personal life.
Foster a Supportive Environment: Create a culture where it’s okay to speak up about mental health without fear of judgment. This can be achieved through open dialogues, being transparent about your own struggles, promote mental health resources, and have regular check-ins.
Set Realistic Expectations: Ensure workloads are manageable, and deadlines are realistic. Communicate what the priorities are, what can be put on hold, and what can be automated. As a manager, support your teams through their workload, and as an individual contributor, don’t be afraid to let your manager know when your workload becomes too much.
Offer Flexibility: Flexibility in work hours or the option to work remotely can alleviate stress and help employees manage their time better.
Provide Training and Resources: Equip managers and leaders with the tools to recognize burnout and the knowledge to support their teams effectively. This can be through in-house training, education/certifications, team building exercises, off-sites, stipends to use on professional and personal development, mental health apps, benefit marketplaces, and Employee Assistance Programs.
Run Mental Health Awareness Campaigns: According to Mental Health in the Workplace: The Definitive Guide, a key way to support mental health is by providing education and awareness around it. Sometimes even just understanding the 10 cognitive distortions (for example, all-or-nothing thinking, catastrophizing, or blaming) that exist that lead to negative thinking are enough to understand that our minds can make things worse than they actually are. Additionally, mental health awareness campaigns give people the resources to develop the literacy and tools needed to help themselves and even others.
When Burnout Occurs: How to Help
Despite our best efforts, burnout can still happen. Here’s how to help when it does:
Encourage Open Conversations: Sometimes, just talking about what’s going on can make a huge difference. Encourage employees to share their struggles in a safe space.
Professional Support: Provide access to mental health professionals, whether through an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or external resources.
Temporary Adjustments: Help your team re-prioritize, reduce workloads if possible, and offer time off or flexible schedules to give employees the time they need to recover.
Focus on Recovery: Remind employees that recovery is a process. It’s essential to allow time for rest, reflection, and rebuilding their energy.
Envisioning, Offering, and Implementing Professional Career Pathing Options:
Burnout often stems from a lack of direction or purpose in one’s work. To combat this, envision and offer clear professional career pathing options for employees. When individuals see a future within the organization, with opportunities for growth and development, they are more likely to stay engaged and motivated. Implementing career pathing includes:Regular Career Development Conversations: Managers should have ongoing discussions with employees about their career goals and aspirations. This helps to align individual goals with organizational objectives.
Training and Development Programs: Offer training sessions, workshops, and mentorship programs that help employees acquire new skills and advance in their careers. This not only aids in career growth but also keeps work challenging and engaging.
Clear Promotion Criteria: Clearly define what it takes to move up within the company. Transparency in promotion criteria helps employees understand what is expected of them and what they need to work towards.
Fostering Collaborative Decision-Making, Up, Down, and Across the Organization:
A lack of autonomy or feeling unheard can significantly contribute to burnout. Fostering a culture of collaborative decision-making across all levels of the organization empowers employees and makes them feel valued. Here’s how to do it:Inclusive Leadership: Encourage leaders to actively seek input from their teams before making decisions. This includes creating avenues for feedback and ensuring that diverse voices are heard.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Promote collaboration across different departments and levels of the organization. When employees work together towards common goals, it fosters a sense of belonging and shared purpose.
Empower Employees: Allow employees to take ownership of their work and make decisions within their areas of responsibility. Empowered employees are more engaged and less likely to experience burnout.
Transparent Communication: Maintain transparency in decision-making processes. When employees understand the reasoning behind decisions and feel involved, it reduces the frustration that can lead to burnout.
Ways to Make Work Less of Your Identity and Enjoy Life More:
Set Boundaries: Clearly define work hours and stick to them. Turn off work notifications after hours to create a clear separation between work and personal life. This might be a stretch for some of you, but removing email and/or slack from your phone. I personally no longer have my work email on my phone, but I do have slack!
Pursue Hobbies: Engage in activities outside of work that bring you joy and fulfillment. Whether it’s painting, hiking, reading, or cooking, find something that’s just for you.
Prioritize Relationships: Spend quality time with family and friends. These connections are what truly enrich our lives.
Practice Self-Care: Make time for activities that nurture your mental and physical health, such as exercise, meditation, journaling, or simply taking a walk in nature.
Reflect on Your Values: Regularly assess what matters most to you. Does your current work-life balance align with these values? If not, make adjustments.
Celebrate Non-Work Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate accomplishments outside of work, whether it’s learning a new skill, helping a neighbor, or personal growth.
Take Breaks: Don’t wait until you’re on the brink of burnout to take time off. Regular breaks, even if just for a day, can help maintain your energy and enthusiasm.
Seek Purpose Beyond Work: Volunteer, engage in community activities, or explore causes you care about. Finding purpose outside of work can bring a deeper sense of fulfillment.
Mental health and burnout are not just personal issues; they’re workplace issues. By being vigilant, proactive, and supportive, we can create an environment where employees feel valued, healthy, and motivated. Remember, a thriving workplace is one where mental health is prioritized, and burnout is taken seriously. And perhaps most importantly, remember that your job is what you do, not who you are. Let’s work together to make our workplaces not just a place of productivity but a space of well-being, where life outside of work is cherished just as much as life within it.
Resources
Colloridi, C. R. (2024, February 7). Mental Health in the Workplace: The Definitive Guide. SMB Guide. https://www.smbguide.com/mental-health-in-the-workplace/