As someone whose burnout symptoms landed them in the hospital, I know firsthand that excessive workplace stress can affect our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. I am now a wellness expert using my knowledge to help both organizations and individuals avoid the pitfalls that cause employees to crash and burn.
When companies take corporate wellness seriously, employees work more efficiently and stay at their jobs longer — and, the individuals that make up the company are able to lead healthy, fulfilling lives. It's truly a win-win.
Today, I'm going to present actionable steps that both employees and employers can take to avoid burnout in the workplace.
What Can Employers Due to Prevent Burnout?
When organizations are proactive about corporate wellness, they see the impact on their bottom line. Margin improves because they spend less time and money on training new hires, employees take less sick time, and employee productivity increases. A company is only as good as the people that are part of it.
Here are three steps companies can take to prevent employee burnout:
Mindful Leadership Programs
Without awareness, nothing improves. That's why we first need to teach leaders how to identify employee exhaustion, quiet quitting, and mounting resentment in their workforce. Knowledge is power!
Empower Individuals to Communicate Their Needs
Keeping an open dialogue with employees allows them to communicate what they need to be successful in their roles. Being open to employee feedback is a strength, not a weakness.
Regularly Remind Employees of Their Benefits
Many individuals don't know everything their employment packages offer, for example, their health benefits. Burnt-out employees may lack the time and energy to seek out therapists or other health practitioners. When you remind them of their access to care, it's more likely that they'll actually take advantage of the benefit, which is a win-win for everyone.
What Can Employees Do to Prevent Burnout?
Let's face it, we spend a huge chunk of our time at work. You don't need to win the lottery or move to a cabin in the woods to start enjoying your life. Here are three steps employees can take to avoid burnout at work:
Be Clear About Your Needs
Bosses can't read minds. If an employee needs to leave work an hour early to pick up the kids from daycare, they should communicate that and then be flexible about making up the extra time. Don't overextend yourself and say yes to things you don't have time for, then privately build resentment against your employer.
Stay Organized
You'll find that bosses do less micromanaging when they see you have an effective organizational system in place for remembering deadlines and keeping track of important information. Plus, you'll stress less!
Communicate More
Take the initiative to ask your boss to schedule a 15-minute weekly check-in. Knowing your supervisor's expectations for any given project will give you both peace of mind. Open dialogue is always a win-win.
The Benefits of Addressing Burnout
Still not convinced that taking corporate wellness seriously is worth your time? Here's a breakdown of how taking steps to combat employee burnout positively impacts both the individual and the organization:
The Employee
Stronger working memory, problem-solving, and flexible thinking skills
Lower reported levels of anxiety and work-related stress
Increased resilience and positivity
Increased healthy behaviors
Improved acute mental health
Better ability to manage and cope with competing demands
Overall greater happiness and satisfaction in daily life
The Organization
Retention of high-performing leaders
Improved revenue performance
Increased employee presenteeism and decreased absenteeism
Higher levels of employee engagement and job satisfaction
Contribution to solving the gender gap in succession planning
Adoption of greater cultural awareness
Creation of organizational competitive edge in the marketplace
Interested in one of my corporate wellness workshops or training? Find out more here. I've supported companies of all sizes, including NFL, IBM, Tapestry, and Macys. I look forward to helping your organization and its employees thrive!
