Recently, we were joined by Shaun Bowler to deliver a webinar about burnout, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) is predicting will be the next pandemic.
Watch the webinar here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dv08xitFNU&t=7s
Read Shaun’s blog about burnout here:https://www.news.ignite.org.nz/post/decoding-burnout-the-new-workplace-syndrome
Burnout is caused by sustained and uncontrollable stress, meaning it exceeds our ability to cope and regularly triggers our body’s stress response. People suffering from burnout may still feel totally exhausted, disengaged and have decreased performance, even after getting a good night’s sleep or returning from a holiday.
Shaun, a registered psychologist, chartered organisational psychologist and wellness practitioner, says that when it comes to workplace stress it can often be the star employees who are most susceptible to burnout.
“Stress is unavoidable and some of it is useful to help us perform but when it’s ongoing, and we can’t manage it, we are carrying a heavy burden. Then, we may flip into burnout: a state of exhaustion, cynicism, and low productivity. Once in burnout, we need a long recovery time. Some valued employees are prone to burnout because of their own internal high standards.”
He says someone at risk of burnout it likely to have the traits of being conscientious, caring and a perfectionist. They will often go the extra mile and be more invested in their work.
“When we finally hit the wall, it’s hard to get things done,” Shaun says. “There are ways of assessing burnout. If you think you may be burnt out it is important to see a GP, psychologist, counsellor or other professional. Luckily, all the physical and mental changes are reversible.”
Shaun says it is important for employers to realise that they have legal responsibilities to keep employees safe. Ensuring working conditions are decent can help prevent employee’s from burning out, as well as creating a safe and caring workplace culture with fair pay and working conditions. Having a zero tolerance for bullying or harassment and health and wellbeing programmes such as an employee assistance programme, can also help employee wellbeing.
Some of the things we can do as individuals to avoid burnout include practising mindfulness and self-compassion, and developing healthy habits such as regular exercise, good nutrition and getting enough quality sleep.
In the coming months, Ignite will be providing more resources about the topic of workplace burnout, and how to manage it, so keep an eye on our social media pages and website for more updates.
As well as providing the Ignite Wellbeing platform, Ignite Aotearoa also provides an employee assistance programme (EAP). Our whole-of-life approach looks at all areas of an employee’s life that impacts their wellbeing. Contact hello@ignite.org.nz for more information, or book a free demo of the Ignite platform to see how we can support your team’s mental health and wellbeing: https://ignite.org.nz/request-demo