Burnout at work is real, and it can be brutal. Workplace burnout seems to be especially problematic as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on workplaces worldwide. It turns out, you can experience burnout whether you’re at the office or working from home. COVID burnout has become such a problem that even the CDC has issued guidelines on dealing with it.
What Workplace Burnout Feels Like
If you’ve ever found yourself feeling exhausted, frustrated, fearful, uncertain, depressed, or anxious, you could be experiencing burnout. Experiencing sudden feelings of anger or becoming easily irritated can be a sign that burnout is rearing its ugly head.
Aside from the emotional strain, burnout can also have a significant impact on your work performance. You may find yourself lacking motivation, having difficulty concentrating, or unable to sleep even when you’re tired, which can exacerbate your other symptoms.
Where Burnout Comes From
Burnout can come from working too much, but more often than not, being overworked is compounded by stress and emotional fragility.
Feeling vulnerable or sensitive at this time is nothing to be ashamed of. COVID-19 has had a massive impact on everyone’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. You could even say that feeling is normal, considering the amount of strain everyone is experiencing at the moment.
Work can be stressful at the best of times—and COVID is most certainly not the best of times. It makes perfect sense that members of the workforce may be feeling the strain, now more than ever. Here are some factors that may be contributing to burnout:
- Concern about the health of yourself and your family
- The impact of current events
- Uncertainty about job security
- Financial stability
- Balancing home and work life
- Job and household responsibilities
On top of the usual stressors associated with work and life, the added difficulty of navigating a pandemic can bring some employees to the breaking point.
How To Deal With Burnout
Burnout isn’t good for anyone. As an employee, it affects personal health and work performance. And this spells trouble for employers because work performance and wellness are inextricably linked.
With stress levels on the rise, it’s more important than ever to know how to set minds at ease. Fortunately, there are a few strategies both employers and employees can implement to help tackle workplace burnout.
Here are a few strategies:
Keep the lines of communication open. Open communication is crucial for alleviating stress for both employers and employees. Feeling secure and supported by your team is critical for any worker, and helps remove the burden that may be affecting performance.
Learn to set realistic goals, and know when to turn off work mode. Now more than ever, it’s critical to establish a good work-life balance, which can be difficult when working from home.
Be more flexible. It’s essential to cultivate a healthy, sustainable work environment that allows employees to deal with their stress productively. Introducing flexible work schedules and encouraging employees to look after their mental, physical, and emotional health is just one way employers can help conquer workplace burnout.
Recognizing burnout is the first step to recovering and preventing it in the future. Personal wellness is critical for workplace success, so take the time to care for yourself, and allow your team members to do the same.
