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    5 Ways to Prevent a Burnout Epidemic: Employers Take Note

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    Picture walking into a nearly robotic office, the workers shuffling through emotionlessly doing their jobs on autopilot, returning home to get a few winks of sleep. Imagine feeling like the entire world is devoid of all creativity, and sterile silence fills the space as personal connections are more challenging. Gallup says that burnout is brewing under the surface in workplaces, and 65% of employees worldwide experience it. We can no longer continue to ignore this as talent acquisition professionals or HR leaders (or employer brand advocates). The growing malaise within the US workforce is about more than simply burnout, which is challenging enough to combat: humans losing their mojo, creative edge, and joie de vivre.
    How can we, as leaders, change this? We can use technological solutions that tackle the source of burnout rather than the symptoms.
    Roots of Burnout: It Goes Deeper than the Workload
    Imagine you have a top performer with innovative ideas sitting in his cubicle blankly, looking at his computer screen buried with work. But burnout is not just burnout because you work yourself to death. It’s a traumatic event that taxes your emotional well-being. It results from an expectation exceeding a limit and the loss of control. According to a 2021 Deloitte report, 77% of workers said they have experienced burnout in their current jobs, and many feel that employers are not doing enough. The cost? Decrease in productivity, rise in high turnover, and lackluster employee engagement.
    The “this” that needs fixing is not perks, employee engagement programs, or Band-Aid solutions but how we work. Here are five creative and meaningful approaches that enable companies to combat burnout at the source and re-energize their workforce.
    1. Digital Detox Periods
    How about an entire day without email, Slack, or checking your tasks with a project management tool? Imagine the headspace employees gain from that formal ‘digital detox.’ One way to counter this burnout trap is to schedule short periods of uninterrupted work.
    For instance, Asana famously has “No Meeting Wednesdays,” which is intended to support deep focus. It has gotten the employees out of working in ‘neck-deep water,’ giving them space to be far more strategic than trying to run around in five different directions at once. Shopify saw the value of digital detoxes and deleted 322,000 hours of meetings, which was equivalent to adding 150 new employees.
    2. Experiment with Workweek Flexibility with the Four-Day Backend
    Flexible working hours answer this – but what if we consider reworking the entire workweek? The 4-Day workweek is here to stay, and it changes everything. Buffer and Microsoft Japan, for example, have implemented 4-day work weeks, resulting in a 40% productivity increase and stress reduction among employees. In other words, by giving employees a 3-day weekend, companies are providing the opportunity for those employees to return feeling refreshed, energized, creative, and more willing to work.
    3. AI for Employee Wellness
    AI impacts more than just labor costs — it can enhance employee well-being, too. AI platforms are used to identify burnout risks and provide personalized wellness under the control of corporations. Using machine learning to detect behavioral data, tools like Leena AI and Welltok provide tips on wellness resources before burnout occurs.
    These tips could include meditation, pausing, or even advice on mental health support for at-risk personnel, such as how HR uses such a scientific system.
    Case in point: Real-time stress and burnout data allowed for preempting early intervention, such as with a multinational organization employing AI-powered wellness tools that reported a 35% decline in burnout cases, improving job satisfaction.
    4. Gamify Health Challenges
    Imagine teams excited about their team wellness, teams not only healthy but also competing amongst themselves for improvement. It has become the norm to have some way to gamify wellness programs for fitness challenges, mindfulness practices, etc. Companies can use SaaS tools like Virgin Pulse and MoveSpring to launch weekly wellness challenges with leaderboards, rewards, and recognition.
    5. AI-Powered Personal Career Development Plans
    Feeling trapped can lead to burnout. Employees want to move up the ladder; they may sometimes be unsure how. Pymetrics and Gloat are examples of companies that invest in AI tools to create a personalized, talent-centric career development path based on their employees’ strengths and preferences. Growth plans, mentorship, and guided learning paths will help them get more excited about their work because burnout correlates with stagnation.
    Conclusion: The Future of Burnout Prevention
    Burnout is a complicated, multifaceted phenomenon, but it can be overcome! Innovative solutions, such as digital detox periods, the 4-day workweek, AI-powered wellness platforms, gamified health challenges, and personalized career development plans, can be mobilized to empower a thriving and resilient workforce.
    Our job as HR leaders, talent acquisition specialists, and employer brand advocates is to ensure that our organizations are not simply places where work happens but—more importantly—places where people live their best working lives. Stopping this burnout epidemic is our responsibility, and if we can learn how to maintain balance ourselves, we can help show the rest of the world how to find that balance, too.
    Kelly Meerbott is an acclaimed TEDx keynote speaker, author, podcast host, and award-winning certified leadership coach. With a unique trauma-informed approach and PTSD training, Kelly has transformed the leadership landscape for executives, C-suite members, and senior military officers. Her proven strategies help 90% of her clients overcome burnout, become more resilient, and achieve their goals. Kelly’s insights on burnout are featured in her bestselling book From Burnout to Bliss and her latest release, Meerbott’s Fables.
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      Overthinking is Not a Disorder, it’s a Superpower

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      Most of us are no strangers to experiencing feelings of overwhelm and disruption caused by our own thoughts, commonly understood as overthinking. Research shows we are becoming more anxious as a nation, and it’s no wonder, given the various external factors such as the cost-of-living crisis and global political conflict that have taken place over the past couple of years.
      While a certain amount of overthinking can be constructive, it has the potential to quickly consume us and, in extreme cases, can have a detrimental effect on our mental health and work performance. Overthinking can also lead to tensions within teams, causing you to over-analyze actions of yourself or others or check up on people more frequently. Let’s face it: nobody likes being micro-managed.
      While many factors influence our individual causes of overthinking, it’s easier to stay in control when we have a deeper understanding of why we are overthinking.
      Firstly, how do we define ‘overthinking’?
      Research shows that overthinking – whether it’s in our personal or professional lives – can have serious effects on our well-being and mental and physical health. There’s a fine line between what constitutes constructive critical thinking to make more informed decisions versus overthinking. Critical thinking typically revolves around a clear purpose, driven by logic and with a clear outcome, while overthinking tends to be the polar opposite of this, with many different outcomes and possibilities that make it difficult to see the clear path.
      What causes our brains to overthink?
      Overthinking is often triggered by change and uncertainty – of which we have all experienced a lot over the past few years. And as we all continue to navigate change in an ever-evolving workplace, a whole new set of anxieties have begun to settle in for both leaders and employees. For example, an increase in virtual communication tools has removed the ability to read the expressions and body language of co-workers, leaving room for uncertainty around interpersonal relationships with co-workers.
      Outside of the day-to-day, ongoing global layoffs have resulted in heavier workloads, more ambiguity, and greater uncertainty, leaving some to obsess about all possible scenarios and outcomes beyond their control. Many leaders are now also concerned and anxious about how hybrid and “return to office” policies will impact their workforce.
      When we allow ourselves to overthink, it can feel like a weakness. Your inner critic can be harsh but is also usually trying to protect you – often from fear of failure or shame.
      How can we identify when we are overthinking?
      Understanding overthinking is key to managing it. By identifying when it happens, you can rationalize your thoughts to manage the outcome. Overthinking tends to manifest itself in three main ways: rumination, worrying, and decision-making.
      Rumination involves repetitive thinking or dwelling on negative feelings, which might result from a situation at work when made a mistake or forgot something important. The memory of this is triggered in our brains causing ‘flashbacks’ that can come through at any time of day or night, stopping us in our tracks or disrupting our concentration.
      Worrying, in the context of overthinking, is spending more than necessary time considering things that are in the future. It’s helpful when it leads to action, but most of the time, we tend to worry about things that are out of our control.
      The more practical and in-the-moment way we can overthink is when making decisions. This can happen when we want to make the best decision possible, so we exhaust all possibilities to make sure we do, causing us to overthink the details that are often insignificant in the bigger picture.
      What techniques can we use to help manage overthinking?
      If you think you’re a serial ruminator, what are your ruminating thoughts telling you that you care about? What can you do about it? For example, if you are continuously thinking about a mistake you made at work, instead of punishing yourself, try to focus on what it has taught you. Feeling remorseful is natural, and shows how much you care. This is why we talk about ‘learning from our mistakes.’
      When worrying, there are a couple of different approaches that have been proven successful. The first is allowing ourselves time to let our worries run free, writing them down to get them out of our head, seeing if we can do anything about them now, and if not, leaving them until our next “worry time.” The second focuses on the “here and now.” There are many techniques that can help us get out of the past or future, such as mindfulness, breathing exercises, and journaling – some work for us and others don’t.
      When faced with a decision, a way to avoid overthinking is to settle on an option as soon as the desired outcome is achieved. Ask yourself, does this decision solve the problem or achieve the outcome? If the answer is yes, job done. It’s not always easy, especially for important decisions that require a higher level of thought, but for day-to-day decisions, this technique can be highly effective. Forcing ourselves to be satisfied and see the positive benefits of the decision and the time saved can help us do it more often.
      Understanding what drives our overthinking and employing the right techniques to address them is an ongoing process in our personal and professional development. And sometimes, having an unbiased external party to act as a sounding board, like a professional coach, can help us reflect on our thoughts, understand their impact, and recenter ourselves for a positive path forward. It’s all about developing an understanding of what makes us tick and how to best use it to our advantage.
      By Sinead Keenan, Chief Innovation Officer at EZRA,
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      Understanding the Toll of Compassion Fatigue on Workplaces

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      Compassion is a vital emotion in a professional setting, helping to build and strengthen team relationships and business collaboration worldwide. However, the physical and emotional strain of consistently supporting colleagues can be taxing, especially amidst the various challenges facing the UK economy.
      In this article, I’ll explore the repercussions of compassion fatigue in the workplace and offer insights into how businesses can provide the necessary support to help their employees avoid growing feelings of fatigue and helplessness.
      What is compassion fatigue?
      The term “compassion fatigue” was first introduced in 1992, in the realm of medical professionals. It described the adverse health effects and deteriorating patient outcomes resulting from healthcare workers’ excessive exposure to trauma.
      However, its scope has broadened to include individuals in various challenging roles beyond the medical field.
      Compassion fatigue can affect anyone whose job-related stressors and triggers permeate their daily thoughts, mood, and overall well-being. Some individuals describe the feeling of becoming so saturated with distressing scenes that a psychic numbing can occur.
      Several additional factors contribute to compassion fatigue, including the ongoing strain of the cost-of-living crisis, the uncertainty stemming from global conflicts, and the constant presence of social media in our lives.
      How does it physically and emotionally affect individuals?
      Compassion fatigue can have both a physical and emotional impact on individuals. Firstly, acts of caring and feeling decrease, and these are substituted by an outward detachedness. Individuals become more task, and less emotion, focused, and may start to isolate themselves, engaging less with their colleagues and teams.
      In the short term, compassion fatigue can manifest as various physical health issues, including headaches, migraines, as well as gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Over the long term, it heightens the risk of developing cardiovascular problems, obesity, and diabetes.
      Mood swings, ranging from moderate to severe, become commonplace, disrupting an individual’s ability to think clearly, regulate emotions, and sustain a sense of hope. All these factors combined can contribute to the emergence of stress-related mental health concerns, like anxiety or depression.
      How does it impact workplaces?
      In the absence of supportive measures from leadership, the repercussions of compassion fatigue in workplaces could be significant. Firstly, many experiencing the condition struggle with unmanageable negative emotions, like anger, irritability, and reduced tolerance.
      These often lead to interpersonal challenges, making it difficult for employees to maintain positive relationships with their colleagues and fostering a sense of disconnection from their workplaces. Cognitive functions like clear thinking, sound judgment, and effective decision-making may be compromised, affecting the ability to focus on tasks.
      Work behaviors and routines may become increasingly erratic. Some employees may exhibit increased absenteeism, take more sick days, or spend less time in the office. In contrast, others might invest extra hours working to catch up, or they may carry work home as they struggle to concentrate and find themselves less productive during regular office hours.
      Supporting employees in times of need
      A crucial step in addressing compassion fatigue is to implement training programs that acknowledge and address the emotional toll of work roles. Consider inviting mental health experts to run in-house employee seminars, which delve into topics like stress responses, emotional resilience, and self-compassion.
      This approach not only welcomes discussions about emotional well-being but also makes them an expected part of the workplace culture.
      Leaders should also scrutinize and eliminate behaviors that may exacerbate anxiety or stress among employees. For instance, if bosses are responding to emails at 10:00 p.m., an unwritten expectation may emerge that others should follow suit.
      Encouraging leaders to remove work emails from their phones and endorsing similar practices within their teams can help establish consistent, much-needed cutoff times for work-related activities.
      Highlight the value of breaks during the workday, emphasizing the importance of self-care activities like taking a refreshing outdoor walk and enjoying a proper lunch break instead of hastily eating at your desk.
      These seemingly minor adjustments encourage employees to recharge, prioritize self-care, and shift their focus away from factors that contribute to negative behaviors.
      Research indicates that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is highly effective in treating compassion fatigue, as chronic exposure to suffering can influence negative thought patterns.
      Employers may want to consider incorporating emotional well-being support, like CBT, into their employee benefits packages to assist those already grappling with emotional wellbeing challenges.
      CBT therapists can also help employees recognize lapses in self-care and boundary setting, enabling them to understand and respond to their symptoms or experiences differently over time. This can significantly enhance their overall well-being and quality of life.
      The good news is that there are practical measures you can employ to tackle compassion fatigue, both for yourself and your team, to rekindle emotional well-being within the realm of work.
      For many, compassion fatigue is a transitory phase, a clear sign that your body and mind are desperate for a recharge and a healthier work-life balance.
      When businesses heed these signals and respond accordingly, they can help employees rebuild enthusiasm for their work and in turn, most importantly, their capacity to reconnect with others.
      By Marc Holl, Head of Primary Care, Nuffield Health
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      5 Ways to Encourage Mental Health Transparency in the Workplace

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      This year 35 percent of UK employees said they called in sick due to poor mental health but gave another reason*. While this is a significant percentage, it is lower than the findings from Nuffield Health’s 2022 report, with the percentage previously being 39 percent.
      This is especially significant given that Nuffield Health’s 2023, ‘Healthier Nation Index’, also revealed that over 1 in 4 people (29%) now feel comfortable enough to disclose to their employer if they need time off due to poor mental health*. These latest findings suggest a positive shift in how employees are communicating with their workplaces about their emotional wellbeing.
      Whilst this still indicates that stigma remains a barrier for people talking about their Mental Health at work, it is a promising sign that people are beginning to speak out when they need more rest, emotional support, and time away from their desks.
      These findings are especially pertinent during this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, which focuses on anxiety. Anxiety is a natural response, particularly in these current times of uncertainty. It’s essential to become aware of when we may need additional support with emotions such as anxiety so that it does not negatively impact our lives.
      I offer advice on how employers can play their part in creating a connected and transparent workplace, which prioritizes both physical and mental wellbeing:
      1. Notice when anxiety takes over.
      In the past year, 48 percent said their work had negatively impacted** their physical/mental health. Hence, it’s imperative companies are equipped to recognize signs of mental distress, like anxiety, in others.
      The symptoms of anxiety can be seen in various ways. Physical signs include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness. You might notice heightened emotions in the workplace, such as irritability or tearfulness.
      Employees experiencing anxiety may find it hard to maintain a healthy work-life balance. They may cancel annual leave last-minute – claiming they have too much on, to take holiday – work from home late at night or insist on coming into work when unwell.
      However, spending too much time at work is counter-productive, as it can result in us overlooking our physical and mental health. According to this year’s findings, 59 percent of Nuffield Health respondents said they were also less productive at work* when their mental health was poor.
      Just five minutes of conversation from employers reaching out to employees presenting with signs of anxiety or distress can have a positive impact.  This could be as simple as asking, ‘Are you OK?’ or offering more regular meetings to catch up on how they feel about their workloads.
      2. Keep talking.
      It is encouraging that more employees feel comfortable sharing with their employers when they are having problems with their mental health. However, 18 percent of us will still go to work one or two times a year when our mental health is poor, and 19 percent will go to work more than ten times a year when experiencing poor mental health.
      It’s good for managers to try and understand why individuals come to work despite experiencing reduced mental wellbeing.  The more we know about the actions of our teams, the more support we can put in place to help them and reduce behaviors like presenteeism.
      Aim to spend at least five minutes with employees each week, practicing ‘active listening’ – a skill that requires a genuine understanding and reflection of what’s being said and providing a considered response, especially for those experiencing symptoms of stress and anxiety.
      Active listening means listening attentively to what’s being said and showing understanding by paraphrasing and asking open questions to demonstrate your understanding.
      Employers may also consider offering Emotional Literacy Training to staff – equipping them with the skills needed to recognize signs of distress in others and themselves and the confidence to approach them. This way, they can nurture a workforce capable of identifying and tackling symptoms of anxiety in both themselves and others.
      3. #Find5
      Our 2023 study revealed 38 percent of people in the last 12 months had dedicated no time to supporting their mental health, which includes everyday self-care, activities like meditation, or speaking to a medical professional.
      This Mental Health Awareness Week, Nuffield Health is extending its ‘Find 5’ campaign to encourage individuals to ‘find 5 with 5’ – spending five extra minutes a day focusing on their physical and mental wellbeing for body and mind.
      In the same way, employers can play a huge role in creating an environment where employees feel a sense of connection and belonging by promoting campaigns that foster connectivity, team building and reduce stress.
      Our study shows individuals are becoming more aware of the benefits of exercise on overall wellbeing, with 27 percent saying that exercise lifts their mood and helps them feel less anxious or depressed.
      Encouraging employees to #find5 throughout the working day could also be as simple as promoting regular exercise in morning meetings or creating ideas to be distributed around the office or over email.
      In just five minutes, managers can also arrange, or raise awareness of, physical health screenings available in the office to uncover any underlying issues among employees.
      4. Be open about formal support.
      While meaningful social interaction plays a crucial role in reducing feelings of anxiety, professional support can also be invaluable. This may include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) that offer direct and confidential access to a mental health expert.
      Offering these services can help employees to understand and address feelings of anxiety using techniques such as challenging negative thoughts.
      It only takes five minutes to signpost employees towards the support on offer, along with guidance and encouragement on how to access the help available. This may be via email to employees, an office huddle, or a virtual ‘wellbeing hub’.
      We want mental health transparency to keep increasing beyond the 4 percent we have seen within the past year and openly communicating the options available shows employees that conversations about mental health are both welcomed and expected.
      5. Allow individuals to pick what’s best for them.
      Finally, it’s important to remember that no single intervention works for everyone. The key to supporting the workforce is flexibility.
      Employers should be flexible with letting staff choose five minutes of self-care each day, whether simply stretching at their desk, going for a brisk five-minute walk between meetings, or finding five minutes to do a short, guided meditation or breathing exercises.
      Similarly, employers need to be flexible in how their teams choose to communicate with them. Encourage individuals to use a communication style that works best for them – whether it’s an in-person meeting or a phone call – this will make it easier for people to come forward and share their experiences.
      More flexibility means workplaces can cater to the individual and allow everyone to thrive and overcome feelings of anxiety.
      By Lisa Gunn, Mental Health Prevention Lead, Nuffield Health.
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      How to Cope When You Feel Overwhelmed at Work

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      Work is a fact of life for most of us. We can’t choose whether we go to work or not because we need the money, so that means we have to put up with a lot of situations we wouldn’t necessarily choose to encounter and many of them can feel overwhelming. But just as we […] More

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      How to Support Staff with Coronavirus Anxiety

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      As a global society, we are facing an unprecedented time of change and uncertainty. As more cases of the coronavirus continue to be announced, we can expect to see employees experiencing high levels of anxiety around the potential impact of the virus. The fear of becoming ill – and the social and economic impact that […] More

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      Why Social Anxiety May be Stopping Gen-Z Employees Making Friends

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      As an employer, it’s vital that you do everything within your power to maximize both employee productivity and job satisfaction. According to new research, encouraging friendships within your workforce could hold the key to unlocking these two factors and creating a positive working environment. It turns out that workplace friendships are far more important to […] More