The added challenges of Covid-19 during the previous two years have resulted in a significantly burnt-out workforce. theplanner.guru explores how we can maintain momentum without hitting an end-of-year slump before the first half of the year is up.
2020 was such a shock to the system that we didn’t have much of a chance to check in with ourselves long enough to gauge where we were at. Coming into 2021, we felt more confident that we’ve ‘got this’ after having spent a significant portion of the previous year in lockdown and facing a whole host of new challenges that come with living through a pandemic. But then a lot of us experienced year-end fatigue far too early in 2021, which saw many of us starting 2022 with cautious optimism.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” that stems from “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”, further characterised by three symptoms:
- feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
- increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and
- reduced professional efficacy.
Positive mindsets to consider
So, what can we do to ensure we aren’t bogged down by the current set of circumstances?
“As coaches, we are seeing massively increased levels of anxiety, overwhelm and stress in our practices across all age groups and business sectors which is precisely why everyone is talking about the ongoing need for resilience,” it was noted in The Authentic Resilience Report by BrandMapp.
A survey conducted by McKinsey shows that nearly half of employees have experienced burnout. But, says Dr Amit Sood, who is the executive director of the Global Center for Resiliency and Well-being and founder of Resilient Option, psychological resilience can also improve our physical resilience.
“The Covid-19 crisis could be considered one of the biggest downturns of our lifetimes. Yet psychological resilience during the pandemic is actually ticking higher, even as burnout and other mental health issues were reported by 42% of employees globally since the start of the pandemic,” explains Dr Sood.
Key in this, he adds, is having more realistic expectations.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, those with more realistic expectations may have a more balanced outlook on reality, which can then contribute to a happier perspective and sentiment.”
Measures to take
Dr Kira Schabram, an assistant professor of management in the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, highlights that ultimately, while employers are responsible for working conditions that culminate in burnout “employees who cannot leave and are not getting support can still help themselves.” One of the ways she and her colleagues believe this can be done is by practising kindness and small acts of giving of one’s time or services.
“Our key takeaway is that compassion can indeed contribute to human sustainability in organisations but only when the type of compassion provided generates resources that fit the idiosyncratic experience of burnout,” says the abstract of her co-authored paper.
Another important element of creating resilience is to recognise when breaks are needed.
“A study by Korpela, Kinnunen, Geurts, de Bloom and Sianoja found that taking lunchtime breaks and detaching from work increases levels of energy at work and decreases exhaustion. Furthermore, one year later, it was found to increase vigour and increase energy levels over time,” remarks Ishita Mukerji, senior psychologist at Kaleidoscope, a mental wellness centre.
It may be quite some time before the dust settles on the storm that has defined the working conditions of the past two years so let’s get real and take a timeout where it’s needed because it will serve us well in the long run.
