Daily life has been wholly uprooted over the past few years. We’ve learned to juggle a constant onslaught of dilemmas that we have never dealt with before. Last week’s blog suggested that you reflect on your unique stress profile. If you didn’t have a chance to read it, click here.
Likely, your answers to the questions would not look like anyone else’s. That’s because the stress we experience results from our previous experiences, our unique environment, and our coping mechanisms. However, it might be comforting to know that decades of research show that there are five leading causes of stress at work:
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Lack of perceived control
Lack of a supportive community either at work or at home
Absence of fairness
Lack of necessary resources
Mismatch of values and skills in your work
When exposed to continuous stress, we may not be aware of how it impacts how we feel, interact with others, and our energy and motivation. We may have an unspecified feeling that something isn’t right. Or, that we need to change our environment. There is some evidence to suggest that the underlying cause of the “Great Resignation” might be a response to chronic stress. And that many may find that changing jobs will NOT correct what they are experiencing.
Chronic Stress Symptoms
It is difficult to diagnose what is going on because our symptoms are as unique as the causes. For example, chronic stress might show up in symptoms such as:
Lack of interest in things that used to bring you joy
Feeling unmotivated
Feeling bored or restless
May feel resentful, or that things are hopeless
Physical and mental exhaustion
A lack of ability to focus
Not wanting to be around others
Craving constant stimuli
Increased conflict with others
Experiencing a lack of confidence
Changes in sleep and eating habits
To make the situation worse, these symptoms change over time, and you can experience a combination of these things.
The most productive way to think about burnout in today’s work environment is to look at burnout prevention as part of an ecosystem – all aspects need to be working together. Before we can eradicate workplace burnout, employers need to have systems and policies in place that are not exclusively focused on self-care—wellness technology, subsidized gym memberships, yoga, breathing—but are truly focused on the root causes of burnout.
Employers and managers need to be looking at this as a crisis. We are in an endemic at this point. Now, we need to start creating sustainable ways of working. Ten to 12 hours of videoconferencing is not sustainable. And, giving employees who are experiencing symptoms of burnout a week off will not solve the problem if the underlying issues have not been addressed.
Employers need to ask hard questions such as: Why are we still doing things that we did on March 17, 2020? … How are people feeling? … What challenges are employees experiencing? … Do they feel valued and respected? Just talking about mental health at work and providing tools and resources will not solve the problem.
If you are experiencing symptoms of burnout, don’t wait to do something about it or expect your employer to provide the solution. Start by putting strategies in place to move toward a healthier, balanced lifestyle and prevent it from becoming worse. Remember, practicing good self-care will do wonders for many facets of your life, both at work and at home, which today often take place in the same environment.