We did it! The First Ibero-American Congress against Burnout was finally held.
We are happy and proud of what happened during it. They were days of a lot of learning, wisdom and rest, we enjoyed it!
The following is a brief summary of the presentations made during the entire day of the Congress.
Here you will have an idea of the key points and "pearls" of each of the exhibitors who joined us.
As you know, this congress combined lectures by renowned experts with break experiences to promote the importance of "taking a break" as a method to prevent burnout.
On Friday, June 30, the central conference day was held with expert speakers in different areas related to burnout syndrome, and was moderated by international communicator and life strategist, Ismael Cala, and Dominican communicator Nahiony Reyes.
Maria Mendez, founder and president of VIAHR welcomed the attendees, highlighting her experience as a person recovered from burnout, which motivated her to create this foundation to share tools with other people globally and promote the mental and integral health of humanity.
For her part, Yira Vermenton, Director of Provincial Tourism Initiatives on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), said that they are putting the Dominican Republic, a country that has everything, on the world's map; she invited them to enjoy and connect with its people, and to pause as a way of increasing the levels of connection between people. He exalted that this congress is the beginning of a global movement against a silent enemy such as burnout.
Mario Paredes, Manager of the health area and entrepreneur (Somos Community Care), stated that "We cannot continue with the forms and structures that we have established for centuries. Change is urgent; I believe that this initiative of Maria Mendez is a great opportunity for governments, companies and institutions of society. Now we have to commit ourselves to carry out this project".
During the forum "Visión ante el Burnout", Ismael Cala stated that 59% of workers are resigning silently, while 18% are resigning out loud, according to Gallup data.
In this forum, Carmen Martínez, PAHO/WHO Regional Mental Health Advisor, stated that 50% of the expenses for mental disorders are associated with indirect costs related to low productivity, and although work is a protective factor for mental health, it can also be a harmful factor and therefore it must be addressed in an adequate manner, considering rest, to contribute to change part of the reality where 1 out of every 6 people in the world have mental health problems.
Dilcia Ruan, Director of VIAHR and corporate social responsibility advisor, indicated that "from VIAHR we want to put an aircraft carrier for all organizations to join in raising awareness and work to treat and prevent burnout"; for Reverend Andrés Ramos, Spanish priest and journalist, it is necessary for each person to find a dignified life and express their capabilities through work, being necessary to achieve a balance between work and rest. Likewise, Dr. Ramóhn Tallaj, physician and entrepreneur in the health sector, leader of a network of 2500 doctors in New York, called for reflection on the existing inequality between people and how this affects the actions taken on burnout.
On the challenges related to burnout, the members of the forum stated: the lack of information on mental health at work; the need for important regulations on mental health in the workplace that really translate into tools at the local level; the difficulty for people to recognize when they need help and already have symptoms of this disease.
Some actions that can be taken to change the burnout situation, in addition to professional help, include:
- Speak honestly about the situation
- Establish and strengthen public-private partnerships on the subject, as well as the relevance of measuring, carrying out interventions and then measuring again in order to verify the effect of the intervention carried out.
- That is why VIAHR makes available the Burnout self-diagnosis tool, click here to access.
Also in attendance was Norma Díaz, CEO of Community Health Group, who has sought ways to share with her collaborators her personal experiences in favor of their well-being, since as a business leader she carries out actions to make all her employees happy, and highlighted the ability of leaders to listen in order to create happy organizations.
Aldo Cívico, executive coach specialized in leadership development, it is important to work on a mental map aligned with a purpose to create the future. For Cívico, Burnout is a symptom that the person is operating from a false self; "when you lead life from your false self you act from reactivity, victimhood, the shadow". He also presented a summary of the Enneagram profiles and expressed that the Enneagram is a tool that facilitates mental change; he shared Havenning's technique to treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, burnout, etc.
Néstor Braidot, neuroscientist, writer, researcher and lecturer, expressed that we do not only change in a crisis; we can also change in a state of joy and inspiration. It is necessary to remember that we all have our brains in our hands and it is necessary to balance and lead our emotions, as well as your work times with rest.
Carl Honoré, writer, communicator and lecturer, confessed that he is a recovered speed addict who now loves slowness, since he is happier now, lives in the present, and slowing down works wonders because it allows him to reconnect with life, with people and family.
Jacques Giraud, coach and expert in organizational development, stated that it is necessary to redefine our productivity paradigm, for which he shared 3 key ideas: 1. Establish limits to organize yourself 2.
Alejandra Vallejo-Nágera, psychologist, therapist and expert in wellness management, shared a strong phrase "Control stress before it controls you", for which she recommended the practice of Chikun. Managing stress is necessary for both the person and the company, because when a person has less stress, he/she can be more productive and work better.
In a new forum moderated by Ismael Cala, Bisila Bokoko, businesswoman, entrepreneur and philanthropist, shared part of her work experience and how the actions you take and your mentality affect how you assume each situation, so she said "Do not let your fears be bigger than your dreams" reiterating the importance of assuming with facts ¡Qué viva la pausa!
María Méndez, founder and president of VIAHR, revealed that after spending more than 20 years without taking a vacation with significant impacts on her personal and family life, including the loss of unique moments in the growth of her children, and after having been diagnosed with burnout and having recovered, she decided to found the VIAHR Foundation in order to contribute to raising the level of awareness of humanity about this disease. Based on her experience, she told the public "Allow yourself to feel the pleasure of a pause" because "without mental health there is no true health" for which the proper management of emotions is also very important.
To close the conference sessions on July 1, Ismael Cala gave a theoretical and practical workshop "Awareness and induction to pause" Ismael: leaving as one of the key messages that "Just as you feel committed to plan your productive life then plan your rest", and conducted a meditation experience with the attendees.
Human beings "We are not machines. When you live such a fast-paced life you lose the most human gestures and ruin the family."
Pope Francis
On Saturday, the attendees were provided with break and recreation experiences and were invited to participate in the upcoming activities of the VIAHR Foundation.
We hope this brief summary gives you a taste of what we learned that day, and of course, we'll see you at the next congress!
