Burnout has become an issue that many experience, but few talk about.
Apparently, although many employees are experiencing symptoms of work exhaustion, the fear of discussing it with their superiors has become a common denominator within companies.
Is it fear of being seen as weak?
Is it fear of being perceived as incapable of handling our workload?
Burnout can feel like something we are experiencing individually, just us. But most of the time this is not the case.
Defining what we need to stop feeling exhausted—whether it's a change in schedule, missing a few days of work, therapy, and then talking about it—is vital. The point of discussing it is to have the opportunity to receive what we need to regain balance and not continue to be constantly overloaded.
For the risk we have in mind, many positive things can come from being open about how we feel—greater trust with colleagues, permission for others to open up, a shift from a "pressure cooker" work culture to something more humane.
Solving burnout is much more feasible if the company's adjustment goes hand in hand with the adjustment in our personal lives.
Dr. Erin Kelly, professor at MIT Sloan School of Management, conducted research that showed that changes in team management in companies are one of the most effective ways to prevent and alleviate burnout syndrome. She found that employees whose managers were trained to see how they felt personally and professionally, and to give them the flexibility to work as they wished, had significantly lower levels of burnout and psychological distress. They were also 40% less likely to quit.
This only happens if we take the initiative to communicate how we are feeling.
If you believe that this cultural change is necessary in your company, we have a program for companies where we can guide you through the necessary steps. If this is your case, please fill out the form for our Company Partners Program.
If you would like a personal appointment with one of our burnout specialists, please complete the form at the end of this article.
