Burnout Stress & Your Health

How burnout stress affects our physical & mental health

This article is the first of a two-part series. Be sure to read part two, 10 Ways to Reduce Workplace Stress.

When I started my career as a healthcare professional almost thirty years ago, studying how our thoughts and emotions affect our health was one of my favourite topics. As a Registered Massage Therapist, I ran my own highly successful practice collaborating with medical doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and naturopaths. I also worked at St. Mary’s Hospital on a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals rehabilitating traumatic motor vehicle accidents survivors. 

The role of a patient’s psychological state was evident in their health and recovery. Those with a robust support system felt loved and cared for, connected richly with their faith, and clung to hope tended to have better physical outcomes. Meanwhile, those who had little support felt disconnected from their family, friends, and faith, and those who had a primary negative bias regularly had poor outcomes. While this is not always the case, many medical professionals can attest to how a person’s cognitive and emotional state affects their stress levels, immunity, and physical health.

Burnout stress affects our health.

As a Burnout Prevention Strategist, I spend much time training C-level executives, managers, and employees to manage stress effectively to avoid burnout. I explain how overwhelming, unsuccessfully managed stress can lead to symptoms of burnout (1) affecting seven areas of wellness, including physical health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, relational health, financial health, and professional health. The manifestations of stress on the mind, body and emotions are significant. 

This article intends to share how our cognitive and emotional reactions to stress directly affect our physical and mental health. Let’s get started. 

What is psychoneuroimmunology?

Psychoneuroimmunology studies the relationship between immunity, the endocrine system (hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin), and the nervous system. 2 In short, Psychoneuroimmunology encompasses researching the effects of emotions on our health.

Important Terms

• Neuroimmunomodulation is the interaction between the brain and the immune system.

• Psychoneuroimmunology is the interaction between stress and the reaction of the brain and immune system to our psychological interpretation of events.

• Psychoimmunology is the super system of interactions between the brain and immune system under our control by modifying our internal dialogue.

Challenges affect our thoughts, emotions & behaviours

There is a highly complex connection between our body and mind. Our physical body reflects how we react to life’s challenges through our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. For the purpose of this article, the brain is the physical matter inside our skull. The mind is the totality of our brain, body, thoughts, and emotions. 

Thoughts & emotions affect our minds.

In a sense, thoughts and emotions are the nutrition of our minds. We can intentionally change how we feel by creating positive thoughts. This does not mean telling ourselves lies, but rather, becoming curious and looking at things from a different perspective. 

Emotions affect our physical state.

Feelings of fear, stress and anxiety often create a negative cognitive loop. In other words, just as our thoughts affect our emotions, our emotions can affect our thoughts. Both produce physical ramifications. For example, when we are worried or frustrated, we may experience neck tension, low back pain, headaches, or rapid breathing. In addition, our thoughts and emotions can affect many of our body systems, including our digestive, urinary, respiratory, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems.

Thoughts & emotions affect our immune system

Each thought and feeling we experience is accompanied by a shower of brain chemicals that affect and are affected by the billions of cells comprising our immune system. Our immune system is uniquely equipped with constant surveillance of intrusion and malfunction. It identifies invaders, compares them to a constantly updated memory bank, and prepares an appropriate defence. The immune system then attacks the intruder, defeats it, and cleans up after itself. Finally, the immune system updates its software with its latest learnings to prepare for future challenges.

The role of the immune system

The immune system functions in partnership with our cognition, emotions, and body. When we experience positive emotions, this partnership acts as a well-oiled machine. But when we experience a long-term onslaught of stressful thoughts, feelings, and physical reactions, it functions more like an army that has lost its general. As a result, the immune system may become overactive, underachieve, or even attack itself.

Immunity and stress

To be immune is not only to resist disease. Our immune system is meant to handle any stressor that comes our way. That is why positive stress, known as eustress, is beneficial. For example, when we have an exciting project we’re working on, this creates eustress, which causes a positive influx of adrenaline to help us complete the task. That’s a healthy response. The immune system is meant to strike a balance where it distinguishes between eustress that fosters positive growth and stress that wreaks havoc on our health.

Mind-body connection

The ancient Greeks believed in the mind-body connection. Socrates said, “As it is not proper to cure the eyes without the head, nor the head without the body, so neither is it proper to cure the body without the soul.”

The mind is a complex of innate capacities to associate, organize, and control the mind and body. The brain is a physical site where much of our physical activity is originated, moderated, and controlled via a complex system of nerves and hormones that comprise the nervous and endocrine systems. 

Examples of the mind-body connection in modern medicine

Consider this. In the 1920s, Dr. Bruno Block was a famous wart doctor with his genius wart machine. 3 The machine took x-rays and painted each wart with brightly coloured “medicine.” He warned his patients not to touch or wash the medicine off until warts disappeared. One-third of his patients had their warts disappear after the first treatment. 

It turns out the machine did nothing but offer the power of suggestion. The “medicine” was a simple food dye with no medicinal properties. Instead, the cure came from within the patient’s mind. The wart machine simply helped the patient believe that the wart could go away. 4

Here is another example. Studies show that patients who undergo general anesthesia can recall dialogue during their surgery.  5 The hypothesis suggests that the power of suggestion may play a significant role in post-operative patient recovery. Think of the implications of a surgeon who, while angry with his staff amid surgery, says, “You messed up! Oh well, the poor guy was a goner anyway”. Compare this to a surgeon that calmly says to the sleeping patient, “You are doing fantastic! You are going to be back on your feet in no time.” There is a reason nurses are taught to offer encouragement to patients far beyond boosting morale.

Neuroanatomy 101

Let’s take a quick lesson in brain anatomy. We will focus on just two main areas of the brain: the Limbic System located deep within the brainstem and the Frontal Lobe, situated at the very front, top of the brain below the forehead.

Survival: the limbic system

The limbic system comprises several parts of the brain: 

• The amygdala is responsible for detecting and responding to fearful and threatening stimuli.

• The thalamus is responsible for sensory and motor signals, consciousness and alertness.

• The hippocampus is responsible for learning, memory, and recognition of enjoyment.

• The hypothalamus is responsible for controlling the endocrine system, including hormones and glands.

The limbic system has an incredible potential to control our immune system cells. Understanding the roles of our limbic system allows us to turn that potential into reality. Then we may experience the wealth of an unimaginably efficient internal apothecary.

Think of the limbic system as the intensive care unit of the nervous system. Its functions can be categorized by Five F’s: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Feed, and Fertilize (reproduction). In other words, it is focused entirely on survival. 

Stress causes us to have thoughts that create an emotional response, triggering our amygdala to produce physical manifestations such as rapid heartbeat, pumping blood away from our digestive tract to our muscles, and muscle tension. Equally as important, when we are calm, our amygdala does not fire, and a different set of hormones flow through our blood. For example, oxytocin is a hormone responsible for connection and trust which flows only when the amygdala is not triggered.

Higher thinking: frontal lobes

The frontal lobes are part of the brain's outer surface called the cerebral cortex. They are located at the very top and front of our brain, beneath our forehead. This is where our higher thinking happens. It is responsible for executive functioning, problem-solving, decision-making, conscious thought and empathy. This is where we want to spend most of our time when working on a project, sitting around a boardroom table, writing code, or having a meaningful conversation with a loved one.

The limbic system hijacks the frontal lobes

When we experience stress, it triggers our amygdala within our limbic system. This immediately puts us into a fight, flight, or freeze response. The amygdala responds instantaneously, more quickly than our frontal lobes, causing us to go into a reactionary response rather than thinking mode. Essentially, the fight, flight or freeze effect of the amygdala highjacks our rational thinking frontal lobes in the name of survival.

At the same time, the amygdala, through a complex pathway, tells our adrenal glands, which sit on top of our kidneys, to pump out the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones create a cascade of events within our body, such as rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, decreased digestion, and sweating, all of which prepare us for fight, flight, or freeze.

This response is essential when a bear is chasing us, and we need to get to safety immediately. But when stress triggers this reaction dozens or even hundreds of times a day, we move into chronic stress and the unhealthy state of languishing. In this scenario, our amygdala can become over-reactive, and we may react far too often from our survival mode rather than from our problem-solving, decision-making, empathetic abilities.

There is no question that stress affects our physical, emotional, and mental health and immunity. So what can we do about it?

How to overcome stress

It is vital we learn effective stress management strategies for overcoming stress and building resilience so that we do not face burnout. Though we cannot change the stressful circumstances we encounter, we can change our thoughts, which in turn change our emotions and effectively stop the stress cycle. 

Read the next blog for practical stress management so you can overcome stress, build resilience, and prevent burnout.

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About the author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.

References:

1. World Health Organization. (2019, May 28). Burn-out an "Occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases. World Health Organization. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases

2. Tausk F, Elenkov I, Moynihan J. Psychoneuroimmunology. Dermatol Ther. 2008 Jan-Feb;21(1):22-31. doi: 10.1111/j.1529-8019.2008.00166.x. PMID: 18318882. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18318882/

3. Block, Bruno: Klinische Wochenschrift VI: 1927, 2271, 2320.

4. Perlman, H. H. (n.d.). The Innocent Wart. Clinical Pediatrics, 2(5), 238–246. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/000992286300200508

5. M. M. Ghoneim, Richard B. Weiskopf; Awareness during Anesthesia. Anesthesiology 2000; 92:597 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/00000542-200002000-00043. https://pubs.asahq.org/anesthesiology/article/92/2/597/38147/Awareness-during-Anesthesia

Critical Responses to the Working for Workers Act

What does the new Act mean for Ontario organizations?

Earlier this month, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed Bill 27, the Working for Workers Act. 1

According to the Province of Ontario, the Act requires "employers with 25 or more employees to have a written policy about employees disconnecting from their job at the end of the workday to help employees spend more time with their families.” 2 According to the Government of Canada, constant connection “carries health risks when it is not balanced against the need for rest. Risks include anxiety, depression, and burnout.” 3

The Disconnect From Work Policy ensures employees do not engage in work-related communication such as emails, phone calls and text messages beyond their regular work hours. The intent is that employees be free from expectations to perform work-related tasks during off-duty hours.

The new Canadian policy follows several European countries that have introduced the right to disconnect legislature, including Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal. 4,5,6

The new mandate comes in response to employees working more hours during the pandemic than previously. Much of the concern lies in having little to no work-life balance, which can be a source of mental health issues and lower productivity.

Has the Act gone too far?

There has been an ever-growing trend toward employers expecting employees to respond to communication round the clock. Even when that is not the case, many employees feel pressured to respond to emails, texts, phone calls and even social media related to work to show they are team players. While this new legislature is a step in the right direction for preventing workplace burnout, has the legislation gone too far?

Questions the Act raises

• What happens when an organization regularly responds to people’s crises or situational crises?

• How can managers communicate with their employees most effectively?

• What policies can Human Resources professionals implement to support both the organization and employees?

• What does it mean for C-level executives if they cannot legally ask for work to be done after hours?

• What can employees do to support and maintain their work-life balance and mental health?

Workplace Culture is the real issue

With the rise of remote and hybrid work models, work-life balance has become a serious challenge for both leaders and employees. As a result, the separation between work-life and home-life has become blurred.

In an organization with a healthy company culture, C-level executives, managers, and employees are crystal clear on when employees are expected to work and when they are not. This includes clear guidelines on meetings, responsibilities, and communications. But in many organizations, stated values and lived-out values differ substantially. By implementing healthy workplace culture initiatives, both organizations and employees will benefit.

How organizations can respond to the Working For Workers Act

Considering the intent to provide work-life balance for employees and prevent undue stress and burnout, how might organizations respond?

6 Policy Responses

1. Communications Policy

Provide clear expectations regarding email, text, and phone response times. This should also encompass workplace chat platforms, such as Slack.

2. Meeting Policy

Create guidelines for when employees may engage in meetings, including virtually.

3. Hybrid Work Policy

Clearly indicate when employees are meant to work from home, at the office, or on-site, depending on your organization's circumstances.

4. Emergency Communications Policy

Draft a policy to indicate what constitutes an emergency and which modes of communication may be required. Include notes on what may be required of employees during an emergency.

5. Overtime Policy

Create a policy around overtime and after-hours work. For instance, what do employees receive in return if they work overtime or respond to an emergency? Measures may include time off in lieu of overtime, extra vacation time, or extra income.

6. Stress Leave, Burnout and Compassion Fatigue Policies

Many organizations have stress-leave policies, and this is a great start. Depending on your organization, a burnout or compassion fatigue policy may also be required.

5 Work-life Balance Responses

1. Establish Realistic Deadlines

Set realistic deadlines that work in real life. Make sure deadlines are clear, achievable, and fair.

2. Connect Regularly

Establish regular weekly communications with employees. Managers who help employees prioritize, work through challenges, and listen empathetically support their productivity and well-being.

3. Use Effective Evaluations

Arrange quarterly evaluations to keep everything on track. Leaders who provide regular evaluative check-ins work through challenges before they become serious issues for the employee or the company.

4. Provide Technology Resources

Ensure employees have access to technologies that assist their productivity. This goes beyond simply hardware, such as computers and printers. There may be apps or software that would enable employees to complete their work more effectively and efficiently. This translates into greater profits for organizations and often greater employee engagement, retention, and productivity.

5. Encourage Self-Care

Companies that encourage their employees to use their Workplace Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, benefits, and health spending accounts support their employees’ physical and mental health. In addition, providing workshops and training for employees around burnout prevention, resilience, mindfulness, compassion fatigue, and self-care will help leaders and workers live healthy lifestyles that support their well-being. Healthy, happy employees create healthy, happy organizations that thrive.

Useful Resources For Organizations

• The Future of Work - How organizational culture, mental health & hybrid work is changing the future of work.

• Employee Burnout Prevention - How to open the burnout conversation with employees.

• Burnout - What the experts say about burnout

• The Symptoms of Burnout

About the author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.

Receive future blogs directly in your inbox.

References

1.  McNaughton, M. (2021, December 2). Working for Workers Act, 2021. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Retrieved December 13, 2021, from https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-2/bill-27.

2. Working for Workers Act, 2021. Ontario newsroom. (2021, October 25). Retrieved December 13, 2021, from https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1001032/working-for-workers-act-2021.

3. Gouvernement du Canada. (2021, December 3). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. Retrieved December 13, 2021, from https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development.

4. Kelly, L. (2021, April). Introduction to codes of Practice. Workplace Relations Commission. Retrieved December 13, 2021, from http://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/what_you_should_know/codes_practice/.

5. The "right to disconnect"– what is it, why is it important and how can you support your employees with their right to disconnect? Dentons. (2021, August 19). Retrieved December 13, 2021, from https://www.dentons.com/en/insights/articles/2021/august/19/the-right-to-disconnect.

6. Associated Press. (2021, November 5). Portugal protects employees with new rules on home working. AP NEWS. Retrieved December 13, 2021, from https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-lifestyle-europe-health-3ac9da7707ce270d98d392c94154b909.

The Future Of Work

How organizational culture, mental health & hybrid work is changing the future of work.

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The future of work is changing at an accelerated rate due to the pandemic. Organizations face unprecedented opportunities and challenges around remote work, inter-company relationships, employee well-being, and innovation. Managing workplace culture, providing mental health resources, and inspiring employees toward their best work will be pivotal in a post-pandemic economy.

Several very important studies have just been released. They help us to understand the implications of the pandemic on organizations and their employees, and give us a sneak peek into the future of work.

The future of work & organizational culture

A major study entitled, the Global Culture Report published by O.C. Tanner was released in September 2021. Focussing on organizational culture, the report analyzes the changes in workplace culture and management practices. 1

The future of work continues to evolve. While both organizations and workers have experienced challenges, new opportunities to strengthen workplace culture are arising. This study chronicles six essential elements that define thriving cultures. 2

6 Elements of a thriving workplace culture

1. Employee sense of purpose.

Purpose speaks to an organization's mission and vision, its reason for being. It defines why the company exists and the change it wishes to bring about in the world. In order for workers to have a positive employee experience, they must feel connected to the organization's purpose and understand how their role meaningfully contributes toward that purpose. 

2. Employee sense of opportunity.

This measurement refers to an employee's opportunities for advancement, skills development, contribution to meaningful work, and belief that their voice is recognized as important. Furthermore, it refers to empowering an employee’s autonomy, decision-making, and professional associations.

3. Employee sense of success.

This metric indicates an employee's sense of accomplishment and collaboration. The exhilaration people experience when overcoming obstacles, celebrating wins, and being a part of a flourishing team all contribute toward a sense of accomplishment. Furthermore, connecting work with meaning, connection, and fulfillment promotes resiliency while decreasing stress and anxiety.

4. Employee sense of appreciation.

Recognition involves both public acknowledgement and internal satisfaction. Employees want to be recognized and appreciated by their leaders and peers. It builds a person's self-worth, self-confidence, and desire to generate excellent work. According to the research, "appreciation is most effective when it's delivered in timely, personal, and meaningful ways." 3 Additionally, appreciation often contributes toward an employee’s sense of purpose, success, and well-being.

5. Employee sense of well-being.

Well-being encapsulates a person's physical and mental health, as well as their financial, social and emotional wellness. People tend to function at their best when they feel strong and capable. Critically, this measure includes the ability for employees to present their authentic selves in a safe environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. Work-life balance for stress management and burnout prevention are indicated within this metric.

6. Employee sense of leadership.

An organization's success relies upon a healthy, happy workforce. Companies benefit when they provide employees with coaching and mentoring to help them grow to their highest potential. Inspiring employees to take risks, innovate, and break through barriers ultimately leads to greater passion and success. 

Leaders who consistently sharpen their skills, empower their teams, and are willing to learn will inspire leadership among their team members. Additional qualities that define good leaders are empathy, emotional intelligence, and uncompromising cheerleadership.

How workplace culture statistics are changing

The following image shows the year-over-year change in the six areas. 4

Workplace culture statistics including purpose, opportunity, success, appreciation, well-being, and leadership.

Hybrid work combines office & remote workplaces for greater efficiency

While the pandemic has helped organizations to adapt to new ways of working, new data reveals where work happens is an equally important piece of the puzzle. The best results are achieved when work is completed in tailored, conducive spaces.

According to the research, remote work may be more conducive to thinking creatively and meeting deadlines. On the flip side, career advancement, making personal connections with colleagues, and ensuring all team members have a voice in decision-making seem to be better suited to the office.

A key takeaway evidenced from the research is that "great work requires connection and flexibility. A hybrid workplace provides both when employees can do their work in the best space suited for it." 5

A hybrid work model is not without its challenges. For instance, how do companies create fair and equitable opportunities for all employees? A report by Statistics Canada shows that from March 2020 to February 2021, women accounted for 53.7 percent of year-over-year employment losses. Much of this has to do with caregiving and online classroom learning. How organizations respond to this challenge will help to define their culture and impartial advancement opportunities. 6

Mental Health Statistics

LifeWorks published its Mental Health Index in August 2021. The study reveals the current mental health status of employed adults amid the pandemic benchmarked against 2017-2019 data. Following are a few of their most pivotal findings. 7

1. Connection and belonging 

One-third of Canadians do not feel a sense of belonging or acceptance at work or are unsure. This is up from one in four before the pandemic, meaning fewer people feel connected post-pandemic than pre-pandemic. Mental health scores for those who do not feel a sense of belonging and acceptance at work align significantly below the national average and distinctly below those who feel belonging and acceptance at work. 

Those who feel a sense of belonging and acceptance at work have among the highest mental health scores and the best isolation scores, both significantly better than national averages. Further, this group has higher productivity (87%) than those who do not feel a sense of belonging and acceptance at work (74%).

2. Workplace wellness and well-being

More than half of Canadians continue working at their job when feeling unwell at least one day per week. 

Here are a few specifics: 8

• Those who work when feeling unwell physically or psychologically have significantly lower isolation scores than the national average.

• 64% of parents work when feeling unwell at least one day per week compared to 36% of non-parents.

• 46% of people who never work when feeling unwell have a mental health score nearly four points above the pre-2020 benchmark.

Many employees report experiencing exhaustion, compassion fatigue, anxiety and stress. Proactive companies are developing new ways to support staff and prevent employee burnout. Those who will reap the long-term benefits of employee retention, well-being, and productivity.

3. How employees feel about their organization reflects in their mental health

• Employees who feel their organization is a great place to work are linked to better mental health.

• 65% of Canadians who consider their organization a great place to work have among the most favourable mental health scores.

4. Mental health scores are strongly associated with productivity

Lower mental health scores correspond to lower productivity. Higher mental health scores correspond to higher productivity, a difference of 41 workdays per year. 

Among this group, the average amount of energy put into work each day while feeling unwell is 74 percent, 11 percent less than when they feel well. Lower mental health scores reflect stress, exhaustion, and decreased efficacy, which can lead to lowered self-esteem.

Primary challenges & findings around the future of work

1. Adapting to a hybrid model of work.

Hybrid work models provide better employee experiences than solely remote or exclusively onsite work. 9

When workers are granted hybrid workplace flexibility in where and when they work, the following cultural outcomes improve: 10

• Engagement improves by 41%.

• Retention improves by 77%

• A positive view of the company improves by 41%

A research study entitled The effects of remote work on collaboration among information workers, published in September 2021, analyzed data on 61,000 Microsoft employees. It reveals that while working hours rose for remote workers during the pandemic, real-time communications decreased. Perhaps the greatest finding the study revealed is that while remote work is excellent for many work scenarios, innovation and collaboration may suffer. 11 Thus, exploring a hybrid work model will be imperative for organizations focused on innovation and collaboration.

2. Creating new, meaningful employee experiences.

Employee experience, and what makes it successful have changed throughout the pandemic. Companies must be willing to innovate to make work meaningful and purposeful so that employees can perform at their best. Ownership, connection, and achievement inspire excellence. 12

The data show that "when employees feel a strong sense of ownership in their work, a connection to others, and a sense of achievement and expertise in their role, they’re far more likely to do their best work." 

Employers that satisfy three crucial psychological needs: autonomy, connection, and mastery increase the following outcomes:

• Employee experience,

• Great work,

• Thriving culture,

• Employee net promotor score (how employees feel about the organization.)

3. Improving employee interaction, recognition, and development.

Recognition impacts the strength of connection between employees. 13 Leadership will do well to recognize talent and contribution publicly and eloquently to make employees feel valued, heard, and respected.

Recognition needs to be both personal and natural. Research shows that when employers recognize an employee's extra effort, they tend to feel more strongly connected. Not only that, they produce better work. Meanwhile, a lack of connection threatens to erode workplace culture. Leaders must work to connect with individuals, connect individuals within their team, and connect the teams to the overall organization. 14

4. Keeping people connected in changing times.

Analysis shows person-to-person communication contributes toward meaningful interactions. While technologies have been and will continue to be essential tools, according to developing research, the myriad technologies we've come to rely upon are contributing toward burnout. 15

Companies need fresh ideas for communications, interactions, and acknowledgment. It is worth the effort. The research shows there is a 12% increased odds an organization will thrive when employees feel connected. 16

Further, cited from a large study published in Nature Human Behaviour, "Our results show that the shift to firm-wide remote work caused business groups within Microsoft to become less interconnected." 17

5. Focusing on what impacts business outcomes.

According to the research, employee engagement may not be the most effective metric to predict individual or organizational performance. 18

On the flip-side, the following pre-pandemic studies counter-balance challenge the findings. More research is needed to determine how post-pandemic employee engagement affects turnover and productivity.

• Highly engaged employees outperform their unengaged peers. Organizations with high employee engagement are 21% more profitable. 20

• Highly engaged businesses experience a 41% reduction in absenteeism and a 17% increase in productivity. 21

Providing tools for work-life balance and stress management will contribute toward preventing burnout and a better bottom line. Developing new methods for empowering employees toward wellness, mental health, and effectiveness will lead toward greater productivity and ultimately the success of both employees and the organization.

6. Providing flexibility for healthy work-life balance.

Lack of separation between work and home was a major contributor to burnout during the pandemic. Meetings scheduled at odd hours, notifications coming round the clock, and unclear expectations all contributed to exhaustion. 

Research shows that when employees struggle to separate the work from their home life, the following outcomes are to be expected: 19

• 33% decrease in engagement

• 12% probability of taking days off to avoid work

• 11% employee self-assessment of burnout.

Manager training to recognize the signs and symptoms of burnout, and access to effective resources will be imperative for nurturing a thriving workforce.

We have much to learn as the world continues to evolve, as will our responses.

Learn how we can support your organization.

About the author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.

References

1.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

2.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. pp 13. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

3.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. pp 13. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

4.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. Pp. 11. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

5. Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021.  https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

6. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2021, May 26). Gender differences in employment one year into the COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis by industrial sector and firm size. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2021005/article/00005-eng.htm

7.  “Mental Health Index.” LifeWorks. LifeWorks, August 2021. https://9258156.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9258156/MHI%202021/Canada_MHI_August2021_English_Final.pdf

8.  “Mental Health Index.” LifeWorks. LifeWorks, August 2021. https://9258156.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9258156/MHI%202021/Canada_MHI_August2021_English_Final.pdf

9. Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. Pp 11, i. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

10.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. Pp 15, 23. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

11.  Yang, L., Holtz, D., Jaffe, S., Suri, S., Sinha, S., Weston, J., Joyce, C., Shah, N., Sherman, K., Hecht, B., & Teevan, J. (2021). The effects of remote work on collaboration among information workers. Nature Human Behaviour, 6(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01196-4

12.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. Pp 11. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

13.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. Pp 11. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

14.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. Pp. i. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

15.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. Pp 11. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

16.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. Pp 117. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

17.  Yang, L., Holtz, D., Jaffe, S., Suri, S., Sinha, S., Weston, J., Joyce, C., Shah, N., Sherman, K., Hecht, B., & Teevan, J. (2021). The effects of remote work on collaboration among information workers. Nature Human Behaviour, 6(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01196-4

18.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. Pp 11, i. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

19.  Chau, Christina, and Reid Thorpe. Publication. Rethink: 2022 Global Culture Report. Salt Lake City, Utah: O.C. Tanner Institute, 2021. Pp 25. https://www.fm-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Rethink-2022-Global-Culture-Report.pdf

20. Harter, B. J. (2024, May 16). Employee engagement on the rise in the U.S. Gallup.com. https://news.gallup.com/poll/241649/employee-engagement-rise.aspx.

21. Harter, B. J. (2022, August 13). Employee Engagement vs. Employee Satisfaction and Organizational Culture. Gallup.com. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236366/right-culture-not-employee-satisfaction.aspx.

Employee Burnout Prevention

How to open the burnout conversation with employees.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, burnout and unresolved stress have become major concerns for employers. By providing training and resources for your employees at every level, your organization can reduce employee burnout.

Employees who are engaged with the organization's vision and mission invest their energy into projects, push for targets, and work efficiently to benefit the organization. But unmanaged stress and a lack of trust within an organization can cause employees to burn out. Using the following process to equip your leaders and create safe work environments among your teams, you can prevent workplace burnout before it occurs and create a culture of wellness where everyone thrives.

If you've ever lost a key employee to burnout, you know how painful it is for the person, their team, and the organization. If you are lucky enough never to have experienced burnout personally or within your organization, this guide will help you take practical steps to ensure your team remains healthy.

To develop healthy employees and teams that do not burn out, how do you start? By creating meaningful connections that build trusting relationships.

Employees often fear sharing concerns with their managers about feeling burnt out for fear of being seen as weak, unworthy, or unproductive. Now is the time to get past the barriers that may keep them from breaking through and preventing burnout.

This process can be used both in-person and virtually. It will help you open the discussion about burnout and remove the associated stigma so your employees can speak openly and honestly about their concerns. You increase trust by providing safe spaces in which your team can share, even if you feel you already have their confidence. By doing so, you facilitate employee wellness for the long haul.

The 12-Step Process

1. Start with leadership.

As a leader, you must model effective leadership so that those you supervise replicate your methods with their own teams. 

Make sure your leadership team knows how important they are to you and to the organization. Communicate that a healthy organization begins with their wellbeing, and make it clear that you're committed to helping them thrive. 

Send this Burnout Assessment to your leaders. Ask each to carefully complete the assessment, note any red flags, and bring a copy to your next meeting. Let them know you want to have an open and honest discussion about burnout prevention with them. You aspire them to get or stay well, support them where they may be struggling, and offer resources that will help them to flourish.

During your meeting, ask your leader what she thought about the Burnout Assessment, what surprised her most, and whether she noted any red flags. Find out how she feels about talking to you about her concerns and how you could better generate a safe space for her in the future. Discuss what ideas she may have for developing a company culture where everyone feels safe sharing concerns with their managers.

Next, ask her to set priorities and goals based on her discoveries by using the exercise provided in this guide. Follow up with her at your next one-on-one meeting.

2. Prepare your leadership team.

Your leaders will now be eager to provide comparable care to people under their supervision bearing in mind the knowledge, experience, and opportunity gained by participating in the Burnout Assessment, open discussion, and exercise. Ask your leaders how it was to go through this process with you and how they envision using these resources with their teams. 

In order to generate positive company culture around burnout prevention, plan to host a workshop to open the discussion. By using an outside, trustworthy source, burnout prevention becomes an accessible topic to discuss and enables team discussion. Organize half-day to full-day workshops for staff and work with a professional who understands burnout prevention and recovery.

3. Communicate the workshop.

Prepare a multifaceted communication plan for sharing news about the upcoming workshop. 

Describe what authentic care means to you as a leader so that all your staff can feel a sense of belonging. Express how much you value them and how you want to support their wellbeing. Describe the steps you have taken to guide team leaders through assessments, discussions, and goal setting. Communicate your desire for your organization to be a safe place to share with managers so that all employees can access resources and thrive in their roles.

4. Host the burnout prevention workshop.

Organize workshops that are organization-wide, within departments, or with individual teams, depending on the size of your organization. Some topics to cover include the signs and phases of burnout, common misconceptions, and practical strategies to stop burnout and promote well-being.

Consider offering a series of workshops to cultivate a culture of wellness and support employees. Stress management, mindfulness, resilience, and mental health are just a few of the topics that may be advantageous.

5. Use the Burnout Assessment

To follow up on the workshop, the next step is for managers to send the Burnout Assessment to those they supervise with instructions for them to bring their completed assessments to their next one-on-one meeting. As part of the meeting, ask the following questions:

1. What surprised you most?

2. Where are you excelling?

3. Where do you feel you may be struggling?

4. What do you believe is at the root of these concerns?

5. What do you think would help you overcome these challenges?

6. What resources would you like the organization to provide for you?
   
   

Get your free Burnout Assessment.

6. Reconvene leadership to discuss results.

Ask your leaders to compile a report on the well-being and potential burnout risk of the employees they supervise based on the Burnout Assessments and subsequent discussions. Report anonymously in order to protect employee privacy and enhance manager-employee trust. Discuss the results with your leadership team and brainstorm current and potential solutions.

7. Plan an organization-wide professional development day.

Share the anonymous results of the Burnout Assessments and both team and leadership conversations. Reaffirm your commitment to employee health and well-being. Invite questions and discuss the results in small groups.

Lay a foundation of trust before introducing the exercise in this guide. Ask a few leaders to explain how it worked for them. Then take the time for all staff to complete the exercise.

Get your free guide.

Download your free guide to implementing the Burnout Assessment across your organization.

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8. Small group discussion.

To get the most of the exercise, have your team review their responses and identify three challenges in terms of their current role longevity. Then break into small groups for discussion.

9. Make it actionable.

As you continue to solicit input from employees, ask the participants how they might overcome their challenges and what kinds of support they might need. To gather responses from small group sessions, conduct a large group sharing session. 

End the meeting on a positive note and explain the next steps in a way that everyone understands expectations and how their work will be used to improve team health. Remember your vision and goals, and take actionable steps to make it happen.

10. Reconvene leadership.

Bring your leadership team together to talk about the common themes discovered during team-based discussions. Be mindful of the confidentiality of individual team members and discuss issues and concerns without using names. It is imperative to continue cultivating trust authentically.

11. Create a plan.

Analyze the repeating themes as well as solutions offered by team members. What measures can you implement immediately? What goals can you set for developing and supporting your employees' physical, mental, emotional and professional health?

Prepare a resource list for employees, including their benefits package information, workplace wellness program, and details regarding their Employee Assistance Program. If possible, provide funding for non-traditional means of supporting the program, such as coaching and further workshops.

12. Begin implementation.

As a leadership team, take immediate measures and schedule follow-up planning sessions to achieve your goals. Bring in the appropriate staff that can provide valuable insights into the development and support phases. Communicate at all levels clearly about implementation. 

This process demonstrates to your employees that you truly care for their well-being and are committed to providing a safe environment for them to voice their concerns. It provides an opportunity to learn the real issues and take action to prevent them from turning into serious outcomes. By implementing this process, you will help to open up conversations, build meaningful connections, and establish an environment of trust where both employees and the organization can thrive.

Contact us today about our Workshops.

About the Author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.

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Burnout: The Experts

What The Experts Say About Burnout

Burnout is incredibly difficult to manage because there is always more work and always another deadline. There is always someone you are trying to please. There is always an opportunity to push harder and faster. But in the end, the people who suffer are you, your family, and your loved ones.

What is burnout?

According to the World Health Organization,1

“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: 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.”

What are the symptoms of burnout?

Burnout affects every part of a person’s life:

Physically - Mentally - Emotionally - Spiritually - Socially - Financially - Professionally

Learn about the signs and symptoms of burnout here.

Professions with high burnout rates.

Burnout is very high in professions such as healthcare professionals, educators, spiritual care providers, such as pastors, emergency response workers, such as police, fire fighters, and paramedics, and corporate professionals, including those in the tech field.

At times, burnout may be related to Compassion Fatigue.

What the experts say about burnout.

Burnout is becoming an epidemic among pastoral, corporate, and emergency response teams.

According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),

• “Job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury.”2

According to World Health Organization,3

• “Work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope.

• Stress occurs in a wide range of work circumstances but is often made worse when employees feel they have little support from supervisors and colleagues, as well as little control over work processes.

• There is often confusion between pressure or challenge and stress and sometimes it is used to excuse bad management practice.”

• “Research findings show that the most stressful type of work is that which values excessive demands and pressures that are not matched to workers’ knowledge and abilities, where there is little opportunity to exercise any choice or control, and where there is little support from others. Employees are less likely to experience work-related stress when - demands and pressures of work are matched to their knowledge and abilities - control can be exercised over their work and the way they do it - support is received from supervisors and colleagues - participation in decisions that concern their jobs is provided.”

Burnout, and the excessive stress that leads to it, can have detrimental effects on health, job performance, and familial and social relationships.

According to the American Institute of Stress 4

• “Numerous studies show that job stress is far and away the major source of stress for American adults and that it has escalated progressively over the past few decades.”

• “Increased levels of job stress as assessed by the perception of having little control but lots of demands have been demonstrated to be associated with increased rates of heart attack, hypertension and other disorders.”

• “The severity of job stress depends on the magnitude of the demands that are being made and the individual’s sense of control or decision-making latitude he or she has in dealing with them.”

• “Scientific studies based on this model confirm that workers who perceive they are subjected to high demands but have little control are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.”

How stress affects and workplace wellness.

A Deloitte study of over 1000 respondents, 5

• 77% say they have experienced burnout at their current job.

• 91% say unmanaged stress or frustration impacts their work.

• 83% say burnout negatively affects their personal relationships.

According to The Mental Health Commission of Canada,

• “Mental health issues in the workplace are among the top concerns for organizations of all sizes. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, one in five Canadians experiences a mental health problem or illness each year, equating to 500,000 employees unable to work every week due to mental health problems or illnesses.”6

• “Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than are any other life stressor-more so than even financial problems or family problems.”7

• “95 percent of HR leaders said employee burnout is sabotaging workforce retention. The survey targeted HR managers and directors, vice presidents of HR, and chief HR officers—all of them working at organizations with at least 100 employees.”8

How has the pandemic affected burnout rates?

According to research coming out during COVID-19, this is how the pandemic has affected burnout.

• Burnout is what happens when you have reached your limits mentally, emotionally, and physically. With billions of the world's populations now in lockdown as COVID‐19 sweeps the globe, burnout is still very much around—but it looks a little different right now. Coping with a pandemic can feel overwhelming and exhausting and leave you feeling drained or anxious or perhaps even both.9

• The new Work-From-Home culture has created new opportunities but has also “obliterated work-life balance.10

• “A lack of workplace support on top of already challenging circumstances can negatively impact workers’ mental health. Prior to the pandemic, just 5% of employed workers and 7% of unemployed workers said their mental health was poor or very poor. Now, 18% of employed and 27% of unemployed workers say they are struggling with mental health issues.”11

• Prior to COVID-19, Burnout was referred specifically to workplace stress. Now, some experts include parenting, relationships, and care-giving in their definition of burnout. For instance, Psychology Today reports, “Jobs aren’t the only source of the chronic stress that causes burnout. Parents, partners, and non-professional caregivers can also experience endless exhaustion, feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities, or secretly believe that they have failed at their role. These forms of burnout are referred to as parental burnout, relationship burnout, and caregiver burnout respectively.”12

• According to Microsoft's 2021 Work Trend Index, workers have seen a substantial increase in digital intensity. Their findings include: 13

  • Meeting time on Microsoft Teams more than doubled.

  • Meeting duration increased by ten minutes.

  • Microsoft Teams users sent 45% more chats per week. After-hours chats increased by 42%.

What does the future look like?

According to Microsoft's 2021 Work Trend Index, the "Next Great Disruption" is Hybrid Work. These are some of the trends they noted: 14

• High productivity is masking an exhausted workforce.

• Leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wake-up call.

• Gen Z is at risk and will need to be re-energized.

• Authenticity will spur productivity and wellbeing.

How do you know if you are burned out?

Take our free Burnout Assessment.

How to deal with burnout.

The following are burnout prevention and burnout recovery strategies.

• Comprehensive workplace culture transformation to ensure the longterm health of the organization, leadership, and employees.

• Management training in Burnout prevention and Compassion Fatigue to assure essential support for all employees.

• Effective Work-From-Home strategies.

• Stress management and Mindfulness training, workshops, and coaching.

• Resiliency education with practical and applicable integrated exercises.

• An effective self-care plan using a holistic framework for comprehensive well-being.

• Workplace and lifestyle boundaries training for a cohesive work-life balance.

• Evidence-based assessments and policies.
  

Bring our burnout prevention workshops to your workplace

About the Author

Bonita Eby is a Burnout Prevention & Organizational Culture Consultant, Executive Coach, and owner of Breakthrough Personal & Professional Development Inc., specializing in burnout prevention and wellness for organizations and individuals. Bonita is on a mission to end burnout. Get your free Burnout Assessment today.

References

1. Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon": International classification of diseases. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases

2. Stress...at work (99-101). (2014, June 06). Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/default.html#What%20Is%20Job%20Stress?

3. Occupational health: Stress at the workplace. (2020, October 19). Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/ccupational-health-stress-at-the-workplace

4. Workplace stress. (2021, February 09). Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.stress.org/workplace-stress

5. Workplace Burnout survey. (n.d.). Deloitte United States. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/burnout-survey.html

6. Canadian employees report workplace stress as primary cause of mental health concerns. (2018, July 5). Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/news-article/13522/canadian-employees-report-workplace-stress-primary-cause-mental-health-concerns

7. Stress...at work (99-101). (2014, June 06). Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/default.html#What%20Is%20Job%20Stress?

8. Wilkie, D. (2023, December 21). Workplace burnout at “Epidemic proportions.” SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/employee-relations/workplace-burnout-epidemic-proportions

9. Queen, D., & Harding, K. (2020, August 17). Societal pandemic Burnout: A COVID LEGACY. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7362153/

10. Davis, M. F., & Green, J. (2020, April 23). Bloomberg.com. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-23/working-from-home-in-covid-era-means-three-more-hours-on-the-job

11. Reynolds, B. W. (2020, August 21). FlexJobs, mental Health America SURVEY: Mental health in the workplace. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/flexjobs-mha-mental-health-workplace-pandemic/

12. Burnout. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2021, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout

13. The next great disruption is hybrid work-are we ready? (2021, March 22). Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work. Contributors George Anders, Dr. Fereshteh Amini, Assembly, Callie August, Dr. Nancy Baym, Darcy Cain, Anbu Chinnasamy, Dr. Mary Donohue, Murat Erer, Godfrey Dadich Partners, Amber Hoak, Dr. Sonia Jaffe, Karin Kimbrough, Jonathan Larson, Laura Lorenzetti Soper, Ronnie Martin, Hannah McConnaughey, Gale Moutrey, Plain Concepts, Loren Pokorny, Sharat Raghavan, Dr. Sean Rintel, Colette Stallbaumer, Kim Stocks, David Titsworth, WE Communications, and Jessica Voelker.

14. The next great disruption is hybrid work-are we ready? (2021, March 22). Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work. Contributors George Anders, Dr. Fereshteh Amini, Assembly, Callie August, Dr. Nancy Baym, Darcy Cain, Anbu Chinnasamy, Dr. Mary Donohue, Murat Erer, Godfrey Dadich Partners, Amber Hoak, Dr. Sonia Jaffe, Karin Kimbrough, Jonathan Larson, Laura Lorenzetti Soper, Ronnie Martin, Hannah McConnaughey, Gale Moutrey, Plain Concepts, Loren Pokorny, Sharat Raghavan, Dr. Sean Rintel, Colette Stallbaumer, Kim Stocks, David Titsworth, WE Communications, and Jessica Voelker.