Employees overworked and experiencing burnout have already been a common reason behind high employee turnover. These cases, however, have unprecedented heights as a result of the stress and pressure of the  COVID-19 pandemic. This was even reflected in a survey that the younger generations experienced more intense burnout levels than their predecessors. 

Now, the word “burnout” has become the catch-all phrase for all the mental struggles we endure within our respective corporate environments. This is especially true for Americans, given that we are considered the most stressed demographic, with our women experiencing higher stress levels – according to a Gallup Poll. That being said, after we were all forced to recalibrate our priorities during the quarantine period, many of us started to say “I’ve had enough.” Now, here we are, facing the consequences of the Great Resignation.

Battling Burnout

No matter how much we promote the notion – our creativity and productivity will always have their limits. If we don’t acknowledge this, within ourselves as employees and for our people as employers, then our businesses are bound to fail.

There is hope, however.

Something can be done to remedy the labor shortages and talent acquisition demands, and both employees and employers can mitigate the factors that lead to burnout.

How Employees can Avoid Burnout

Manage your time efficiently.

Allow yourself enough time to mentally ease in to your work and prepare daily to-do lists if possible. While spontaneity can be fun, all the eventual cramming won’t be. 

Observe a healthy work-life balance.

Challenging as it is, allotting enough time and energy to your real priorities can give you enough inspiration, and refresh your mind when you get back to work. This also means that you shouldn’t overwork, only to overcompensate with bad habits.

Don’t take work home.

This can be especially difficult when you’re working at home. This is why when you’re done with your shift, log out from all work-related contacts and fully transition to the next activity or mode.

How Employers can Manage Burnouts

Do routine checks with your people. 

Take time to ask them how they are doing, if they are coping well with the workload assigned to them, or if there are other personal factors that affect their performance at work.

Offer coaching opportunities.

When you detect inconsistencies and underperformance from your people, offer them support and solutions. Remind your people that the growth of the company or the organization is a collaborative effort and that they are important to this growth.

Respect breaks and leaves.

When your people properly request a break or file a leave ahead of time, refrain from invading their personal space with work that they can easily attend to when they’re back at work.

Discipline is part and parcel of working smart, and in order to avoid burning out at work, it’s only ideal that we establish clear boundaries between work and life. 

The Great Resignation is a phenomenon that finally points out how without healthy discipline at our workplaces, we will end up losing ourselves in the process, and that is not the best route to go if we’re aiming for success.