This informal CPD article Burnout and its link to mental health was provided by Let’s Get Healthy, a multi-award winning corporate health and wellbeing provider. Increasingly as we come out of COVID-19, many employers are concerned with the level of burnout and mental health problems in the workforce.
What is Burnout?
Burnout is not classified as a medical condition by the WHO (World Health Organisation) who describe it as “occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”. The WHO detailed three indicators of burnout:
- 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
The prevalence of both stress and burnout have been on the increase. In the UK, in the “COVID-19: mental health and wellbeing surveillance” report written by Public Health England it detailed the rise in both anxiety and stress levels during lockdowns. Gallup reported 76% of employees experience burnout sometimes. Helping line managers and their teams understand the possible risk factors as they do with mental health will help towards the prevention of burnout;
- the increasing pressure to work long hours, sometimes solo on complex challenges at work
- lack of control of work and balance between home life and the needs of work
- isolation due to a lack of inclusion whether it be gender, cultural differences, race
- work overload as we transition through change
- being poorly managed
- increased managerial responsibility and lack of capability
- dealing with vulnerability and suffering
Just starting the conversations with line managers about the above provides awareness of the risks of burnout, encouraging them to add to the list and begin to understand the triggers and indicators of burnout.
With the need to retain, high performing, engaged colleagues who are happy in their work, preventing burnout, stress and other mental health problems at work is essential. Gallup reported that of the 26% of colleagues who ‘often experience’ burnout were 2.6 times more likely to be actively seeking another job. The impact of burnout is not isolated to the former employer, indeed the work Let’s Get Healthy does with induction trainers demonstrates many current employers recruiting burnt out colleagues.
Building personal resilience
When leading modules about building personal resilience, induction trainers, with ease, can provide examples of conversations with new starters about their current lack of energy, poor sleep and mental health problems
Training managers and the in-house Learning and Development teams to be able to prevent burnout includes them understanding;
- how to have effective conversations about the risks
- the need for improved listening skills, especially for those working from home
- managing workflow
- integrating health and wellbeing techniques at work
- role modelling effective work patterns themselves
- making work purposeful
- developing agile and team working
- knowing where to go for help
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Let’s Get Healthy, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively please visit the CPD Industry Hubs for more CPD articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
