Linking loneliness and burnout

Pre-pandemic employees could spend up to forty hours a week together. This of course changed dramatically and many people have benefited from the increased flexibility and autonomy brought by home and hybrid working. However, it has also created a wellbeing issue where reduced social interaction has led to a lack of connection and feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Now, studies have shown that feelings of loneliness can contribute to and exacerbate burnout with research from the American Psychological Association showing a strong link between the social support we get at work and lower rates of burnout.

There are a number of ways loneliness can increase the risk of burnout. These include:

- Emotional Exhaustion: Loneliness can lead to feelings of emotional isolation and disconnection which can result in feelings of emptiness and a heightened sense of stress. Social interactions provide emotional replenishment and without this employees can become emotionally exhausted.

- Increased Perception of Stress: Without a support system employees may feel they have to handle their challenges alone, increasing the perceived burden of stress and making negative experiences feel more intense as there are no social buffers to mitigate these feelings.

- Reduced Resilience: Social connections provide strategies and advice for coping with stress and without access to these resources employees are less resilient in the face of challenges. Loneliness can also increase vulnerability to stress, as social interactions can serve as a protective barrier against it.

- Mental Health Decline: Loneliness is linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression which can drain energy and focus and lead to negative self-perception and low self-esteem, undermining confidence and motivation.

- Reduced Job Satisfaction and Engagement: Loneliness can lead to disengagement which reduces motivation and satisfaction. Without social interactions that provide recognition and validation employees may feel unappreciated and undervalued, leading to decreased job satisfaction.

- Physical Health Deterioration: Loneliness can contribute to chronic stress which has negative effects on physical health, leading to increased absenteeism and reduced productivity.

- Lack of Social Support at Work: If a team lacks support and camaraderie employees may feel isolated. A lack of mentorship and guidance can leave employees feeling unsupported, making it harder to navigate work-related challenges.

A strong social network can help employees connect more easily with colleagues and benefit from their support and advice as well as from feelings of camaraderie and companionship. The creation of a supportive and inclusive work environment where social interactions are encouraged and mental health resources provided can help mitigate feelings of loneliness and drive the overall well-being and success of employees.

Managing Your Emotional Overdraft

Keywords

Resilience - Emotional Overdraft – Burnout - Emotional Reserves - Invisible Costs - Wellbeing

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled, Andy Brown, an award- winning adviser and coach for people-based businesses, talks about the concept of 'emotional overdraft'. He highlights its implications for burnout, the need to maintain healthy emotional reserves and the importance of acknowledging invisible personal and emotional costs in business finances, He also explores the idea of building a personal board of experts for support, the significance of prioritising well-being in highly stressed jobs, and the potential of writing a book to share experiences and insights.

Main topics

• The concept of 'emotional overdraft' and how it can be managed

• The dangers of misusing the term 'burnout' and the need to refresh the meaning of terms like 'stress' and 'resilience'

• Acknowledging and maintaining healthy emotional reserves for personal and professional success

• The concept of an "invisible line" in business finances, referring to the hidden personal and emotional costs of pursuing profitability

• Maintaining a healthy "emotional bank" balance to avoid excessive strain

• Building a personal board of experts to help overcome challenges.

• Discipline as a better approach to building habits and achieving goals

• The role of motivation in funding work

• Why leadership development needs more focus

Action items

You can connect with Andy at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybrownprofile/ and his book is available at https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Overdraft-balancing-business-wellbeing/dp/1788605136/

You can complete the free Emotional Overdraft Self-Assessment at https://emotionaloverdraft.com/self-assesment/, follow Emotional Overdraft on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/andybrownauthor/ and get all the latest Emotional Overdraft articles at https://emotionaloverdraft.com/

   You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.
Find out more about our innovative Resilience and Burnout solutions.   

Creating new solutions for burnout

Keywords

Resilience - Burnout - Retreats - Mindfulness - Wellness - Self-discovery - ROI

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Max Schneider from Sand and Salt Escapes shares his experience of burnout and how it led him to create a solution to help others going through similar issues. He discusses how he initially struggled to recognise and address his burnout, explaining that his high-achieving and competitive nature led him to push through physical and emotional signs of exhaustion. A significant turning point came when he developed shingles at 27, a symptom he now recognises as a warning sign of burnout.

During a trip to Costa Rica, Max realised he needed to make a change and when Max and his wife returned from their trip, they left their jobs and started a process of self-discovery. He realised that his own behaviours and mindsets, rather than external factors, led to his burnout and took responsibility for his actions and sought therapy to understand his brain's wiring and learn how to manage it. He also found mindfulness and meditation helpful tools to prevent future burnout. This experience led him to create something to assist others who are experiencing disconnection, loss of identity, or burnout.

 Main topics

•  The rising issue of burnout in many cultures and the potential solutions

• The importance of self-reflection, therapy, and mindfulness

• The cultural pressure in organisations that often fuel burnout

• The value and challenges of implementing workplace wellness programmes

• Shifting organisational responsibility towards caring for top talent

• The difficulty in calculating the return on investment (ROI) for such programmes

• The challenge of getting CEOs to fund such initiatives for all employees

• The benefits of retreats with a focus on mindfulness, self-discovery, and connection

 Action items

 You can find out more about Max at sandandsaltescapes.com or through LinkedIn or Instagram

  You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.
Find out more about our innovative Resilience and Burnout solutions.   

Burnout by generation

Burnout is a complex phenomenon that can affect anyone, regardless of age, profession or industry. Its cause through can vary across different age groups. Each generation has unique experiences, values, and expectations, which influence how burnout manifests and impacts them. Additionally, the concept of burnout is multifaceted and influenced by varying factors, including personal circumstances, work environments, societal expectations, upbringing, work culture, values, and coping mechanisms.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

Baby Boomers are likely to define themselves by their careers, placing a strong emphasis on hard work and dedication making them prone to working long hours and sacrificing personal time. They tend to value loyalty, staying committed to jobs even when faced with excessive work demands. The issues of job insecurity, financial stress, caring for aging parents and pressure to work past retirement age can all contribute to burnout. Burnout may manifest as physical exhaustion and a sense of disillusionment with their career path after years of dedication.

Generation X (1965-1980)

Generation Xers may be more prone to burnout if they feel their work is not aligned with their values or they perceive a lack of work-life balance. They may also face juggling multiple responsibilities, such as career advancement, family and personal obligations or the challenges of adapting to changing workplace dynamics, rapid technological advancements and constantly having to adapt and learn new skills. Burnout might manifest as cynicism, detachment, or a feeling of being stuck in their career.

Millennials (1981-1996)

Millennials prioritise work-life balance, personal development, and meaningful work but may feel overwhelmed by high expectations, job insecurity, and lack of advancement opportunities. They often have high expectations for career progression and may be susceptible to burnout if unfulfilled in their professional growth or if they feel their efforts are not aligned with their values. Burnout may manifest as emotional exhaustion, feelings of inadequacy, or a loss of passion for their work.

Generation Z (1997-2012)

Generation Z values flexibility, diversity, and social connection but constant connectivity, pressure to excel academically and professionally, and navigating rapidly changing societal norms may lead to burnout. They can also experience burnout from the demands of performance and achievement. Burnout might manifest as anxiety, difficulty concentrating, or a sense of being constantly "on".

There is no one generation that is most affected by burnout. Individual experiences vary widely within each generation so it’s important individuals are aware of the signs of burnout and to take steps to manage their stress levels and prioritise self-care, regardless of their age or generation.

Is it always good to be ‘easy to work with’?

At some point in their working career many people will have been told that they’re easy to work with. But while it’s nice to know that people like you and enjoy working with you, is it always a good thing? Does it mean that your ideas and opinions aren’t being listened to or even that you’re setting yourself up for increased levels of stress and ultimately burnout?

When someone is easy to work with, it generally means they collaborate well with others, communicate effectively, and contribute to a positive and productive work environment. They might be seen as someone who is always positive. Someone who always says yes when asked for help, someone who has a can-do attitude and is always there when needed. But whilst being helpful and attentive can go a long way in an organisation, they’re not always traits employees need to be good at their job. And some of these traits can be linked to increased levels of stress and burnout.

Employees who are overly easy-going may find it challenging to set and enforce boundaries leading to an imbalance in workload and a diminished work/life balance. Managers or teammates may delegate more tasks them, give them more than their share of responsibilities and expect them to go above and beyond - often without proper recognition or compensation! In environments that value assertiveness, being too easy-going might impact career advancement if others are taking advantage of them and their contribution.

Constantly prioritising the needs of others can negatively impact personal well-being and lead to stress and burnout so it's important to strike a balance between collaboration and taking care of oneself. Being easy to work with doesn’t mean being a pushover or compromising principles. It involves being collaborative, communicative, and adaptable while maintaining a sense of professionalism and integrity.

Can AI help workforce mental health?

With burnout increasing in the UK, a new survey from Unmind, a workplace and wellbeing platform, shows that 42% of HR leaders are considering adopting artificial intelligence (AI) as a way of addressing workforce mental wellbeing.

The data, based on insights from 2,000 UK HR leaders, also shows that 89% of those surveyed are planning to implement AI to streamline people management in their organisations with 86% believing that AI will play a crucial role in the success of workplace mental health strategies by 2030.

So how can AI technologies be leveraged to support and enhance mental health in the workplace?

• AI mental health chatbots can provide immediate and confidential support to employees, offering resources, coping strategies, and suggestions when professional help may be necessary on a 24/7 basis.

• AI can analyse facial expressions, voice tones, and other biometric data to assess the emotional well-being of employees, allowing for early intervention if signs of stress, anxiety, or other mental health issues are found.

• AI algorithms can analyse data patterns to predict potential mental health challenges within the workforce, allowing proactive measures to be taken to address issues before they escalate.

• AI can assist in creating personalised well-being applications that cater to individual needs around mindfulness, exercise, stress management or other resources based on the employees’ preferences.

• AI-driven virtual reality experiences can be developed to help employees relax and manage stress by calming environments or guiding them through relaxation exercises.

• AI can analyse work-related data to identify patterns that may contribute to stress, burnout, or dissatisfaction. These insights can then inform decisions about workload distribution and help design more supportive work environments.

• AI can analyse employee feedback and surveys to gain insights into overall workplace satisfaction and identify areas that may impact mental health.

• AI can be used to develop interactive training modules on mental health awareness and stress management. These modules can be tailored to the specific needs and challenges of different industries or job roles.

72% of those surveyed observed an increase in mental health-related employee absences so the idea that AI can offer a personalised 24/7 support service for employees is undeniably attractive. However, AI must be used safely and responsibly if HR leaders and managers are to create work environments where every employee can flourish.

AI has great potential to support workforce mental health but it's essential to implement these technologies ethically, ensuring user privacy, consent, and addressing potential biases. It should complement human support rather than replace it, and employees should be informed about how AI is used in the context of mental health within the workplace.

Optimising work performance and mental health

Keywords

Resilience – Work Performance – Mental Health – Organisational Influence - Burnout

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Dr. Marie-Helene Pelletier, a registered psychologist and expert in workplace mental health, discusses the importance of resilience. She talks about the significance of bouncing back from challenges, growing through adversity and how learning and personal growth are crucial in fostering resilience. She also stresses the importance of empowering individuals, open communication, healthy boundaries, and personal agency as vital resilience components.

In addition, Marie-Helene addresses the systemic issues contributing to burnout, the need to empower individuals within workplaces and the importance of fostering open communication and setting healthy boundaries. She discusses how traditional leadership approaches hinder organisational learning, the significance of creating positive work environments for employee well-being and the importance of promoting transparency, embracing change, and honouring everyone's agency in workplace dynamics.

 Main topics

•  The importance of resilience as a real-life competency

• Challenges in the implementation of resilience

• The need for customised approaches for resilience

• Balancing individual resilience with organisational policies

• Emphasising professional conversations and personal growth.

• Strategic approaches for optimising work performance and mental health

 Timestamps

 1: Introduction to Resilience. Definition of resilience, going through adversity and emerging stronger. The approach to resilience through learning and adaptation. 00:02 - 03:16

2: Workplace Mental Health. Focus on workplace mental health, incorporating psychology and business backgrounds. Observation of high burnout rates despite available information, highlighting the need for customised solutions. 03:22 - 07:46

3: Organisational Influence. Emphasis on organisational policies and processes impacting burnout rates. The importance of treating individuals like adults and empowering them to make choices in their reactions. 10:01 - 14:41

4: Building Resilience at Work. Discussion on increasing individual agency and managing mental health in the workplace. Encouragement for organisations to prioritise learning and adaptability for improved outcomes.16:26 - 20:56

5: The Resilience Plan Book. Introduction to "The Resilience Plan: A Strategic Approach to Optimising Your Work Performance and Mental Health". Target audience of professionals and leaders seeking to enhance their resilience and performance. 23:09 - 25:45

6: Conclusion and Book Promotion. 25:43 - 25:45

 Action items

 You can find out more about Marie-Helene at https://drmarie-helene.com/

Marie-Helene’s  book is The Resilience Plan: A Strategic Approach to Optimising Your Work Performance and Mental Health  https://theresilienceplan.com/

You can connect with her at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmhpelletier/ or  https://www.instagram.com/drmhpelletier

   You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.
Find out more about our innovative Resilience and Burnout solutions.   

Burnout or Boreout?

We’ve all heard about burnout. There are numerous articles telling us what signs and symptoms we need to look for but, there is another lesser-known work-related condition that has very similar symptoms. Boreout, is the exact opposite of burnout, but it’s effects can be just as detrimental, with negative consequences on mental health, well-being, and performance.

Most people find themselves bored at work sometimes but if people are bored over a long period of time, stuck in their comfort zone too long or don’t experience any personal development opportunities they often start to feel their job is meaningless and their work as has no value or purpose - they are suffering from boreout.

Employees suffering from boreout may find themselves with too little to do, not enough meaningful work and responsibilities or, constantly having to deal with tasks that are monotonous and don’t utilise their skills and abilities. This can lead to feelings of frustration, dissatisfaction and a lack of motivation that leaves them unfulfilled, disengaged from their work and suffering from a decline in their overall well-being and mental health. From an organisation’s perspective, boreout can lead to reduced productivity and creativity as well as counterproductive work practice such as distraction and absenteeism.

The signs of boreout are very similar to the signs of burnout. People may feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or emotionally drained with little or no purpose or direction. Their behaviours start to change, and they begin to stretch tasks out for longer periods to seem busy and engaged. They do just what is required, come in late, leave early and take more time off sick.

Recognising these signs and taking appropriate steps to address the underlying causes by establishing effective communication and social connections, prioritising work-life balance, and ensuring that work tasks remain engaging and meaningful!  Employers need to create work environments that promote a healthy balance of challenge and support, as well as enabling open discussion about workload and job satisfaction. This might require re-evaluating job roles, providing more challenging tasks, fostering a positive work environment, providing new challenges, exploring avenues for personal and professional growth.

Q & A Session - January 2924

Keywords

Resilience – Toxic Resilience – Burnout – Leadership Styles - Adaptability

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Dr Russell Thackeray answers some resilience-based questions that have been put to him recently by listeners. This is the first podcast Dr Thackeray has done in this format and he covers a range of subjects including toxic resilience and how it relates to leadership, how toxic resilience can lead to burnout, different styles of leadership and the relationship between adaptability and resilience.

Main topics

• What toxic resilience is and its connection to toxic leadership.

• Why toxic resilience is the result of leaders expecting constant strength and performance from their employees without considering their well-being.

• How toxic resilience can lead to burnout and a loss of energy needed for the job.

• The importance of adapting leadership style to fit individual needs and situations

• Why effective leadership is adaptable and driven by the task requirements, available resources, time constraints, and risk levels.

• The difference between resilience and adaptability and why adaptability is a subset of resilience.

Timestamps

1. Introductions - 00:02-00 - 00:46

2. Question 1. Is there such a thing as toxic resilience? -  01:11-04:39

3. Question 2. What would Dr Thackeray’s preferred style of leadership be? - 05:48-09:11

4. Question 3. Is there a link between adaptability and resilience? - 12:02-13:47

5. Predictions and Expectations for 2024 - 13:58-18:40

6. Conclusion and Invitation for more Questions - 18:41-18:54

Action items

• If you have any questions for future Q&A sessions, please send them to info@qedod.com

  You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.
Find out more about our innovative Resilience and Burnout solutions.   

Tired of change? How change fatigue can contribute to burnout.

In the modern business world, the one constant is change. It’s essential for growth, adaptability, and long-term success. Embracing change with a well-thought-out strategy that involves key stakeholders, allows organisations to unlock new opportunities and overcome challenges more effectively. But what happens if you become tired of change?  If there is just too much of it?

Change fatigue is a phenomenon that arises when people feel overwhelmed by continuous changes in their work or personal lives. It’s the exhaustion, resistance, or negative response that individuals or organisations experience when they are subjected to too much change, too quickly, or too frequently.

The majority of people have an innate need for stability, order, and regularity. Frequent and rapid change, whether its organisational restructuring, leadership changes, process alterations, technological implementation, or any significant modifications in someone’s work or personal life, can make them feel overwhelmed and unable to adapt and cope effectively. Constant exposure to frequent changes can also lead to high levels of stress and frustration whilst adapting and adjusting to new situations or increased job demands can be emotionally and mentally draining. It can also create an unstable work environment, with a lack of predictability and security, and decreased feelings of control over one's work. If these changes are not communicated effectively or employees do not receive adequate support, training or resources, an individual's resilience can be further depleted making them susceptible to burnout as well as to change fatigue!

Burnout of course can develop independently from change fatigue, but both can be mitigated by the creation of supportive work environments that offer resources for coping with change and provide opportunities for employees to have a sense of control and autonomy over their work.

Business change, when managed effectively, can bring positive outcomes and benefits for organisations. By addressing the issues around change with empathy, understanding, and a well-considered approach, organisations can increase the likelihood of successful change management and foster a positive and resilient workforce who remain healthy, motivated, and productive, even amidst constant organisational change.

Contagious burnout?

No one is immune to burnout. It’s something that can affect people across every sector and discipline, and it’s also something that's on the rise.

The classic signs of burnout, mental exhaustion, disengagement, negativity, cynicism and reduced productivity are well established and, although we generally think about it as something that affects individuals, it can be contagious!  Contagious burnout refers to the phenomenon where an individual’s burnout symptoms are spread to their colleagues or team members. This type of burnout contagion usually happens after there has been some sort of organisational change such as large-scale redundancies, cuts to budgets, policy reviews or alterations to the management team. In the face of such change, employees may experience feelings of fear, confusion, frustration or anger.

If leaders do not address this, burnout may develop in team members who work closely together which can impact the entire team's wellbeing and productivity. It can also create a culture where working long hours and sacrificing personal time is normalised, creating pressure for others to do to do the same and further contributing to the spread of burnout within the team.

To prevent contagious burnout, it’s essential to prioritise self-care, encourage open communication within the team, and ensure that workload and responsibilities are distributed evenly. Employers can also provide resources for employees to manage stress and offer support for those experiencing burnout. By addressing burnout early and proactively, teams can create a culture of wellbeing and prevent burnout from spreading.

Contagious burnout is incredibly disruptive and costly for both the individual and organisation. For the employee, it can lead to presenteeism, absenteeism and a variety of physical symptoms. For the organisation it can mean high staff turnover, lower productivity and ultimately reduced profitability.  Whether looking at contagious burnout from a corporate or individual perspective, the need should be to focus on strategies that will have a deeper impact and create lasting cultural change.

Moral injury. A new type of burnout?

Post-pandemic there have been huge changes in the workplace. This has resulted in a large number of resignations with burnout being thought of as one of the contributory factors. The classic signs of burnout - mental exhaustion, disengagement, negativity, cynicism and reduced productivity - are well established but now a new study from the University of Sheffield, Affinity Health and Softer highlights that moral injury and stress in the workplace can contribute to a new type of burnout.

The new study, which looked at the experiences of workers in a number of different industries including law, healthcare and HR, considers that moral injury can lead to a type of burnout that is more intense, more challenging to overcome and even lead to increasing the number of resignations.

Moral injury originates from research with the military and refers to the violation of deeply held beliefs. This might be as a witness of an event or as being a participant who has to obey orders in circumstances that were felt to be morally wrong, for example having to shell a school or hospital where civilians would be injured. There has also been work with health care workers and education providers. This cited external pressures and circumstances such as the pandemic or financial interventions as being morally injurious, leaving them unable to provide the service they were employed to give and powerless to intervene.

In other businesses moral injury can be linked to working in toxic environments where an employees values and beliefs are challenged.  This could be around bullying, sexism, racism, homophobia or another moral issue and may be directly experienced, witnessed or learned about such as a colleague’s transgression or betrayal, an unfair redundancy or disciplinary procedure, a failure to act on a whistleblowing complaint, or unfair use of managerial power. 

The study found that although people’s experience of moral stress was different in source, severity and length, many of the respondents felt that the impact on them was so great they had no option but to resign from their positions. This would appear to show that as well as the original problem, there was a lack of support from managers and colleagues that exacerbated the situation and led to feelings of disengagement and, in some cases, of being in a type of abusive relationship.

Many of the warning signs of moral injury are similar to the ones experienced with classic burnout but additionally there may be a sense of shame, embarrassment and hopelessness. The loss of deeply held values and beliefs may also result in feelings such as guilt, anger, grief, anxiety and disgust as well as disillusionment with figures of authority and organisations, social withdrawal and a loss of trust.

Moral injury is caused and experienced differently to burnout but the feelings experienced by someone in a morally injurious situation can contribute to the development of burnout. As moral injury impacts on an individuals trust and self-respect, the strategies and tools needed to mitigate it are different to those needed for burnout and organisations need to be careful not to conflate the two.

Above and beyond? The trend of quiet quitting

In the midst of everything that's going on around the world, one thing that has been trending consistently over the last few weeks is ‘quiet quitting.’ But is this really anything new? There have always been employees who check out because they are exhausted, bored, stuck or fed up with the amount of work they’re asked to do. So has the huge change in the way people view their lives and work and consequent revaluation of priorities and work/life balance that was driven by the pandemic simply provided a new label for disengaged employees?

Previously of course dissatisfaction with your job was something just people close to you knew about but now it’s out there on social media that the employee experience just isn’t what it should be. Of course there are some people who feel their work/life balance is a problem and are close to burning out but there will be others who are simply sitting it out because a new job might come with more problems than their existing one.  

Having an employee who although physically present at work is so disengaged that they just do the bare minimum to keep their job can cause huge damage to a team and to the wider business. Improving the employee experience is therefore essential - getting feedback, ensuring realistic workloads and boundaries, open and honest relationships, stress management policies and structured career paths with achievable goals will all help to manage expectations and contribute to a positive work culture where employees feel engaged, valued and don't quit – quietly or not.

Why leaders need to limit their empathy

Empathy, the ability to understand and be sensitive to another person’s feelings and thoughts, is a valuable skill. In the workplace, the challenging times we’ve all been through and, in many cases are still facing, has meant that empathy has become an increasingly important part of managers and leaders toolkit.

However, it is possible to take empathy too far. Leaders are often faced with situations involving dissatisfaction, disappointment, domestic problems or conflict and, whilst it's good for them to understand how their team feels about things, directly experiencing everyone’s problems and emotions without being able to control them can be exhausting.

Emotions, even happy ones, can be draining so finding a way to limit the amount of empathy they feel for their employees can help ensure they don't become overburdened or burnt out. Regulating feelings and controlling emotions allows them to keep a clear mind and helps maintain a balance so they don't get overwhelmed with emotion.

Empathetic leaders can consistently and powerfully engage their teams but excessive empathy can deplete their mental resources and lead to “compassion fatigue, and burnout. Every leader needs to understand when it’s essential to move beyond empathy and define a way forward.

A list of upcoming podcast guests is available here or read our previous blogs.
Find out more about our innovative Leadership, Resilience and Burnout solutions.

Busy and burnt out?

From time to time we all say  ‘I’ve got too much to do’, ‘I’m too busy’ or ‘I wish someone would realise the time constraints I’ve got’.  But being busy is a good thing, it’s only when it becomes a virtue and a ‘badge of honour’ that issues arise.

Research has shown that to some people, busyness is connected to their self-worth and status. If they’re busy they feel needed, in demand, and important which then elevates their feelings of self-worth. Culturally as well, people who are seen to be busy are admired - if you’re busy, work late and don’t take your lunch breaks or annual leave, you’re seen as more important, indispensable and successful.  

But although being busy may positively impact self-esteem, if you’re so busy that your work/life balance is affected then its time to reevaluate. Constantly over-scheduling has a negative effect on emotional and physical health and can ultimately lead to burnout.

Initially it may feel challenging to shift your priorities, disconnect from work and take time for yourself, but it’s essential if you’re going to take control of your health and wellbeing.

Addressing burnout is essential to staff retention

Many employees are looking for a new role because they feel their job is detrimental to their health and wellbeing.

With the pandemic continuing to dominate, new issues are popping up in the workplace where leaders are still trying to solve ongoing problems. Meanwhile with workers continuing to deal with increased workloads and the blurring of work and home life, it’s no wonder that burnout levels are rising.

This is highlighted in Ceridian’s annual Pulse of Talent report that surveyed 1,156 workers in companies with at least 100 employees. The research showed that 79% of respondents in the UK experienced some form of burnout, with 35% reporting this at a high or extreme level. It also found that the top three catalysts for burnout among respondents were increased workloads at 49%, mental health challenges at 34%, and pressure to meet deadlines at 32%. Whilst some of this can be put down to the usual pressure of the modern workplace, the pandemic has undoubtedly affected the work-life balance with many workers increasing their hours, taking shorter breaks and working when ill to meet a higher workload and the feeling of always ‘being on’.

This unhappiness means that 19% of the surveyed workers are currently seeking a new job, with another 39% saying they’d consider leaving for the right opportunity. This of course sits with the recent Office for National Statistics report that showed that the estimated number of vacancies recorded was at its highest level since records began.

Respondents were also asked what could be done better to address burnout and  55% thought it would help if their employer kept communication and work expectations within working hours. Setting strict guidelines and adhering to them is therefore essential with regards to working hours and downtime.

These surveys make it clear that many companies can expect to see a far higher turnover rate in the New Year if changes are not made. The need for effective employee support and wellness programmes, greater communication and increased flexibility has never been greater.

*Ceridian’s 2022 Pulse of Talent Report was conducted by Hanover Research and surveyed 1,156 workers in companies with at least 100 employees.

You can listen to any of our podcasts here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.

Welcome to 2022!

Well, after what’s been a long year, an exciting year and for many, a challenging year, we’ve made through 2021. Whilst some people found it a tricky year to navigate, others found it a lot easier, but however we got through 2021, its what we do next that matters.

2022 has all the makings of being a fascinating year, a pivotal year and what’s needed is the mindset to make the most of it. A lot of people start the New Year by drawing up a set of resolutions but don't build the plan with the means to achieve it. Without a breakdown that takes you from the beginning to the end you’re set up to fail.  

Writing resolutions can though be more of a bigger picture exercise. Using something like the Wheel of Life can help you look forward to the future in 10, 20 or 30 years time. By looking at things like where am I going to be psychologically, in my career, financially, or relationship wise, you can see the bigger picture that can then help you figure out resolutions for the short term.  Of course, if our goals aren’t long term enough or ambitious enough, our resolutions can sometimes become trite and meaningless so don't grip our imaginations. For 2022 why not tackle your resolutions differently – put a plan together for the whole year … with a reward attached when you achieve it.

Another option is to forget goals and resolutions and sit down and review the previous year. Figure out the things you want to stop, start and continue. Look at where you’re going and what you can stop doing. You’re probably not setting goals or resolutions based on what went before so look at what you want to do more of and what you want to do less of or stop doing. We’re all guilty of taking on more and more, whether it’s work or social commitments and we don't think about what we can mindfully remove from our lives.

The idea of stop, start and continue is very simple but it mind give you a better idea of how 2022 might find into the general direction of things. Maybe 2022 can be the year you can really sort out where you are going. Work-wise, it might be a case of asking yourself whether your work still has purpose and meaning? Is it where I want to be? The future of work is changing and the rebalancing of the labour market and the way we are working means there is the opportunity to make changes.

Some people have already made considerable changes, moving from the idea of financial reward to that of seeing a tangible outcome. This year there is the potential to ask ‘do I really want this or am I just doing it for for the money’. Four criteria you could use to look at your job are whether it brings money, intellectual challenge, fun or achievement. If you’re not getting any of these from your role it’s possible that it’s total lack of meaning and interest could lead to burnout. Ask yourself what do I want from this year? If you don't know what you want, reverse it and ask what don't I want? What is the purpose and meaning of work in your life? How important is it in the scheme of things. Remember your focus will change at different stages in your life. You could also try to write a bucket list, bunches of different ideas and things you haven’t tried. We can easily get stuck in a rut doing the things we always do and finding meaning is not always about having things or going places rather finding happiness in what we do.

2022 is about change. The culture of organisations, the world economy and coming out of Covid will all lead to change which in turn will creates opportunities … and risks. The more we can plan for the future, the less anxious you will feel about it. Once you’ve worked out what you want or don't want to do you can apply self-discipline and focus to achieve it.  Here’s where it can go wrong through. Sometimes we get distracted by things that give us a greater or short- term reward or procrastinate too long so we miss the discipline of long-term goals.

Whatever the root-cause of your distraction, take away the decisions and just go out and do it! Dump the rules and just make choices. Decide what you want and then go out and do it. Chose to do one thing, enjoy it then choose something else to do the next day. Choices are what help’s us to make the life we want. Decision fatigue comes from having too many decisions to make so in a way it’s easier to say no to everything rather than having to challenge ourselves by making lots of small decisions.

Maybe we should make 2022 a year of choice. Whether we choose to be different, choose to get something special for ourselves, choose to deliver more than we think we can, the first choice we need to make is to have a plan behind us!

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.

Aligning Psychological Safety, Burnout and Resilience

Psychological Safety is something that Dr Thackeray has long been fascinated by. He is particularly interested in how it aligns with Burnout and Resilience so in this podcast he discusses:

• What psychological safety is

• What it’s all about

• What it has to offer us

• Some of the different theoretical ideas around psychological safety

Dr Thackeray feels that in order to build a psychologically safe culture we probably need to have psychologically safe people. But which comes first? This is where the challenge of resilience links together. The idea of resilience is that after making a mistake or error, resilient people are able to bounce back or forwards, to weather the storm, build capacity for change and understand themselves well enough to know where their own resilience may be compromised. They are able to make a mistake and come back from it.

Psychological Safety works on the idea that you can state the mistake so you don't actually make it or if you do, you can disclose it. So if you aren’t resilient are you able to be resilient in a non-psychologically safe culture? If you are resilient part of the way a making a psychologically safe culture is having the skills of resilience. The term burnout is used to describe a situation where people become exhausted and lose their capacity to care and to cope.  If you’re psychologically safe or talking about the correlation between overwork, a lack of care and burnout this may be an organisational indicator.

This is an increasingly important part of leadership and management. Dr Thackeray feels that part of the challenge is that leaders and managers have lost the subtlety to build a culture that is adult, robust and resilient, where people can still be accountable and responsible for the management of their own feelings. That in creating a psychologically safe culture, there is a risk of disempowering a manager to do what needs to be done.

In a psychologically safe culture leaders should be able to take feedback but Dr Thackeray feels that everybody needs to be able to take feedback. If anyone’s performance has gone off track there needs to be the type of culture where what needs to be said can be said. He thinks that having an adult culture is at the heart of psychological safety.  Having the ability to say I can be accountable, I cannot feel safe from time to time but also that sometimes I have to recognise my part in that process.

The question is how much baggage does a person bring into a psychologically safe environment? When we think about auditing people we need to have a baseline understanding of the level of anxiety that exists for people and also their level of independent safety. If you feel unsafe or feel anxious in your day to day life, your baseline of anxiety is going to be higher than other people so, when it comes to working in teams, having identity, purpose, fun and the ability to bounce ideas around, you are naturally going to be more anxious.

Does a leader therefore create a psychologically safe culture at the level of the most anxious person given that the most anxious person does not always divulge their anxiety? How do you create good practice? As well as great feedback that goes both ways, there needs to be a sense of camaraderie, of purpose and of meaning in the role that you’re doing. You have to have meetings where you say what needs to be said and you’re not shut down for putting forward an idea.

People can ask a very innocent question and someone can take offence or see a threat where there is none. There is a need to build intentionality in the culture, where people state that their intention is to build something but there may be times we it goes wrong but that shouldn’t mean we stop trying even if it isn’t always perfect. Dr Thackeray feels we have to test the culture and test the individual attitudes to anxiety before we start. We also need to have a sense of direction, a sense of meaning in the job and be able to speak out and share ideas without being laughed at.

When Dr Thackeray looks at the confluence of psychological safety, resilience and burnout, one of the key areas he considers is meeting’s. Often in meetings the happiest person is the one running it. People are there but they don't know why. It’s not relevant, it’s inefficient because it’s not the right medium. Meetings are where we can start to spot the issues. If people aren’t saying this meetings not for me, this meeting’s too long, do I need to be at that meeting they need to be more robust about the idea of return on investment and what they produce and where they invest their time. An adult culture allows anxious people to see the value in the time they are spending and making choices in where to spend that time.  So when a leader or manager asks where is the value of your contribution over the last week, that person can say this is the value of what I’ve achieved and this is where my value has diminished because of these effects.

There are always going to be meetings that need to be attended but there are numerous casual or careless meetings where people have just got into a routine. Meetings are where most people come together so if you cant challenge the team and speak out then there is an argument that you don't have psychological safety. If you don't have the confidence to talk to your manager directly, then that may be more of an issue between you and your manager. It might be down to your level of anxiety or their ability to lead you well. On a one-to-one level there is an equal responsibility to look at those things in both ways.

The question is how do we take leaders and managers to produce leadership, management and process that allows culture to be what we need it to be? 

You can listen to the podcast in full here.Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.

Resilience, burnout and the importance of self-compassion

The latest episode in our Resilience Unravelled series has now been released, Resilience Unravelled - Resilience burnout and the importance of self-compassion.

Dr Gail Gazelle spent a large part of her career as a hospice physician and end of life carer. Ten years ago she pivoted and retrained became an executive coach so she could help other physicians deal with what at the time was seen as an epidemic, physician burnout.

Dr Gazelle sees resilience as a deep well of resources that resides in each of us. Resilience is more than just bouncing back, it’s about reaching our personal or professional goals with the minimum unnecessary difficulty, whether it’s physical, emotional, spiritual or physiological. We all have goals but can run into obstacles and resilience helps us to reach our goals with minimum wear and tear.

There are many things that deplete resilience. Our life circumstances are often not within in our control. We can do little about where we are born, poverty, wealth, racism or other issues but some resilience comes with these circumstances. Another thing that can deplete resilience is not learning how to deal with our problems and being inflexible in how we approach them. We also don't learn how to work with our own thought processes. or have the fexibility of mind to work with our own mind. Additionally, we don't invest in the relationships that support us during hard times by connecting with people or nurturing and repairing our relationships.

The other area Dr Gazelle is interested in is burnout. Burnout can occur in a large variety of professions or workplaces. The thing that is universal is a lack of engagement and this captures the essence of what many people find in their workplace - that they are not being seen, they are not being given the time to do their job or being appreciated. Dr Gazelle feels that burnout is a feeling of being disconnected from our sense of purpose so that we become unfilled and emotionally exhausted. This is seen a lot in the healthcare sector and a result is that the focus of the person suffering from burnout becomes less on the patient on more on their own feelings. There is also a deep sense of pain which can stop them connecting with those they serve and should be taking care of. In other other professions burnout can lead to a loss of passion and caring and a sense of depletion and lack of direction.

Mindfulness is at the heart of resilience. It’s about awareness and paying attention to what’s right in front of us so we get to know our own mind patterns and understand when our mind is helping us or tripping us up. Mindfulness is different to self-awareness because mindfulness involves working with the judgments the mind makes and trying to bring more compassion and more kindness to ourselves and others.

Self-compassion is also a powerful tool that can help us find more inner peace, strength and motivation to deal with the challenges that come our way. Self-compassion is about responding to our own suffering in the caring way we would respond to a friend or a child who’s struggling. A Self-Compassion Break uses three different stages to directly experience the three components of self-compassion - Mindfulness, Common Humanity and Kindness. We need to bring compassion towards ourselves so that we are aware that we are struggling and going through difficulties. We need to remind ourselves that suffering is part of the human condition and this is what it looks like. By bringing the kindness to ourselves that we would give to someone else, ultimately builds greater kindness to ourselves.

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information about Gail here. Our previous podcast episodes, upcoming guest list and previous blogs are also available.

You can find out more at www.gailgazelle.com

Dr Gazelle’s book is Everyday Resilience. A Practical Guide to Build Inner Strength and Weather Life’s Challenge