On Sundays you get depressed because Monday is falling, the next day is tedious, your production has dropped and you feel trapped between the four walls that make up your office. It is quite likely that you suffer from ‘burnout’ or ‘burnout syndrome’, a problem that the World Health Organization has recently decided can be classified as a disease.
It has three main symptoms: exhaustion or lack of energy, mental distancing from the job and decreased work efficiency, and its effects on workers are such that between 50 and 60% of workers are attributed to this work stress. Days lost from work. Of course, this symptom does not appear by chance: in 72% of cases it is related to precariousness, in 66% to excessive workload and in 59% to situations of workplace harassment.
Perhaps you feel identified with all this. It is normal. Stress and chronic burnout are common in the workplace; surely in the last month you have worked hours as a trained locksmith and perhaps you have received calls or WhatSapp outside of your working hours, the culture of assistance at the expense of even health is the one that prevails today.
What exactly can you do to avoid it?
Combating work stress is complicated and, however, very necessary, considering that we spend a good part of our lives there and we see our colleagues much more than couples, friends or family. A study carried out in the Netherlands that analyzed several jobs found that ‘presenteeism’ (it would be the opposite of absenteeism, when employees come to their position in any circumstance, which paradoxically reduces their productivity) can seem profitable for companies because to the least absence of employees. In the long term, however, it results in the aforementioned illness and absenteeism.
How to reduce stress
Addressing burnout is the responsibility of both the employee and the company. Improving your health has to be a priority, as it plays a fundamental role physically and mentally in your life and your results.
If you work in Human Resources, suggest that you address issues head-on that the team might be experiencing. Provide fruit, encourage walks, tell staff to leave on time. “These are just some of the small changes you can make to help create a healthier and happier workplace,” says the psychologist.
If you are an employee, don’t wait for your boss to be solely responsible for your well-being. You may also need to make changes to relieve stress and reduce the chances of burnout.
Here are some tips:
Identify what stresses you out. It may be a good idea to keep a journal for several weeks to identify which situations are causing you the most anxiety and how you should respond to them.
Choose a priority.
Write what you want to happen this year, a change in your professional career? Promotion? Prioritize your life outside of work? Whatever it is, define it.
Set goals.
Once you know what you want to achieve, set monthly goals, and work at a pace that convinces you.
Sleep better and exercise more.
You likely lead a sedentary lifestyle, so exercising and taking breaks will help.
Talk to your boss about how you feel. If necessary take your time to rest.
Reducing stress at work and mitigating the effect it has comes down to a combination of physical and mental activities. It is everyone’s responsibility.