Many workers all across the world are suffering the effects of burnout, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made the problem worse. Both business leaders and employees need to take their wellbeing into consideration for the good of themselves and the company.
How does work burnout affect productivity and your body? Learn the answers and discover why you should never neglect your wellbeing at work.
What Is Work Burnout?
Many people confuse burnout with workplace stress. Burnout is a type of stress, but it goes beyond being nervous for a presentation or meeting with a potential client. Job burnout, according to Mayo Clinic, is a state of both physical and emotional exhaustion as well as a sense of reduced accomplishment.
Conditions like depression may contribute to job burnout, but there are many causes.
What are the signs of burnout at work?
- Having trouble motivating yourself to work
- Feeling unusually critical or cynical
- Feeling tired or lacking energy
- A lack of satisfaction from accomplishments
- Irritability
- Health problems like headaches and stomach aches
- Changes in sleeping habits
- Feeling disillusioned
These are just a few signs that you may be suffering from job burnout.
Consequences of Neglecting Your Wellbeing
A business relies on its employees to thrive, so it stands to reason that those employees must remain healthy and happy at work.
Consequences of employees neglecting their wellbeing include lower job satisfaction, lower engagement levels, higher turnover rates, and less productivity, all of which impact a company’s bottom line.
As a business leader, promoting employee wellbeing can prevent these issues from manifesting. As an employee, you can manage your wellbeing by taking action when you notice the signs.
Possible Health Concerns
You may think feelings of burnout and stress are nothing to worry about, but prolonged burnout can impact your health. Possible consequences included:
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Changes in mood
- Stress
In addition, being constantly stressed can make the body more susceptible to illnesses like the flu or colds.
Even in a remote work environment, stress can be a major contributing factor to the concerns listed above. So, what can you do to help improve your wellbeing?
Managing Your Wellbeing
In short, wellbeing is the ability to function efficiently and feel good. Managing your wellbeing keeps your body physically and emotionally stable and healthy.
How can you manage this at work? Thankfully, whether you’re in an office or a remote work environment, there’s plenty you can do to reduce or end job burnout.
Business leaders should focus on engagement, collaboration, nurturing relationships, celebrating employee accomplishments, and investing in programs and tools that benefit employees. For instance, Cynoia makes communication between employees and team members easy. Productivity tools make it easier for employees to do their jobs and can also help them feel more connected.
Employees should focus on their health and feel comfortable talking about maintaining a work/life balance. In a remote work environment, this may mean more flexible scheduling to take care of the family.
If you’re suffering from job burnout, you may want to talk to your doctor. Some people find stress reduction techniques, like meditation, help.
Need a Boost?
If you or your employees are experiencing job burnout, it’s important to focus on promoting wellbeing at work.
One way to do so is to streamline communication, boost productivity, and create a business environment employees will enjoy. Check out our pricing plans to see how Cynoia can help get you started today.
