What to include in a workplace strategy to prevent burnout
Mental Health Awareness Week (13 to 19 May) is a valuable reminder of the importance of prioritising mental wellbeing and a chance to recognise the need in your business for a strategy that tackles the leading cause of burnout: chronic stress.
According to research from Walking on Earth, 38% of employees experience chronic stress every day. It’s so commonplace that we have normalised the use of terms that compare us to parts in a machine –‘I feel burnt out’, ‘I need to recharge’ and ‘my batteries are depleted’.
We recognise that how we run our cars directly affects how long they last and yet often wait for workplace burnout to happen before stepping in. This cannot be the solution: the human and business cost of inaction is simply too high.
Why we need a strategy
Burnout isn’t an issue that appears overnight – it’s the result of sustained stress.
The pervasiveness of stress lies in its ability to creep up on us gradually. Warning signs are often masked or difficult to recognise when stress is felt regularly, as symptoms become normalised.
A supportive work environment can help employees spot these warning signs earlier, access appropriate resources and feel empowered to address stress before it escalates into burnout.
Components of a strategy
There are many factors that can contribute to an individual reaching the point of burnout, such as an excessive workload, relationship conflicts or work-life imbalance.
When building your strategy you need to consider not just the tools and resources you provide, but also what kind of culture you are building.
1. Build a supportive culture
Proactive strategies will struggle in the face of toxic cultures where workloads are simply too high for the available resources.
Build a supportive workplace culture that centres around psychological safety, where employees can express their needs and voice problems without fear of repercussions.
Encourage regular, open discussions about mental health and wellbeing, with leaders leading by example and participating in these conversations.
Promote work-life balance such as flexible hours and remote work options, and encourage the use of paid time off.
2. Provide wellbeing resources
An essential part of choosing which tools are right for you is to understand your needs. Survey your employees to find out what they want, and make sure to implement a solution that lets you track steps towards your goals. Solutions can include:
- Preventative health tools - Healthy habits help us to prevent burnout even in the most challenging of times.
- Find the right solution to help employees learn about their stress response, as well as reduce stress in the moment.
- For example, Walking on Earth is a preventative health platform that specialises in stress management for employees, with short sessions designed to be done during the working day.
- Mental Health training - help employees and managers recognise signs of stress and burnout, as well as equip them with the skills to address these issues.
- Resources - from coaching, financial advice, flexible work to time off policies, the resources and support that you provide should offer coverage for a range of employee needs, and your employee survey is likely to provide you with the details of what you should offer
- Awareness days - one of the biggest reasons for low uptake of benefits and solutions is a lack of awareness, so use awareness days to promote the resources you have available to employees. A wellbeing calendar, with workshops, fireside chats and leadership talks, are ideal activities on these days.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, take the opportunity to invest in a health strategy that prioritises the mental wellbeing of your employees.
By creating a culture of psychological safety and implementing thoughtful policies and initiatives, you can help manage stress and prevent burnout, ultimately leading to a healthier, happier and more productive workforce.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Walking on Earth (WONE)
Walking on Earth (WONE) is the first preventative stress management solution for the workplace.
