How to Relieve Burnout in the Workplace

It’s the end of the year and with that comes a lot of exhaustion. You and your employees have worked hard throughout the year but now you’re fighting against year-end fatigue or burnout. To help you fight this fatigue, you need to know how to relieve burnout.

Burnout is described as an ongoing state of feeling overwhelmed, fatigued and emotionally drained. This can be caused by stress at work, family issues or emotional fatigue. More often than not, burnout is caused by job stress – especially in this economy!

If you have employees and you’re starting to see mistakes in their work or tardiness, they may be experiencing burnout. If you notice the same signs in your own work, then you are also fatigued and need to address the problem immediately.

In this article, we look at what burnout is, what the symptoms are and how you can alleviate it for yourself and your employees.

Stages of Burnout

Burnout is not something that just comes up. It is a series of stages which eventually lead to burnout. The five stages of burnout are:

Stage 1: Honeymoon

Much like the honeymoon phase in a relationship, this stage of burnout comes with a lot of energy and positivity. Most people experience this stage when they are starting a new job or tackling a new task. The challenge of the new job or task leads to periods of productivity and more creativity.

Stage 2: Beginning of the Stress Phase

As the honeymoon stage ends, more stress comes on. This stress will not affect you every second of the day but more frequently than usual. During this stage, you may lose focus easily and be less productive with your tasks. Physically you will feel more tired and maybe experience weird sleep patterns.

Stage 3: Chronic Stress

In this stage, your stress becomes more persistent or chronic. This stress would likely affect you and the way you work. Also, you may start to withdraw from any social events and in some cases, you may even lash out at your coworkers.

Stage 4: Burnout

The burnout stage is when you can no longer function as you normally would. You may experience physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach issues. Additionally, you may start to experience self-doubt. In some cases, burnout can lead to depression.

Stage 5: Habitual Burnout

If untreated, burnout can become part of your everyday life and can lead to anxiety or depression. In addition to that, burnout can lead to mental and physical fatigue which can prevent you from working properly.

The above stages showcase the stages you will go through if you have burnout. Remember to pay close attention to your employees so you can recognise if they have burnout and on which stage they might be on.

Signs of Burnout in the Workplace

There are many signs that signal that someone is going through burnout. Some of the most common signs include:

• Feelings of fatigue at work.
• Feeling sad and anxious at work.
• Being disengaged and having trouble focusing on work.
• Negative feelings toward your job and coworkers.
• Significant decrease in work performance.
• Trouble sleeping or inconsistent sleeping patterns.
• Constant headaches or muscle pain.
• The overall feeling of dissatisfaction.
• Social isolation at work and home.

These are just the most common symptoms of burnout. Some others include work absenteeism and sometimes stomach issues. Looking at these signs, you can quickly recognise burnout in yourself and your employees.

If you recognise that there is burnout in your company, you can start to implement solutions to fix it before it gets worse.

Ways to Deal with Burnout

Here are some ways to deal with burnout so you can be motivated and confident again:

Go on Holiday or Leave

Whether it’s a long weekend or a normal one, a holiday can help prevent burnout. Your employees might be reluctant to take time off but if you see signs of burnout you will need to give them time off and suggest a holiday. If it’s not a holiday, allowing time off can also be very helpful.

Change Up the Work Environment

Something as small as changing the work environment can help with burnout. As an employee you can opt to take your employees to a team building event instead of working, or allow them to work from home. If your business days are not very busy (especially during the end of the year), you can reduce the working hours to give your employees more rest.

Encourage Employees to Speak Up

This suggestion might not deal with burnout directly, but it can prevent it from becoming worse. By encouraging them to speak up on any issues they may have, you will be able to prevent burnout. This will ensure you can deal with the situation quickly and avoid losing an employee during a crucial time.

Encourage Self-care and Rest Time

You can put measures in place that help your employees prioritise self-care and rest. You can do this by telling them that no work is allowed after office hours (unless it’s urgent) and also handing out gift vouchers for spa treatments as a reward.

You can also give hard-working employees days off as a reward for their time put into projects and other tasks.

All in all, burnout is a serious issue. If left unaddressed, you and your employees will crash and that will affect the overall performance of the business.

For more information on employee rewards, read about Year-end Function Ideas that Show Your Staff Appreciation.