Over the past year, around 20% of workers in the UK have taken time off work due to poor mental health caused by pressure or stress.
Many people pulled in extra hours throughout the festive period. This, combined with numerous other factors including having a high workload, not feeling supported or listened to, lack of work-life balance, feeling stressed and pressured, and even being bullied or harassed, contribute to feeling burnt-out at work.
Factors in someone’s personal life can also contribute to the feeling burnt-out such as the cost-of-living crisis, relationship problems, and health issues. Feeling burnt-out at work can have a serious effect on mental and physical health.
The company Meditopia has recently outlined some wellness tips to help workers to deal with these pressures and reduce the risk of experiencing burnout. The advice has been reviewed by Digital Journal.
What is burnout?
Burnout can be a variety of feelings and symptoms. These can include:
- Feeling exhausted or drained of energy
- Lack of motivation
- Not being able to do your job like you used to
- Anxious
- Irritable
- Trouble sleeping
- Headaches or stomach aches
Coping with burnout
According to Mental Health UK around 20 percent of workers have taken time off work due to poor mental health caused by stress. This statistic emphasises the importance of speaking up and asking for help whenever you start to feel overwhelmed at work. Be open and honest about how you are feeling and the effect this is having on your mental health.
Outline what good mental health looks like to you
Take some time to think about what you’re feeling and why. Then outline what you perceive to be good mental wellbeing and what needs to be done to achieve a good sense of mental well-being.
Reflect on what is directly causing you stress and anxiety at work and away from work. Create a mental well-being plan to establish what you and others can do to offer support.
Set boundaries
Setting boundaries will ensure a better work-life balance. Define the hours you want to work and do not work beyond these hours. Make sure to switch off when you finish working, go for a walk, read a book, or watch your favourite TV show. It is also important to switch off during the weekends and annual leave, this is your own time and are not obligated to think about work.
If your workload has increased due to more employers being on annual leave, be honest with your manager and ask for flexibility regarding deadlines.
Get enough sleep
Adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep can affect mood and further increase feelings of anxiety and irritability. Sleeping whilst worrying about work can be difficult and you may find it hard to switch your mind off before going to bed.
Avoid screens as the blue light can disrupt sleep and try not to drink any caffeinated drinks in the afternoon. Spend time in the evening doing something that relaxes you, read a book, or do some yoga and meditate.
Take annual leave
Make the most of the annual leave you are given and take it when you are feeling overwhelmed or experiencing the symptoms relating to burnout. Continuing to work when you are feeling burnt out and exhausted is going to negatively impact your mental and physical health, causing you to have to take time off to recover. Your mental wellbeing is most important.
Fatih Mustafa Çelebi, Co-founder and CEO of Meditopia, tells Digital Journal: “Feeling burnt-out at work affects your mental and physical well-being and can cause you to feel unmotivated towards the work you do…it is even more important to encourage employees and employers to have open and honest conversations around burnout and how to manage feelings of stress and pressure in the workplace.”
