Burnout: 15 Tips to help your employees

Burnout, also known as emotional exhaustion or professional burnout, is a reality present in many organizations. Notorious emotional and physical exhaustion, lack of concentration, negativity, difficulty in performing tasks and successive absences from work are some of the symptoms of this disorder and signs that you should pay special attention to.

What is Burnout?

Burnout Syndrome can lead to high employee turnover, which can have a negative impact on your business due to:

● High absenteeism rates
● Low productivity
● Decrease in job satisfaction
● Reduced commitment to the organization
● Recurrent conflicts between colleagues

To prevent your employees from reaching a point of exhaustion, invest in their well-being.

Burnout: what it is and what are its symptoms

Burnout is a state of emotional/mental and physical exhaustion that can negatively affect people’s career path and social interactions.

Continuous exposure to stressful situations, such as continuously working overtime, lack of professional recognition or a bad environment between colleagues and supervisors, can lead to professional burnout.

However, this condition is not always easy to detect.

Do you suspect someone in your organization may be suffering from a breakdown, but you’re not sure of the signs? We have prepared a list of Burnout symptoms that you can use as a guide to monitor the health and well-being of your employees.

1. Exhaustion

Those who suffer from this pathology feel excessive physical and mental fatigue. Physical symptoms can include headaches, upset stomach and changes in appetite or sleep. It can even lead to mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety.

2. Isolation

People with Burnout tend to feel overwhelmed. As a result, they can avoid socializing and show distrust of other people.

3. Misfitted behaviors

Unhappy with the exhaustion felt at work, people with Burnout Syndrome can idealize their own way out – not only from work, but from home or even the country. In extreme cases, they may resort to drugs, alcohol or food as a way to numb their emotional pain.

4. Irritability

Professional burnout can make it easier for people to lose their temper with friends, co-workers and family. Dealing with seemingly normal stressful situations, such as preparing for a work meeting or performing a simple task, can also start to feel overwhelming, especially when things don’t go as planned.

15 ways to prevent the burnout of your employees

1. Communicate with your employees

Your role is to lead and motivate your team. Hold one-on-one meetings often and focus on the positive topics before communicating the negatives. Avoid raising your voice and show recognition regularly.

2. Foster a supportive culture

Make sure that supporting coworkers is a value of your organization. Promote supportive behavior and reward your employees whenever they behave altruistically.

3. Be realistic when assigning tasks

Delegate an amount of work that is challenging but not overwhelming, which can easily lead to discouragement and frustration.

4. Provide moments of rest and fun

Encourage your employees to leave early after a particularly stressful day. Schedule weekly lunches with the whole team and meetings during the weekend so they can socialize and strengthen ties.

5. Be willing to make changes

Make sure your employees are doing what they like. Create new positions or be willing to make changes to make your employees happier.

6. Set reasonable working hours

Don’t expect your employees to work overtime. Encourage them to organize their tasks so that they always leave at the stipulated time.

7. Promote calendar breaks

Allow and encourage your employees to enjoy a full lunch hour as well as 15-minute breaks throughout the day. They must use this time to relax.

8. Be flexible

When a deadline or goal isn’t realistic, change it to make it achievable. If someone was assigned a task but they are not the right person for the job, assign it to someone else. Learn how to handle mistakes by being empathetic and understanding.

9. Define and clarify roles

Make sure each team member knows and understands exactly what their roles are and what is expected of them.

10. Provide the proper work tools

Prepare your employees for success by giving them the right tools and equipment to work flawlessly.

11. Encourage socialization

Promote events to increase team spirit among your employees.

12. Do not tolerate inappropriate behavior

Whenever you notice that a behavior is not in line with your company’s values, act immediately.

13. Give feedback

It is very important that your employees are monitored and receive regular feedback on the performance of their duties. Take time to meet with each one of them.

14. Recognize and reward

The contribution of each employee must be acknowledged. More than a compliment, the employee wants to feel that they are really adding value to the company and that it is perceived. Reward great performances with bonuses, prizes and/or promotions.

15. Talk about Burnout Syndrome

Schedule a seminar to talk about Burnout Syndrome and consider inviting a mental health specialist to mediate the intervention. It is very important that your employees know about the disturbance so that they can avoid it or ask for help.
Adopting these tactics and taking the time to talk about Burnout can prevent or help reverse burnout. Keep an eye on the well-being of your employees and provide a healthy environment in your organization.
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