Are your team members feeling burnt out?
Employee burnout is much more common than you might think within the employee experience. Contrary to popular belief, it doesnât reflect on your employeeâs work ethic or abilities. It might actually point towards a bigger issue. The next time you see your employees exhibiting signs of burnout, turn to these tips. Lucky for us, itâs easy to identify and avoid burnout before it takes its toll.
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Who does burnout impact?
Employee burnout affects more than the individual employee. It harms workplace culture as a whole. With more companies and teams working remotely, "clocking out" is harder than ever before. When your office is also your bedroom, how do you stop burnout from affecting your everyday life?
In 2019, The World Health Organization declared burnout an occupational phenomenon. More employees are exhibiting high levels of physical and mental stress. These feelings of burnout can turn even your strongest employees into poor performers. When you're burnt out, your brain switches into survival mode. High levels of employee stress leave people unable to think about long-term success or growth.
When your employees are burnt out, your workplace morale will soon follow. Can you imagine losing your best employees, or even an entire team, to job burnout? If your employees are consistently exhibiting symptoms of burnout, it might be a sign to make some changes.
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What contributes to burnout? đ§
When your employees are feeling burnt out, you might notice a rapid change in their demeanor. A top-performing employee might quickly become exhausted and cynical. They might stop caring about their performance, only doing the bare minimum of what it takes to get by.Â
Many factors can exacerbate employee stress. Some are more preventable than others. Be aware of these issues that lead to employee exhaustion:
- Overwhelming workloads: Asking and expecting team members to consistently put too much on their plate is a surefire way to put them at risk of burnout. Take a look at how you distribute tasks and ensure no one takes on more than they can handle.
- Not enough breaks: Even if your team members are remote, they need breaks throughout the day. The human brain loves spending time doing nothing. We need downtime to process information and come up with great ideas. Give your team the chance to relax, and make sure there are clear boundaries around working hours. Encourage your team to step away from the computer and get some fresh air.Â
- Lack of praise or positive feedback: Manager support (or lack thereof) is one of the leading contributors to burnout. If team members are only corrected or given feedback on mistakes, they will start to feel like they arenât doing anything right. People need to hear when theyâre doing a great job, too!
- Lack of resources: Asking teams to perform without the help they need can leave workers feeling incapable of doing their job. They might feel like theyâre fighting a constant uphill battle. You wouldnât ask your graphic designer to design everything in Microsoft Paint, right? Donât expect your other employees to do more with less.
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The signs of burnout đ
Burnout manifests in many ways, and each personâs experience might look different. Here are some common signs of burnout that employees may notice or have experienced in the past. Share them with your team so they can look out for these warning signs:
- Mental Fatigue: Tasks that were once easy now feel daunting. Brain fog makes it hard to focus, and simple activities become difficult to remember or complete.
- Irregular Breathing: Some folks may experience shallow, slow, or erratic breathing thatâs hard to reset.
- Work-Anxiety Spillover: Struggling to shut off work thoughts or anxiety after the workday ends. Some people continue working until they collapse into bed.
- Low Motivation: Feelings of apathy, frustration, or irritability can take over, making it harder to stay productive or positive.
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5 ways you can prevent team burnout đ©ș
At the end of the day, itâs all about listening to your team and meeting their emotional and physical needs. That extra effort goes a long way in supporting employees' mental health and helping them find a healthy work-life balance.
Aside from larger benefits like corporate wellness programs and employee gym memberships, letâs look at other ways you can lighten the stress levels for team members.
1. Prioritize well-being in your company culture đ§
This can look different for every company. Some companies allow people to take half days or extra âmental healthâ days when they need a boost. At Confetti, we love to use team building classes and exercises to increase employee engagement.Â
If youâre lost on where to start, ask your team! They will be able to give you some great ideas on how you can help them develop a healthy work-life balance. The best way to ensure that your team's needs are met is to ask them directly.
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2. Improve your employee experience đ
In simpler terms, make work a fun place for your team to be â even if their office doubles as their bedroom.Â
Employee experience starts from the first interview and carries over throughout the rest of their career. You have an excellent opportunity to allow people to shape their careers around their strengths and passions. When your employees have a strong sense of purpose, they are happier, healthier, and (bonus!) stick around for longer.
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3. Train leaders to recognize and prevent burnout đ
One of the best ways to prevent burnout in the workplace is via your management. Training managers to be compassionate, empathetic, and understanding is a great way to encourage stress management across teams.
Management is often cited as one of the main reasons that employees feel burnt out in the first place. Make sure that the leaders in your company are skilled at recognizing and addressing the symptoms of burnout we talked about above.
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4. Embrace flexibility đ€ž
Donât get us wrong, deadlines are important. But allowing flexibility for your team shows them that you care, and trust them to get the job done.Â
You might worry that allowing flexible work schedules and locations with your employees gives them the freedom to slack off. In fact, it has the opposite effect. When employees are granted flexibility wherever possible, they become more productive in the long term.
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5. Allow your employees to be creative đš
If your employees are passionate about something, let them run with it! Letting your teamâs passions and skills shape their careers is one of the best things that you can do for them. Some of the most innovative ideas are born out of side projects and creative endeavors. Give your team a platform and the room to try new things.
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Individual, in-the-moment hacks for managing burnout đ
You donât need a complete lifestyle overhaul to combat burnout. Sometimes, small, in-the-moment changes can help reset your nervous system and reduce stress. These easy tips I picked up from a Nervous System Optimization Workshop with Matt Harris of TwentySevenNine can help. (Share them with your employees today!)Â
- Have fun: Fun and fear canât coexist in the brain. Whether itâs playing with your pet, going for a walk, or listening to your favorite music, doing something enjoyable signals to your brain that youâre safe.
- Practice box breathing: This simple breathing exercise (inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 4, exhaling for 4, and holding again for 4) can help regulate your nervous system quickly.
- Cold exposure: A quick blast of cold water can shock your system back to calm. Try splashing your face with cold water or even taking a short cold shower when you need it.
- Tapping exercises: Use tapping techniques to ease stress and anxiety, helping you stay grounded in the moment.
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Long-term practices to combat individual burnout đ§
While quick solutions are helpful, two long-term practices suggested by Matt Harris can significantly reduce the risk of burnout:
1. Create regular unplug rituals đ
One of the best things you can encourage employees to do is schedule clear "tickets to leave" after work. These are personal signals that itâs time to stop working. This might mean physically leaving the work area or engaging in a fun activity like playing with a pet, going for a walk, or spending time with family. Creating a consistent signal for oneself that theyâre done with work is crucial for mental recovery.
2. Set energy boundaries đ§±
Itâs essential to gradually adjust schedules to reduce the time spent on draining tasks and increase time on activities that are energizing. Burnout often occurs when people are doing too much of what drains them and too little of what excites them. Scheduling regular time for truly enjoyable thingsâwhether itâs creative projects, social time, or hobbiesâcan act as a buffer against burnout.
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The role of regular health monitoring đ©ž
For those looking to take a more data-driven approach, regular blood work every 6 weeks can help identify biological markers of stress and burnout. Monitoring hormones, vitamins, and blood sugar levels can provide insights into how stress is impacting the body. If employees notice trends that indicate burnout, they can take more targeted action. Companies like Superpower and Parsley Health offer these services, helping individuals track their wellness over time.
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Final thoughts đ
Nobody wants their employees to be unhappy with their workplace. Start by making small changes and building on them, just like James Clear suggests in his book Atomic Habits. Small shifts, repeated over time, can lead to big improvements in mental health and prevent burnout from derailing your success.
Even with your team spread out across the globe, you can bring them together with Confetti. Our virtual team building experiences help you bring a sense of collaboration and fun to your workplace â which is always a great way to keep your employees from burning out.
