Thank you to Sheb Giner of Mind Health Services for providing a guest blog for World Health Day on the 7th April 2022.
Burnout vs Engagement
Imagine you’re going to take your very first flight lessons. You notice as you are high up in the air you come across to some dark and westerly winds. Your weather map indicates some inevitable weather conditions ahead.
How would you make sure you can fly safely over the mountains or the ocean if faced with any unexpected problems that come from that lesson?
The truth is we are not born with a map of life in our hands. From traumatic experiences and multiple life challenges, everyone will experience some form of ups and downs in their lives. There’s either the high road to success or the lonely and low road to failure.
We have no doubt experienced stress, a sense of loss, emotional or physical pain throughout our life and despite these challenges, we have adapted to those stressful and challenging moments – and that is all thanks to our resilience.
Look inside for opportunities.
Price Pritchett, author from You² states, “everything else that’s needed, right now, comes from inside of you. The opportunity, the timing, the power to perform – are in you, not in the situation”.
So how do we harness what is inside of us?
The answer is to stress less and be more mindful. The more mindful we are the more engaged we are to our internal and external environment.
What is stress?
Stress is the body’s response to a challenge, demand or trigger in the external environment. Although stress can be beneficial, it can also be detrimental to our health and overall wellbeing. Especially if it gets to the point where it becomes chronic.
A recent survey found that one-third of Australian workers say pandemic burnout caused them to resign. The survey also reported; “workers across 25 countries, including 1,000 in Australia, found Australian office workers are the most burnt out in the world, ahead of Italy, China, Canada, the US and the UK.
More than half of the Australian respondents said they suffered from burnout in the last 12 months, with 52% admitting they’ve taken time off due to mental health concerns during pandemic lockdowns¹”
Is burnout the leading cause of resignation or absenteeism? Regardless of what we think on whether it is or isn’t, here some strategies to help keep yourself and staff grounded, inspired, and stress-free:
Take conscious slow deep breaths every 3-4 hours (check-in with self)
- Take conscious slow deep breaths every 3-4 hours (check-in with self)
- Take a brisk walk to help loosen the body and clear the mind
- Listen to relaxing and soothing music (not whilst driving)
- Listen to guided meditation (not whilst driving)
- Maintain a regular exercise regime. Movement is mojo!
- Practice mindfulness. Take a moment to check in with the physical body and where your mind may be drifting
- Avoid caffeine (this may be hard a lot of people) Especially if you are already highly stimulated and stressed to the max
- Take a moment to drink a cup of calm. There’s nothing quite like taking a moment to self and enjoying a cuppa or two.
The more we take a holistic approach towards our mental and physical wellness, the better we will feel and show up with enthusiasm. When we show up in the right mindset, we are engaged and ready to perform at our best!
If you would like to know more on how you or your staff can benefit from workplace wellness solutions and tips on stress management and burnout prevention, visit MindHealth Services and schedule your free demonstration today.
Reference
https://www.thechainsaw.com/australian-burnout-great-resignation
