The COVID pandemic has a lot to answer for. It has upturned life as we knew it and saying it has been incredibly stressful is an understatement. Whether we are on a life boat or yacht in the corona storm, we have all been adversely affected in some way.
Working from home for much of 2020 has really changed what the work landscape looks like and as organisations prepare for some form of return to work in 2021, they need to have their people ready to do so. However, the issue that arises for many is that not everybody is doing ok right now. Not all employees are working to their fullest potential. In fact, many are worn out, tired, over stretched (especially those in Melbourne that home schooled kids for six months) and some are burnt out.
In a recent Forbes article about the future of work KPMG's Phil Mitchell states "We are also beginning to witness COVID-19 burnout among middle and senior management. They seem to be the ones carrying the brunt of giving additional support to their teams while conducting extra reporting and due diligence as their organizations go through a complex business resilience process. There’s a growing need to focus on the wellbeing of the middle to senior management layer."
Adrenal health expert, Dr James Wilson descries burnout as being something that happens after a long period of stress or one severe stressful event, such as a mental stress, trauma, burns and car accidents. It happens when we drive ourselves to exhaustion. Being also workaholic makes us a prime candidate and adrenal hypofunction or burnout can happen after an extended period of or severe infection like post flu, pneumonia or even COVID-19.
Clues that a person is experiencing burnout include -
• Reduced productivity at work and home
• Chronically low energy levels and poor performance
• Missed opportunities or promotions at work
• Feeling disengaged from those around you
• Strained personal and professional relationships
Experiencing this an individual or knowing that some of our employees are going through any or all of these burnout signs is what we want to avoid. How can teams and organisations perform well when they are scarping the bottom of the barrel for mental, emotional and physical wellbeing?
Identifying who is at risk of burnout and putting in place support and strategies to help our people navigate these trying times is ultimately an investment in the performance of the organisation. By focusing on the integrated wellbeing of people we are able to see positive behaviour change that translates to peak performance, positive engagement and greater productivity.
Get in touch to learn more about how I help organisations support their people and provide them with the education and strategies for meaningful change.