Emotional burnout: How to Address It in the Workplace?

Definition Emotional Burnout

We all have seen memes about Monday morning blues. However, if going to the office makes you feel depressed or tense, it is time to look at the reason more deeply. On average, a person spends over 90,000 hours of their life at work, and many people cannot effectively manage stress levels at work, leading to burnout.

Burnout is an occupational phenomenon in which a person experiences chronic physical, emotional or mental symptoms. Common symptoms of emotional burnout include exhaustion, reduction in efficiency, increased mental distance from the work, cynicism or negativity related to the job, etc.

What is Emotional Burnout?

Burnout is a person’s psychological response to various interpersonal stressors at work. It manifests itself as emotional or physical exhaustion coupled with a loss of personal identity and a sense of diminished accomplishment.

Burnout is associated with many adverse reactions, including job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, wanting to leave the job, low organisational commitment, and more. People experiencing burnout can, in turn, negatively impact others working in the workplace by causing personal conflicts and disrupting others’ job tasks [1].

The Causes of Emotional Burnout in the workplace

People often consider emotional burnout an individual problem that practices like mindfulness can solve. However, the truth is that employees’ emotional burnout says a lot more about the workplace, not the people.

The most common causes of emotional burnout at the workplace include[2]:

• Overwhelming workload
• Dysfunctional workplace dynamics
• Lack of support and proper communication
• Unclear job expectations
• Limited upward mobility
• Lack of control

How to Address Emotional Burnout in the Workplace?

To avoid emotional burnout in your employees at your organisation, you need to be proactive and take the following steps:

Recognise and understand the symptoms of burnout

You can identify people experiencing burnout by observing some common symptoms. These indications include:

• Inability to concentrate on essential matters, leading to mistakes in work
• Lower productivity
• Lack of interest or disengagement
• Excessive cynicism
• Irritability with clients and coworkers

Communicate and promote your E.A.P. (Employee Assistance Program)

Ensure all your employees know about your EAP, and the reminders are visible all around the office. Invite your E.A.P. vendor to conduct enrollment meetings and all-staff events and write posts in your newsletter or intranet.

Provide guidance and training for various job functions

Hold sessions where employees can voice their concerns, discuss symptoms of burnout or stress, and address inefficiencies periodically. It will allow employees to feel heard and supported.

Encourage employees to take periodic breaks

Motivate the employees to get up and walk around during business hours periodically. Add some daily activities that encourage employees to collaborate and connect.

Encourage employees to use Vacation Days

Lead by example and encourage employees to use their vacation time to avoid burnout.

Clearly explain job expectations

Ensure a brief update of each employee’s role in their job description. Make sure they understand what is expected from them and their performance in a particular position.

Don’t ignore ‘Fun-Q’

Encourage fun activities that promote camaraderie or bring laughter, such as playing games during afternoon or lunch breaks. It helps create a healthy atmosphere of inclusion and promotes positivity in the workplace [3].

Ways to Boost Employee Retention by Addressing Emotional Burnout

Emotional burnout can be dangerous and result in a high employee turnover rate. It makes the entire process of rehiring expensive and time-consuming. Emotional burnout also drains the efficiency of the office.

It is in the company’s best interest to create a burnout-free environment in the workplace. Here is how you can keep your team members burnout and bay and boost your employee retention rate [4].

Set practical assignments and make sure to delegate

Avoid overwhelming your employee with mountains of work piled up on their desk. Communicate with them about their workload and ensure they can handle the assigned work.

Too few tasks can lead to boredom and encourage them to look for opportunities elsewhere. Try to balance studies and workload, and check in with them frequently to judge their output and performance.

Allow side projects

Allow your employees to indulge in side projects that they are passionate about. It helps them exercise their creativity and breaks them from their regular tasks. It also shows them that you value their ideas and contribution to the company.

Enforce reasonable work hours

Ensure employees maintain a proper balance between work and home by keeping reasonable work hours. Please encourage them to get the necessary time off to recuperate.

The hardworking team member often forms overworked habits as motivation. However, in the long run, their practices can cause more harm than good and lead to burnout. Monitor their working hours per week and ensure they do not overwork.

Encourage socialisation

One of the most significant contributors to occupational stress is the employees’ interpersonal relationships.

Socialisation can help reduce emotional burnout, boost creativity, encourage people to curate new solutions to existing problems, and reduce stress. Communicate with your employees about the importance of taking scheduled breaks regularly.

Reward your team

Giving employees opportunities to take breaks from workplace stress makes them more productive and engaged. These breaks can be in the form of rewards such as catered lunches, bonuses, special events, vacations, and other similar incentives.

However, besides physical incentives, always acknowledge their contributions to the workplace and make them feel valued.

Conclusion

Focusing on team member retention brings excellent benefits across the organisation. Practical strategies for team member retention are vital for comprehensive workforce planning. It may require significant effort, targeted investment, and executive oversight, but it is worth it in the long run.

Companies that do not focus on team member retention can suffer high costs in finding, recruiting, and training staff. They also lose knowledge and productivity, impacting customer and employee experiences.
References
[1] C. L. Lesney, “Breaking through burnout: Strategies to increase employee retention,” Alleninteractions.com, 09-Jun-2022.

[2] “Job burnout: How to spot it and take action,” Mayo Clinic, 05-Jun-2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642. [Accessed: 09-Jan-2023].

[3] “7 ways to address stress & burnout in the workplace,” MountainOne, 26-Sep-2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.mountainone.com/news/7-ways-address-stress-burnout-workplace. [Accessed: 09-Jan-2023].

[4] M. Gonzales, “Tips for addressing burnout in the workplace,” SHRM, 12-Jun-2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness. [Accessed: 09-Jan-2023].