Burnout at work

Fifty-seven billion pounds is an eye-watering amount of money.  It is an unimaginable sum to most of us.  Yet that is the latest estimate of the cost of work-related stress to the UK economy.  This is up from £45 billion in 2019 – a mere six years ago.

So, what is work-related stress?    The Health and Safety Executive define it as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them.‘   A slightly different definition is provided by the public service union, Unison: ‘stress is a reaction to pressure or harassment at work.‘   I suspect that most of us would simply refer to it as ‘Burnout‘.

The Health and Safety Executive also state that ‘Employers have a legal duty to protect workers from stress at work by doing a risk assessment and acting on it.   This is the same duty you have to protect people from other health and safety risks.‘    All well and good in theory.   But how many businesses or organisations fully practice this?

A number of factors can contribute to stress at work.   Among the most common are working long hours, together with excessive workloads and demands.   Lack of job satisfaction is another.   There is also redundancy or a cut in hours worked.   This is worsened when a business or organisation is undergoing changes and there is a lack of proper consultation with workers.

Harassment or bullying in the workplace is another issue.   Poor working environments can also be a cause of stress.   Excessive noise, a lack of proper facilities, and overcrowding are all examples of this.

Working practices have changed to some extent in recent years.   Zero hours contracts have given some advantages to workers.   These include flexibility and the freedom to work for other companies.   But the downside is financial insecurity.   It can also be difficult to access certain benefits or entitlements.

More people are also now working from home – either full-time or part-time.   This has its advantages and disadvantages, too.   Among the latter is isolation and its effect on an employees’ mental health.

These issues affect people in different ways.   For example, I was made redundant in my mid-50s.   At first this caused me considerable anxiety. What was going on?   Who was going to be made redundant?   Eventually I found out I was to be ‘let go‘.   This exacerbated the depression that I was already experiencing.   There were also worries about money.   I felt that I had been thrown on the scrapheap.   (I hadn’t been, but that’s another story!) 

Recognising the signs of stress at work is also important.   There can be difficulty in concentration or making decisions.   We might lose confidence in ourselves or experience mood swings.   Work related stress can also cause irritability or emotional tearfulness.

These symptoms vary from person to person.   But the most important thing is to listen to your mind and body.   What are they telling you?   If we ignore them, we eventually end up mentally and physically exhausted.

There are a number of things we can do to manage stress at work.   For example, trying to avoid overusing caffeine as a means of keeping going.   Overuse of alcohol to unwind is also not good for our mental health.

Why not try a healthier alternative instead?   Yoga, mindfulness, and meditation are all great antidotes to stress.   Even simple breathing exercises can help you unwind.   These can be done during working hours, too.

The temptation to work through a lunch or other break should be avoided.   Try to get outside away from your workplace if possible.   In the town where I live there is a beautiful Physic Garden.   People often take their lunch break there, to unwind and relax.

Avoid taking work home with you.  It is easy to do when we are under pressure and facing deadlines.   But it only adds to the stress.

It can also be helpful to try to recognise the tasks or situations that cause stress.   Make a note of them.   Then prioritise tasks and try to break them down into more manageable pieces.   That way they do not seem quite so daunting.

And don’t be afraid to talk about stress at work.   This might be to a colleague or friend, your boss or manager, or your doctor.   After all, if they don’t know about the problem they can’t help you with it!

Further information can be found on the Mind website.    The NHS website is also useful.