Combat Burnout…

The year 2020 has been a tough one, and one that feels extremely long. The country is caught up between recovery mode as most industries have continued to operate and a celebratory mode with the announcement of the move to Alert Level 1 of the lockdown, which has led to a greater opening up of the economy and relaxation of the restrictive measures. However, many companies/organisations have had to play catch up as a result of lockdown, while in other companies’ employees have had to take on additional duties of those who have been retrenched as a result of the pandemic. This has resulted in employees putting in extra hours to make up for lost time and at times even working on weekends and public holidays.

Burnout is a possible and an inevitable result of not only the economic, but physical and emotional impact of the pandemic and its effects.

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress (Smith, Segal & Robinson, 2019). This year has been an emotional rollercoaster of note, therefore being able to identify signs of burnout is extremely important, especially to ensure that one does not go over the rails. Some of these signs can include:

• Physical exhaustion – These can include chronic fatigue, insomnia, constantly falling ill.
• Emotional exhaustion – These may manifest themselves as anxiety, depression and anger issues.
• A drop in productivity – Your overworked brain starts forgetting important tasks on a regular basis.

There are a few approaches that Smith et al (2019) suggest in order to deal with burnout.

• Turning to people: Social contact is nature’s antidote to stress and talking face to face with a good listener is one of the fastest ways to calm your nervous system and relieve stress. Connecting with those closest to you (family and friends), being more sociable with co-workers (within reason during working hours) and not turning to your smart phone, as well as limiting your interactions with negative people can assist in alleviating some symptoms.
• Re-evaluate priorities: Setting boundaries and learning to say “No!” setting aside some time to rest and relax and prioritising plenty of sleep.
• Make exercise a priority: Even though it may be the last thing you feel like doing when you’re burned out, exercise is a powerful antidote to stress and burnout. It’s also something you can do right now to boost your mood. Exercising does not have to last an hour or even 30 minutes. 10 minutes is enough to get those happy hormones working.
• Support your mood and energy levels by eating a healthy diet: When you are on the move and chasing a deadline, the last thing on your mind is a healthy snack. However, what you put into your body has a huge impact on your mood and energy levels. Avoiding sugar and refined carbs, and adding Omega-3 fatty acids can give your mood the necessary boost it needs.

All aspects of the lockdown are/were a constant stressor and can definitely send anyone over the edge, regardless of whether:

• You were sitting at home and are now facing the added pressure of returning to work and having to deal with months of backlog and a reduced salary;
• You were working from home and are now facing the pressure of returning to the “normal” working environment under the ‘new normal’;
• You were working through-out the lockdown and are exhausted from not having a break; or
• Regrettably, you are not able to return to work because of the economic impact of the pandemic.

However, it is important that we recognise the signs of burnout, begin a process of reversing the effects and building resilience to stress by taking care of our mental and physical health.