Burnout Is On The Rise: Heres How To Avoid It From finding therapeutic relief through hobbies outside of work, to getting a full nights sleep, here are some strategies workers can use to avoid burnout.

A recent survey from FlexJobs and Mental Health America has found that three-quarters of workers have experienced burnout at work, and 40% of them say theyve experienced burnout specifically during the coronavirus pandemic.

Considering that as many as 37% of employees reported working longer hours since the pandemic started, the rise in burnout isnt too surprising.

Add to the longer hours the stress and anxiety that many are currently facing for a variety of reasons: fear of losing their jobs, uncertainty because of the pandemic, increased workload as many companies have laid off employees, the struggle of physical distancing, and getting used to working from home, and youve got a perfect recipe for burnout.

While burnout is a big problem in and out of itself, its not the only problem. More worrying is the fact that only 21% of employees stated that they were able to have open, productive conversations with HR about solutions to their burnout.

This means that almost 80% of employees are not getting the support they need from their employers to cope with burnout and work-related stress.

This is particularly alarming considering that workers mental health has significantly declined since the onset of the pandemic. According to the survey report, prior to the pandemic, just 5% of employed workers and 7% of unemployed workers said their mental health was poor or very poor. Now, 18% of employed and 27% of unemployed workers say they are struggling with mental health issues.

In times when organizations should be lending support to employees, the reality is far from the ideal. The survey found that 56% of employees would go so far as to say that their HR departments did not encourage conversations about burnout.

Mental health as a whole is suffering since the start of the pandemic, but stress is of particular concern to workers. Of employed workers, 42% say their stress levels are currently high or very high, while 47% of those who are unemployed report high stress levels.

Top employee stressors include:

Why should this matter to employers?

Simple. Because mental health and work are intertwined.

For better or for worse, the work environment has a direct impact on mental and emotional health. More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents agree that workplace stress affects their mental health, leading to depression or anxiety, and 17% strongly agree.

Moreover, if organizations want their employees to perform their best and reach their full potential, they need to make sure that they are supporting them in the ways they need it the most.

Currently, that means providing mental health support.

According to the survey, the top ways employers can support mental health of their employees include:

Survey respondents also reported that they would be interested in participating in virtual mental health solutions if these are offered through their workplace:

Below are some strategies that can help you prevent burnout.

Exercise has been proven to be great for our physical health, but also our emotional and mental health.

You dont need to spend hours at the gym or have an intense workout in order to reap the benefits of exercise. Sometimes something as simple as a walk or a few stretching exercises can do the trick. Whats important is that you find some activity that you enjoy and that you stick with it.

It can be hard to set boundaries when youre working from home, especially today as experts continue to advise that people physically distance themselves.

But setting boundaries is key in order to prevent burnout. Otherwise you will find yourself working lingerie hours and having a harder time unplugging from work.

Some ways to create boundaries include:

Studies have found that there is a direct link between stress and lack of sleep. Not only does stress make it harder for people to sleep, but lack of sleep can worsen stress. Its quite the vicious circle.

To prevent burnout, you need to make sure that youre getting some quality shut eye every night. Below are some tips that can help you get a better nights sleep:

Considering how many people are struggling with physical distancing and how many are increasingly feeling lonely, reaching out to those close to you should be part of your weekly routine.

Sometimes the best therapy we can get is talking to those close to us; even if you dont talk about whats stressing or bothering you, simply having a friendly voice and a nice conversation can go a long way in boosting our mood.

When working from home, it can be really hard to turn off our work mindset. This is why its important that you find and engage with activities that you enjoy outside of your work.

Whether you enjoy cooking, reading, coloring, cleaning, organizing, ceramics, etc., the goal is for you to immerse yourself in an activity that you fully enjoy and that provides some therapeutic relief.

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Cecilia Amador de San Jos, Senior Associate Editor of Allwork.Space, is based from wherever her laptop is. She enjoys traveling and visiting new flexible workspaces. If you'd like Ceci to check out your workspace, feel free to reach out to her at [emailprotected] (and send a plane ticket). View all posts by Cecilia Amador de San Jos

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Burnout Is On The Rise: Here's How To Avoid It - Allwork.Space