Suffering Burnout at Work?

Workload, long hours and job insecurity are just a few factors contributing to stress, depression or anxiety at work. There were 595,000 cases reported in the UK in 2017/18, according to government statistics. This equals to 15.4 million days off work, 57% of the whole total, in what is becoming a continuing issue.

Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently included burn-out as an occupational phenomenon. Although not classified as a medical condition, it’s described as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.

WHO identified three elements linked to occupational burn-out:

· feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;

· increased mental distance from someone’s job, or feelings of negativity or cynicism related to their job; and

· reduced professional efficacy.

If you’re affected by any, or all, of these symptoms, what can you do to prevent it escalating? Stop it from affecting your health? You might be stuck in your job and have no power to change your working environment or conditions.

Wellness and mindfulness therapies are increasingly used to help manage the stress and anxiety people face in their jobs. That ability to understand, then control, our actions and behaviours becomes extremely useful in the workplace.

Especially when facing undue pressures and demands, as an individual and as a part of the group. These are moments when a person is most likely to increase their intake of nicotine or caffeine for example.

One reason people turn to this alternative to medication or drugs is because they learn tools they can easily practice, anywhere.

Popular therapies include:

· yoga;

· meditation;

· eating healing foods;

· exercise; and

· self-development.

These types of therapies are proven to help manage stress and anxiety, reducing the risk of suffering burn-out. In many ways, they are preventative therapies much more than cures. They teach you how to control your mind.

It may be why corporate wellness has been listed as one of the top ten wellness trends of this year by Bazaar online magazine. Learning tools directly transferrable to the workplace, and beyond, should make for a more productive staff. The individual and business benefit.

The WHO is embarking on the development of evidence-based guidelines on mental well-being in the workplace. With greater understanding of mental health and related issues, wellness and mindfulness therapies look set to become ever-more popular.

After all, being in control of ourselves, having a healthy mind, body and soul is what most of us seek.

Claire & Andrea

Join us at our next retreat with Chris Hill 'Beat My Addictions' (No.1 Selling Author - Amazon) for a weekend of learning and taking control of your anxiety and stress. The first step to 'a better you'.

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