Mindfulness as an antidote to burnout
The World Health Organization recently included “burnout” in its International Classification of Diseases, calling it an “occupational phenomenon” resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
It actually characterized it by 3 dimensions:
feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and
reduced professional efficacy.
Have you ever experienced something similar? Do you really believe that unless you’re stressed you won’t produce the desired results? Do you actually produce them that way? How do you feel about the outcome at the end?
I think it all starts by acknowledging that you’re under stress and that you want to do something about it -before it’s too late. Some ideas might include:
Identifying your stressors
Being aware of how they affect you and the quality of your life
Come up with healthy responses such as establishing boundaries, taking time to relax, accepting that it’s ok not to be perfect
Taking care of yourself, exercising, and staying hydrated and well-nourished
Planning ahead and staying organized
Maintaining work-life balance
Leave work at work, listen to music on your way home, and think of ways to relax and enjoy the rest of your day or your free time
Easier said than done, you might say, and I would definitely agree with you. What makes it difficult is your thinking that it requires discipline or “a rebellion” against the status quo. Well, there’s a modern solution coming from ancient times, and that’s called mindfulness.
Research results on mindfulness at work are promising. Some of the published findings include the following:
The mind wanders about 50% of the time. With mindfulness meditation this is reduced up to 50%, adding valuable attention time back to productive work
By becoming more mindful, you eliminate biases and errors and thus make more rational decisions avoiding common mistakes
Mindfulness may also slow the decay of brain tissue, thus cultivating “younger-tissue brains” to meditators, who show greater intelligence, focus, and cognitive flexibility
Mindfulness training is positively related to job performance, citizenship, and safety
Last but not least, studies have linked mindfulness to improved relationships at work, better collaboration, and improved employee resilience in the face of challenge
Many companies, from Google to General Mills and from Virgin Atlantic to Procter & Gamble, are teaching mindfulness in the office. Maybe it’s worth spreading the idea and helping employees become more engaged and resilient, and workplaces turn into more responsive, creative, and high-performing hubs.