Practically everyone experiences stress on the job. Workplace stress is a reality whether your employees spend their days on the phone with physicians working on market access or are in the lab developing the next clinical treatment. A certain amount of stress is normal, but it can snowball into something much more severe if left unchecked.
Burnout is prevalent in businesses, both large and small, particularly in a fast-paced industry like healthcare or pharmaceuticals. It can feel like hitting a wall – where you have a hard time staying motivated or paying attention. As a result, productivity and work quality can suffer. Individuals may feel depressed or anxious and begin to face challenges in other areas of their lives. Even worse, burnout can quickly spread through a team like a cancer, which can severely impact a company culture and workplace morale – both of which can have long-lasting effects on your bottom line.
So, what can you do to prevent burnout? It is essential to be aware of the signs. Although, it is best to be proactive – just like addressing a medical issue, preventing illness is always better than treating it. To help keep your employees happy and healthy, focus on these mental, emotional, and physical strategies.
Preventing burnout: mental strategies
To stay mentally sharp, you need to give your brain breaks throughout the day. Make a point of take little breaks every 45 minutes or so, even if it is just to take a quick walk to get a drink of water. You can also save yourself a lot of headaches by ensuring that you have clear goals and priorities, which management should actively help employees with.
Preventing burnout: emotional strategies
Having a sound support system can go a long way in feeling motivated and energized, so strengthening your workplace community is essential. Taking some time at the beginning or end of meetings for small talk or having a communal area where employees can spend time chatting helps a lot. Recognizing and rewarding team members for a job well done can also keep energy levels high.
Preventing burnout: physical strategies
It should come as no surprise that there is a significant connection between our physical and mental, and emotional health. The better we care for our bodies, the better our bodies will care for us. In this way, things like diet and exercise play an essential role in our ability to stave off feelings of burnout. While much of this comes down to lifestyle choices and preexisting conditions, you can encourage your employees to stay healthy with team challenges or healthy snack choices.
Burnout might be inevitable to some extent, but there are many ways that you can significantly lessen the impact on your company’s work quality and team morale.
Dave Murphy
The Alpine Group
