Since the start of the pandemic, the work from home (WFH) trend had become more of a permanent fixture in our lives.
What we thought would be a fun few months at home turned into a year and then another year.
The lines became blurred and soon our careers encroached on our personal lives.
Mental health awareness was no longer a buzz word consigned to honourable days of the year.
Burnout became a constant threat and then it really happened.
It hasn’t become easier. Most employees now suffer from anxiety and depression.
When UK-based author Tasha Suri posted an antidotal email in response to burnout, it exploded on Twitter, mainly because it was the most relatable thing we’ve read since the start of the pandemic.
Taking to the micro-sharing app, she wrote:
Writing emails in 2022 is like,
Hi X
How's the burnout going? I hope less burny? Unfortunately, I also have burnout so can't do the thing I said I'd do. I realise this will make your burnout worse and I'm sorry about that.
Hoping for less burnout for you soon!
Warmly
Y
The responses were testament that although we’ve learnt to live with Covid-19, doesn’t mean that things have improved.
Can’t recall the original author … pic.twitter.com/p0ByQfUjA2
— sysop_host (@sysop_host) May 10, 2022
Leave it out. They'll still call if necessary.
— April 🌻🌻🌻 (@Fiordiligi5) May 10, 2022
Going to the office was optional for me for several months. If I didn't go I was completely out of the loop on things I needed to know. If I did go people who didn't bother to reach out via email had piles of requests for help.
Luckily, there are ways to avoid burnout.
According to Dr Kent Bradley, chief health and nutrition officer at Herbalife Nutrition, we need to slow down the pace in order to get our needed space to think, to put things into perspective.
How do we slow down the pace? Dr Bradley has a few suggestions:
1. Stop consuming information non-stop.
2. Recognise that information is not timeless. Information is bound by what is known at the time. We are wired to make meaning, and from that meaning draw conclusions. But that may not be possible and conclusions we may make are not timeless.
3. Calm your mind through intentional practices. Meditation is something often discussed but seldom practised by many.
4. Think about something else – give your mind something else to think about other than the pandemic. It would be preferable to think about something that is energising and uplifting.
Practising these steps can help you be more intentional on how you consume, analyse and act on data.
Unfortunately, sometimes we are uncertain of the actions we must take and that can cause anxiety.