We all know life can be stressful. Between the 24-hour news cycle caused by social media and the constant pressure to online, checking work emails around the clock and moving up the corporate ladder. There comes a point when it all becomes too much. That’s when you experience burnout.

From new moms to corporate warriors, burnout is on the rise. If you aren’t suffering from it already, chances are you know someone who is. Nowadays there are studies being done and even books published about the detrimental effects of burnout and how to prevent burnout in the workplace and corporate environments. The benefits of a corporate wellness program ensure your employees are taking care of their health and are performing at their peak capabilities both in and out of the workplace.

What Causes Employee Burnout

Dr. David Ballard, the head of American Psychological Association’s Center for Organizational Excellence, explains the phenomenon, “Our bodies are equipped to handle stress in short bursts. Burnout is when we experience that stress over an extended period of time.”

Burnout is not simply the result of over-worked employees in a high-demand environment. It is actually a multidimensional response to stressors with many complex causes. According to a Gallup Poll published in 2018, there are 5 key causes that tend to cause burnout in the workplace.

An unmanageable workload is a common cause, coupled with unreasonable turnaround times and deadlines. A lack of role clarity or a lack of communication and support from managers can also add to the stressors that cause employee burnout. Finally, if an employee feels they are being unfairly treated in the workplace, they are more likely to experience a high level of burnout.

Symptoms of Employee Burnout

It is no secret that elevated stress at work often results in poorer decision-making, deteriorating health and aggressive leadership. While these are undoubtedly harmful, they are all things we can cope with to an extent. The hard organizational cost of burnout is considerably more substantial.

Gallup suggests that burned out employees are 63% more likely to take a sick day and 2.6 times as likely to be actively seeking employment elsewhere. Even if those employees stay, they typically have 13% lower confidence in their performance and are half as likely to discuss how to approach performance goals with their manager.

Pinpointing Burnout in Corporate Warriors

While employees instinctively notice the feelings of burnout in their own lives, it may be harder for employers to recognize the signs in their employees. Warning signs may appear in physical changes in a person’s health and wellbeing. Your employees may be showing up to work looking tired or worn out day after day. You may notice an increase in sick days, weight gain or general aches and pains.

You may also detect signs of burnout in attitude changes. Your employees might suddenly show a loss of confidence or motivation in their everyday work. They may be moodier around the office and have a shorter fuse when it comes to conflicts. The perception of unfairness, whether it’s feeling unfairly targeted, overlooked or inadequately compensated, can also be a contributing sign of employee burnout.

How to Prevent Burnout with Corporate Wellness

Employee burnout is a common circumstance that no one is immune to. It is important to structure the workplace environment in a way that keeps employees feeling happy and motivated and assuring each employee has the tools and support they need to be successful in their roles.

A holistic and systems-based approach is the best way to address and even prevent the epidemic of burnout in the workplace. The good news is, Urban Wellness Clinic offers the following corporate wellness programs to get your employees back on track and reverse the signs of burnout in no time!

• Stress & Mindset Workshop: Our stress workshops help employees gain a new understanding of how to “show up” for stress and how to create healthy habits to “show up” better. In our workshop, we will give your employees the knowledge and confidence they need to show up with courage and face every challenge as a learning lesson to optimize capacity.
• Nutrition Counseling:We keep nutrition simple, but effective. We know through practice and observation that food can be a powerful tool to boost energy, clear the mind, and maintain a healthy body. Using nutrition counseling in a corporate setting, we teach your employees how to beat the mid-afternoon slump with how and when they eat.
• Posture & Ergonomic Workshop: We’ll dive into the benefits of good posture, and how you can prevent injuries through a proper desk set-up and simple stretches. We’ll then put our recommendations into quick and effective action – modifying your employee’s workstations or recommending changes based on their specific needs or pre-existing injuries.

The proven benefits of a corporate wellness program go beyond just reversing signs of employee burnout. At Urban Wellness Clinic, our personalized and permanent solutions are specifically designed to lower healthcare costs, minimize and prevent workplace injuries and maximize employee productivity in a major way.

The feedback we receive from HR Department Heads after we come into a corporate setting and hold one of our workshops confirms those findings. Surveyed employees state that they have more stamina and feel more productive during their workday. They gain clarify and get rid of that afternoon brain fog that can creep in. We have also received reports of employees who feel less chronic pain while sitting at their desks all day.

To learn more information on the benefits of our corporate wellness programs at Urban Wellness Clinic, visit our website. If you’d like to speak with us about scheduling a workshop, you can reach out over email or give us a call at 212-355-0445.

In good health,

Dr Emily Kiberd