Useful resources for employers
Listen to the webinar
Activities to try
Beating Burnout
Burnout can happen to anyone. It doesn’t care about the job you do, the level you are at or the amount you get paid. It can damage your physical and mental health, impacts personal and professional life, leaving you drained and unable to meet the demands of work and life.
It can develop slowly and it’s often hard to spot the early signs and indicators. If we are not careful, we can be quite far along the journey before we realise just how bad things have got.
Whatever the causes of burnout, there will almost certainly be an impact to your health and wellbeing. The good news is that it can be prevented and managed by developing healthy habits and also learning to maintain a balance between work and life.
Take time to watch the short webinar to help identify the signs and symptoms and common causes of burnout, and understand what the impact of burnout is on our wellbeing.
There’s also a short toolkit to download along with a poster to help your company share the activities and resources with your colleagues and to help you to signpost them to further support.
Did you know?
Sources: (1) Mental Health UK: Burnout, 2023 report; (2) HSE: Work-related ill health and injury statistics 2022/23
Blog: Click here to read our latest blog, to find out a little more about what can cause burnout.
Webinar: Beating Burnout
This short webinar will help you:
- Spot the signs, symptoms and common causes of burnout
- Understand the impact of burnout on our wellbeing
- Learn simple and practical techniques
- Find help and support if you need it
Don’t suffer in silence. Burnout can affect anyone and it’s more common than you think. If you are struggling, talk to someone. Your manager, a colleague or maybe your GP.
A poster and toolkit to use in your organisation
There’s a handy toolkit which includes exercises and handouts to help your employees Beat Burnout; as well as a poster. Feel free to download and share, print and put them up, or email them to your employees.
Take a look at the following activities to help you to manage burnout
Manage your time with the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. Humans have a limited concentration window, roughly 25 minutes. Beyond this we lose focus, and our efficiency is then impacted.
The Pomodoro Technique utilises a time structured method to focus on one task for 25 minutes and then take a short break. This helps to regain your focus and avoid becoming continuously distracted.
During your quick breaks take a mindful moment, grab a glass of water, get some fresh air or maybe do some stretches.
Use this technique for a day and write down:
• How do you feel?
• What’s worked well?
• What will you do differently next time?
Follow these simple steps
Don’t worry if you can’t make 25 minute blocks work for you – the key thing is remembering to take time to re-focus during the day. Find a rhythm and pattern that works for you.
Take time out for mindfulness
Why not download and print our colouring image. All you need are a few colouring pens and a nice quiet spot and you’re away! The exercise might help you to relax and focus your thoughts on colour and design.
Why not re-visit our Stand UP to everyday stress topic and discover:
- Another colouring in template to download
- Our top 3 stress-busting tips
- Listen to the podcast on how to spot the typical triggers and identify stress in yourself and others
Here are some simple and practical techniques which may help you manage burnout more effectively
Add a little exercise into your daily routine
Exercise helps to boost your mood and reduce anxiety and stress levels. The ‘Charge up’ topic has lots of ideas on how to get your body moving and those endorphins pumping and the NHS has lots of free videos and exercise routines too that can help you get started, these links are in the support section at the bottom of this page.
Build mindfulness practices into your daily life
Mindfulness practices like yoga, meditation, deep breathing, and taking a solitary walk are invaluable when it comes to developing self-awareness, learning to manage our emotions, and short-circuiting the stress response. Even a few minutes of slow, deep breathing several times a day helps us to clear our minds, calm down, and choose our actions more consciously.
Get good rest to be at your best
Plan your day to maximise your body clock. Where possible, try to do any challenging work in the morning as we know our brains slow down between 3pm and 4pm – now is the time to try new routines and remember we should all aim to get 7-8 hours sleep at night.
