Does your organization have cases of employee burnout? What steps have you taken to alleviate the situation?
In 2020, the World Health Organization has officially classified burnout as a disease. It is a condition characterized by feelings of helplessness, energy depletion, reduced work productivity, a sense of failure and self-doubt; and is a result of chronic stress over prolonged periods of time.
A recent report from Indeed found that employee burnout is on the rise: 52% of all workers are feeling burned out, up +9% from a pre-COVID survey. In the same study, it shows that 67% of workers believe that burnout has worsened during the pandemic, of which toll is more apparent among older generations. Among all respondents, 80% believe that COVID-19 has impacted workplace burnout. (Image: courtesy of Indeed)
[1] https://www.indeed.com/lead/preventing-employee-burnout-report
How breathwork helps against burnout
Burnout grows slowly. Weeks and months of stress keep the body in a state of alarm: the heart beats faster, the breath becomes shallow, sleep gets worse and energy disappears. The good news is that the breath is directly connected to the nervous system. By changing the way you breathe, you can switch the body from stress mode into rest and recovery mode, many times a day.
Three simple practices for every working day
- The long exhale: breathe in for 4 counts and out for 6 to 8 counts. Five minutes of this calms the nervous system.
- The STOP moment: between meetings, stop, take three deep breaths, observe how you feel, and then proceed.
- A short evening meditation: ten minutes of quiet breathing before sleep helps the body let go of the day.
Breathwork for teams and organisations
More and more companies offer breathwork and meditation sessions to their employees. It costs little time, it is easy to learn, and it gives people a practical tool to manage stress themselves. If your organisation wants to work on wellbeing, a regular breathwork session can be a beautiful start. If you feel burned out yourself, please also reach out to a doctor or therapist: breathwork is a powerful support, not a replacement for professional care.
Continue your practice
Would you like to go deeper? Explore the 7-Day Essentials course, a gentle start with movement, breathwork and meditation. All my courses are pay what you can, so everyone can learn these practices.
With love,
Michaël
