Burnout – this little word sends shivers down the spine of every employee. The negative associations with this word are enough to stress you out, just thinking about it: fatigue, grueling workloads, and maybe even a nervous breakdown. The worst? Failure. Management teams have taken the idea of burnout seriously for years. Employees who tend to work overtime are the most at risk. Is burnout unavoidable for dedicated executives? Thankfully not – the keys here are organization and stress-management. Today we’ll show you how you can implement stress-management to work healthily and efficiently again.
Stress Management No Time for Burn-Out
Don’t make time for burnout – this sounds contradictory, but it’s true. Those who are organized – and flexible enough to handle unforeseen challenges – don’t have to see burnout as inevitable. With a little structure in your everyday working life, you don’t have to give burnout a fighting chance.
Stress Factors in Management
Burnout is still a taboo subject in plenty of boardrooms. The fear of being thought of as unstable, overwhelmed, or at worst, incapable, is just too great. Senior managers, especially, tend to work until they hit their limit – or exceed it.
There is no denying that the modern working world has played a large role in the increasing stress of its employees. With the increasing digitalization, and the “anywhere, anytime” mentality, as tablets and smartphones make us constantly available, more and more employees are suffering from psychological sicknesses like burnout. Proper time-outs don’t exist the way they did in the past.
Even on vacation, smartphones lie next to chaise lounges by the pool, in the hammock, next to your margarita – just to make sure you don’t miss a call from an employee with “just one quick question.” You might miss something important!
Another reason for an increase in pressure lies in the growing loss of employees in companies. The logical consequence when colleagues or managers leave: the amount of work increases for everyone else. And a lack of appreciation for one’s work is also a huge factor for growing stress in the workplace.
How Senior Managers Can Deal with Stress
The good news – no one is helpless against stress, not even when it seems that way at first glance. With a few small tricks, senior managers can successfully master stress management.
Organize yourself, and your work day. Why? Structure and routine work as an antidote to stress. Those who follow familiar patterns feel more confident and self assured. Allow yourself a set time where you can accomplish certain important tasks. For example, early in the work day, at 9 am, allow yourself a half hour just to answer emails. In this time-span, don’t allow anything else to disturb you. You’ll see how much more productive you can work.
The best option is to keep the television – and all electronics! – out of the bedroom, so that you’re not even tempted. Darken your bedroom, close the shades – when there are no curtains, try a sleep-mask. Those who like to sleep with a small pouch of lavender near their pillow should also try – this will relax and calm your nerves before bed.
Allow yourself “time-outs.” The dividing line between professional life and free time is increasingly blurred. As indicated earlier, the increasing ubiquity of technology and the trend of constant connectivity are to blame. When you want to implement effective stress management strategies, start to end this connectivity cycle today. After the work day is over, turn your work phone off. This will help you to focus on the mental and psychological aspects of your life that need attention. Exercise, spend time with friends and family, or find a new hobby. Give yourself a chance to charge your batteries.
Improve your relationship with your boss. A good, cooperative relationship with your supervisor will lead to a more harmonious work atmosphere – and will keep you healthy. Studies at Mercedes and Volkswagen have found that in a cooperative department, fewer employees fell ill. Specifically, authoritative bosses were found to be responsible for many of the illnesses within their teams.
Try to establish a good understanding with your supervisor, and convince him that you and your team deserve positive recognition. The more comfortable you feel at work, the better your stress-management strategy will work.
We at Experteer hope that we could show you a few ways to manage your stress more effectively. Don’t let yourself grow intimidated if you find yourself swimming in work. Just take a few minutes to yourself and consider what tasks are important, which can wait until tomorrow, and which you can delegate. Create order and routine in your work day, and don’t forget to take time for yourself. Then, you’ll be able to conquer stress. We wish you success.
