Between demanding bosses, long hours, and heavy workloads, it is no surprise so many individuals feel stressed and overwhelmed by their jobs. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), almost 3 in 5 employees reported lack of interest, motivation, or energy due to work-related stress. Many people discount this stress as an accepted part of life, not realizing that they may be suffering from burnout. The physical traits of burnout are broad, similar to stress and other ailments. Common symptoms may include headaches, stomach discomfort, fatigue, changes in appetite, and little to no sleep. Emotional symptoms may involve a lack of motivation, feeling detached, and a sense of helplessness. In this blog, we will go over various causes of burnout and talk about solutions to overcome it.

Signs and Symptoms of Burnout

Stress and burnout have numerous similarities, but it’s important to distinguish between the two. Stress primarily affects the body physically, whereas burnout is more emotionally driven. It’s important to note that stress can lead to burnout. Over-engagement can give rise to stress, which, if left unchecked, can evolve into disengagement, resulting in burnout. Difficulty starting your workday and maintaining focus, or constantly saying “I don’t want to work today, “can be early signs of burnout. Similarly, if you find yourself struggling to start tasks or consistently lacking concentration, these could also be signs of burnout.

Changes in sleep patterns and low energy levels are also signs to look out for. While occasional fatigue is normal, chronic exhaustion throughout the day may be a sign of burnout. Unexplained physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach issues can be triggered by workplace stress, potentially leading to burnout.

Causes of Burnout

Burnout can be attributed to several job-related factors, including a lack of control. When faced with an overwhelming workload and unrealistic deadlines, your energy can quickly be used up. A chaotic work environment and a lack of recognition for your efforts can be equally draining and make you lose motivation. Additionally, a major contributor to burnout is an unhealthy work-life balance. A balance between work and personal life is essential for your overall well-being. A healthy work-life balance can enhance productivity, reduce the likelihood of falling ill, and improve time management.

How to Overcome & Prevent Burnout

The first step in overcoming burnout is acknowledging that solutions exist for these problems. Many of these solutions resemble those for managing stress:

• Engaging in relaxing hobbies or activities away from work.
• Seeking support from colleagues, friends, or family members.
• Prioritizing sufficient sleep and regular exercise is crucial, though it may not be easy to initiate such changes.

Think of it as a lifestyle adjustment rather than a quick fix.

Start small by taking short walks, eliminating unhealthy food choices such as soda (something small but easy), and gradually adjusting your bedtime. Reducing screen time, especially before sleep, can also help in creating a healthier routine.

Engaging in hobbies and activities that provide separation from work is a key strategy. It’s essential to carve out dedicated personal time. This separation can significantly reduce stress levels and, in turn, mitigate burnout.

Seeking social support is another effective means of preventing burnout. Talking about your issues can be surprisingly helpful. Having these conversations/outlets helps you gain perspective (especially when you hear yourself speaking out loud) and may even lead to solutions right away.

It’s helpful to discuss concerns with your coworkers because they more than likely have experienced what you’re going through at some point. However, it’s important to choose someone you can trust and remain professional.

At DBE, we are proactive about preventing burnout. Below are some of the ways we do that–maybe these can work for your team too:

• Flexible 9-5 – Our team generally starts and ends around 9am-5pm ET. Employees can start a little earlier or later depending on the day.
• Quick Errands – Appointments don’t count against PTO, as long as the time is made up.
• Breaks – Our CEO, Niki Fielding, encourages employees to take lunch and walking breaks.
• 3 o’clock Fridays – We started 3 o’clock Fridays one summer and never changed back. As long as your work is finished, you can head off to enjoy the weekend a little early.
• Zoomraderies – These are our weekly teambuilders – they range from guessing each other’s favorite hobby to cookie decorating. Learn more about these wonderfully fun ventures here.
• Birthdays Off – This is our favorite way to show appreciation to team members.
• Wellness Reimbursements – We use this to allow and encourage team members to stay active and healthy. It’s separate from our health insurance plan and each of us gets up to $500 per year reimbursed for activities that get us moving. Pool membership, new bike, tennis lessons–they are all reimbursable.
• Weekly Touch Bases with your Manager – This helps to make sure all team members get the opportunity to be heard and acknowledged. Here, you can have honest conversations about workload and any factors that may be affecting you

Why Are We Sharing?

We are sharing because it’s not only important for yourself to understand signs and symptoms of burnout, but it’s also important that you understand it for your colleagues. If you’re able to see the early signs of burnout that a coworker may be experiencing, you can find ways to help them reduce the factors causing them stress.

Avoiding burnout in the workplace keeps productivity high, fatigue low, improves communication and flow, reduces turnover, and generally makes for happier, healthier employees.

More Sources on Burnout

https://www.midwestern.edu/Documents-/Counseling%20Services/What%20is%20burnout.pdf

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642

https://www.darlingdowns.health.qld.gov.au/about-us/our-stories/feature-articles/signs-you-might-be-experiencing-a-burnout-and-how-to-regain-balance-in-your-life

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-burnout-stress

Inspired by Office Manager Extraordinaire, Stacy Sarno

Hello? Can you hear me now? We all remember those iconic “Can You Hear Me Now?” Verizon commercials from the 2000s. While it may not be as relevant now with 5G in places you didn’t know existed, it is increasingly important in the remote workplace. 

Gallup survey results report that only 28% of remote employees feel connected to their company’s mission, which is a record low since 2011. When employees aren’t connected to each other, it can lead to the job feeling “gig-like”, and potentially lead to less loyalty to the company, as Gallup states. 

We’ve found ways to jump these blaring WFH hurdles. We’ve got 9 strategies to stay in contact while miles apart. See if any work for your team!

How DBE Stays Connected

1. Email Sign-on and Sign-offs: Every team member emails when they are online and offline. In addition to saying hello in the morning, we let each other know about errands or breaks away from the desk. This method helps acknowledge breaks and maintain better work/life balance.
2. Two Weekly Scheduled Team Meetings: Not only do we run through client/project statuses, but update each other on what’s going on outside of work. The first 15 minutes of these calls are normally spent catching up with each other.
3. One-on-One Connect Meetings: Team members will often schedule one-on-ones when working together.
4. In-Person Lunches & Get-Togethers: Sometimes these are with the whole team. Other times, a smaller group will get together.
5. Share What’s New: When there’s something exciting going on, we’ll share it. We’ve shared vacation pictures and even brought puppies on camera for our status calls!

Tools to Stay in Touch

1. Kumospace: We use this free, virtual office for our Zoomraderies. Zoomraderies are our weekly non-work meetings used to get to know each other better. We use Kumospace for a specific type of Zoomraderie. A theme is chosen (i.e., “What’s your favorite comfort food?” or “What’s your favorite card game?”). Each team member changes their profile picture and name to their answer. Then, we take turns guessing who’s who via the chat. Kumospace can also be used to virtually work together in a conference room. You can screen share, chat, and even take a game break!
2. Whiteboard: We use Microsoft Whiteboard for monthly shout-out boards, birthdays, and anniversaries. Each team member contributes on virtual sticky notes, leaving positive notes to other employees. 
3. Skype: There are always a few impromptu meetings and chats throughout the day! It’s a quick way to get in touch with each other.
4. Zoom: This is another great place for team meetings. We prefer Zoom for screen sharing and recording meetings. Everyone is encouraged to appear on camera.

Getting Connected and Staying Connected

Just like when old friends get together for the first time in forever, they say, “Let’s do this more often” and the thought disappears amidst the business of life,… the way to get better at staying connected takes dedication (and strategic scheduling). Yes, sometimes things pop-up, things get rescheduled, but don’t let that deter you. Keep getting back up and trying it again. It took us a while before we found our stride, but now we’re grateful for the connection we have with our team.

P.S. To answer the intro question, yes, we can hear each other now.