Reclaiming Our Sanity

Key Take-aways:

• In response to Mental Health Awareness Month:
• 95% of members are developing and deploying communications/materials to heighten awareness of mental health (intranet promotions, educational emails, etc.)
• 58% of members are hosting related virtual or in-person events
• 47% of members are engaging EAP provider or other experts to participate in town halls on mental health
• 32% of members are encouraging leaders to openly discuss mental health challenges
• 21% are offering additional mindfulness opportunities and incentives to participate
• Burnout is the most cited driver of potential talent loss post-pandemic according to our recent pulse survey
• 67% of managers believe that their teams are overworking
• Caregiving needs, the gender pay gap, and burnout have all contributed to the loss of ~3M women from the workforce through the pandemic, and unpaid caregiving and burnout are compounded for women of color
• Organizational culture is often the culprit of sustaining toxic workplaces or work habits that cause burnout
• Leaders, managers, and employees can be taught to identify early signs of burnout (research has identified 12 stages) that can look like overworking at the beginning
• Burnout is mental/emotional as well as physical, and the 12 stages of burnout are often accompanied by physical symptoms (which drive health care costs and absenteeism)
• Organizations must begin to address TEAMS, rather than just individual interventions, to affect change
• The foundation of team health is self-awareness, autonomy, structured R&R, and community & collaboration
• Well-being is synonymous with sustainable performance

Suggested Reading:

• Burnout From an Organizational Perspective - Leah Weiss
• How to Be a Compassionate Leader Without Being a Doormat - Leah Weiss
• A Simple Way to Stay Grounded in Stressful Moments - Leah Weiss
• There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing - Adam Grant

Key discussion questions explored:

• What is your organization doing for Mental Health Awareness Month?
• What kinds of burnout are people talking about in your organization?
• How are people in your organization responding/reacting to burnout?
• Self awareness – How do we recognize when we’re experiencing burnout (bio markers, physical and mental response)? What do we do? Who do we tell?
• Manager’s Role - What is the manager’s role in identifying and addressing workplace burnout? How do we support this population at the highest risk of burnout themselves?