It’s a balance

To mitigate the negative impacts of stress on workers and organisations, employers should make a conscious effort to engage with and directly address the causes of stress in the workplace. Good working conditions improve one’s mental health and wellbeing as it can contribute to the daily activity, productivity, sense of purpose and belonging and social connection. However, poor working conditions can harm one’s mental health. 

The image below relates stress to performance in the workplace and illustrates the ideal comfort zone which is where an employee can exist before fatigue and burnout begins. One of my all-time favourite tv shows Big Bang Theory depicts this so well in the episode The Anxiety Optimisation (S8 E13)¹, “I have figured out the perfect way for you to irritate me…From now on, when I make an assertion, I need you to challenge it..By keeping my mind engaged, I’ll become more focused.” There is a healthy level of stress and demands and reaching peak work performance before prolonged stress and demands take a toll on mind, body, work performance and emotional stability.

Mental health drivers

Before we get into practical tools for individuals, let’s establish the three key things to drive mental health and wellness at work: commitment from leadership, participation from everyone, and ongoing communication between and in teams about mental health and well being and the importance of sustaining a healthy workplace.

Research

Recently there has been extensive research into burnout, stress and mental health, particularly in the pharmacy industry. The AJP article² released on 7/8/24 shone a light on a systematic review conducted across 8 countries last year which found more than half of the participants were experiencing burnout but also suggested that a large cohort (11,000 pharmacists) may not know what burnout looks like and that a high stressful work environment can be considered normal, acceptable and over time leads to burnout without the participant realising that this is not the norm.

The most common risk factors that were associated with burnout among the 19 studies in the review included: working full time or longer hours per week, being younger or having less professional experience, working in environments with high prescription and patient volumes, increased workload, and poor work/life balance, among others.

So how do we manage burnout and improve our well-being?

A few resources to mention here which are referenced at the end of this article include Mental Health First Aid, Black Dog Institute and Beyond Blue. As health and wellbeing have come to the forefront in the media and organisations, the lines of conversation and normalising mental health and wellbeing has progressively become status quo but action is still lagging in regards to policy, workplace law (Fairwork Act 2009) and management theory and styles.

I’ve shared a link to an SBS Insight episode on workplace burnout, featuring an athlete, lawyer, farmer, marketer, and paramedic who share their experiences with burnout and depression. The panel explores the drivers of burnout and potential solutions at both individual and corporate levels, emphasizing the importance of work-life balance and activities outside of work. The episode also highlights the role of managers in listening to employees, fostering open communication, and avoiding a culture that demands constant employee adaptation to workplace expectations.

So how do we manage burnout? Here are suggestions that you may find helpful:

• Review your boundaries and consider the steps you can take to achieve them

• Be honest with yourself and how you’re feeling

• Be gentle with yourself and be self-compassionate

• Allow yourself enough time to relax, and sufficient time to sleep

• Practise basic self-care as part of a daily habit

• Prioritise your wellbeing

• At work: cut extra hours, take your assigned breaks, leave work at work and make time for fun that fills your cup

• Consider flexible working arrangements, even in the short term

• Ensuring that there is space throughout your day for you to be yourself and to do the things that bring joy

• Sometimes taking on a new hobby or skill helps bring back the passion and spark

Take home message

Some questions to ask yourself:

• What matters to you?

  • What makes you feel fulfilled, accomplished, whole, passionate, something that adds value – what puts that “pep” in your step?

  • What boundaries do you need to clarify for yourself and your team so that you feel a better balance between work and life?

  • How is your current way of working different to how you would like to work?

  • What can be improved ergonomically at work and with how the culture is set at the workplace?

• How can you include activities that spark joy and inspiration in your daily life, at work and at home? It could be a hobby that you can do at home or work, a side hustle, get back into sport or exercise, asking to be in charge of something fun at work (e.g. Games: Kahoot!, Skribbl, Drawasaurus, taking coffee orders, organising birthday events) etc.

• How can you make this a daily intention?

• What about your role do you love and enjoy? How can you grow in this role to spark more joy and inspiration at work?

• How can your manager/employer best support you and your boundaries? Do you have an open dialogue with them? If not, perhaps putting your needs and wants in written form before discussing with them can help guide and steer the conversation and perhaps have a mediator present if there is any tension which can be a barrier to open communication. This may improve key relationships and improve team culture.

I hope this has been a productive, thought-provoking topic and conducive to your fulfilment as an individual and actively engaged contributor in the workplace. Remember that you are a whole person, with a life outside of work, and this makes you valuable in the workplace. No two people are ever the same, maybe on paper but never as human beings.

Until next time!

 References:

1. https://bigbangtheory.fandom.com/wiki/The_Anxiety_Optimization

2. https://ajp.com.au/news/excessive-workloads-risk-mental-health-study/?utm_source=AJP+Daily&utm_campaign=0c9863ea82-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_09_12_12_45&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cce9c58212-0c9863ea82-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

3. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/work/burnout

4. https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/news/how-to-use-self-care-planning-to-improve-your-emotional-wellbeing-even-when-you-dont-think-you-need-it/

5. https://www.mhfa.com.au/navigating-burnout/

6. https://hbr.org/2023/08/managers-are-burned-out-heres-how-to-help-them-recharge

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-CxmYq_yb8 (SBS insight)

More about the Author:

Catherine is an AHPRA registered clinical pharmacist with her most recent experience in public health, health policy, program management and health education. She wears many hats in the volunteer space and has held a diverse array of clinical and governance roles in health services and government (state and federal).

Catherine is a peer supporter in the pharmacy industry and in the wider medical industry with a depth of mental health clinical experience. She is passionate in prioritising mental health initiatives and programs in the workplace to support the organisation as a whole.