Stress Awareness Month, Burnout, and the Importance of Resilience

 

As providers of mental fitness support and resources Strive is very familiar with the increasing impact of stress both in and out of the workplace. With this in mind, we are spending a little time at the start of this year’s Stress Awareness Month to consider the impact of stress on both individuals and those around them. 

 

In our latest blog we consider how our Key of Focus for April, Resilience, can be developed and utilised to not only help reduce stress but also to recognise the build up of stress and enable us to take a proactive role in managing it’s causes and our response to it. 

Resilience plays a crucial role in stress reduction and management. It equips us with the psychological and emotional tools needed to effectively cope with adversity; it can encourage a positive outlook, where potential stressors are not only seen as manageable but also as opportunities for growth and learning; it can improve emotional regulation, so that those confident in their ability to cope with adversity are also able to identify and manage their emotions in a way that does not exacerbate feelings of stress or stressful situations; it can improve adaptability and confidence in the face of uncertainty; it can help to identify and enhance coping strategies, such as seeking support from others or having confidence in your own experience and abilities; it can be both the result of, and a contributing factor towards, a positive self-image, self-efficacy, and life lived authentically; it can empower us to live our lives in a way that is assured, fulfilling, and true to our values and interests; it is both a protective factor against stress AND a tool that can be utilised to reduce the impact of stress when it does occur; it is an essential component of the 10 Keys of Happiness framework which Strive uses to help our members to improve their mental fitness and, no matter how resilient you think you are (or are not), it is something that can we can all improve and build upon. 

 

Whether it’s due to an increased prevalence or an increased awareness, it is clear that stress is significant factor in our modern lives both at home and in the workplace. Strive’s holistic approach to mental fitness recognises that, regardless of where the stress occurs, it will have an impact on all areas of a person’s life… 

In summary, while stress is a natural response to challenging situations, chronic or excessive stress can have a detrimental effect on physical health, mental well-being, relationships, and overall quality of life. Managing stress effectively through healthy coping strategies and seeking support when needed is essential for maintaining optimal health and well-being. 

 

At Strive our non-medicalised, compassion focussed, and responsive approach empowers our members to take personal responsibility for their own mental fitness and wellbeing. Informed by quarterly Wellness Assessments, the Strive team, our online resources, and growing community are all available to Strive members as they build on the foundations of their existing knowledge, skills, and resources to develop new knowledge, skills and resources that will enable them to take a proactive role in improving their lives and working towards a happier and healthier future. 

 

Whether it’s helping members who are already experiencing the impact of chronic stress, or helping members develop the tools needed to reduce the prevalence and impact of stress in the future, our resources can be adapted to the needs of all individuals and organisations. With some members better suited to finding their own way around the online platform to utilise the many and varied resources, activities, videos, and relaxation audios we have available, and others requiring a little guidance and encouragement by way of an online 1:1 with one of our dedicated mental fitness mentors every few weeks, Strive’s holistic and compassionate approach is adaptable, measurable, AND effective. 

Stress is a normal and unavoidable reality of life. Despite this, stress can be extremely difficult for some of us to deal with and can have a significantly detrimental impact on a person’s wellbeing if not managed appropriately and effectively. Unmanaged, chronic, or excessive stress can go far beyond short-term impacts and over time can cause burnout, a significant and now well-documented phenomenon, that is characterised by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy.* 

Whilst it is clear that burnout and stress are related concepts, they differ in several key aspects: 

 

Stress is a natural response to demands or pressures. It is often temporary and can occur in various aspects of life, including work, relationships, and personal challenges. 

Burnout is a more prolonged and chronic state resulting from extended exposure to stress. Typically, it occurs when stressors are continuous or overwhelming, and leads to a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. 

 

Stress can manifest in various physical, emotional, and behavioural symptoms such as tension, irritability, anxiety, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. 

Burnout symptoms on the other hand include feelings of cynicism or detachment, reduced professional efficacy, emotional exhaustion, and a sense of being overwhelmed or unable to meet demands. 

 

Stress can stem from various sources, including work pressure, relationship issues, financial problems, or major life events. 

Burnout is typically associated with prolonged exposure to stress in the workplace, often resulting from factors such as excessive workload, lack of control or autonomy, unclear job expectations, or a mismatch between an individual's values and the demands of their job. 

 

While stress can impair performance and well-being, it is often manageable with coping strategies and support systems. In some cases, it can also serve as a motivating factor for positive development and change. 

Burnout, the result of chronic or excessive stress, on the other hand, can have significant and severe consequences. It can reduce productivity and increase mistakes, it can decrease job satisfaction, strain relationships, and impact both physical and mental health over a prolonged period. 

 

In summary, while stress is a natural response to demands or pressures, chronic or excessive stress can cause burnout, a more severe, prolonged, and ultimately harder to manage condition. 

Whether it’s due to increased awareness or factors specific to our modern world, burnout appears to be becoming increasingly prevalent, and increasingly researched and reported on. 

 

Mental Health UK’s first annual Burnout Report published earlier this year highlights some stark findings regarding burnout in the UK and we have listed just a few of these below: 

 

 

Mental Health UKs research has also identified high or increased workload; increases in unpaid work and overtime; feeling isolated at work; decreased job security and fear of job loss or redundancy; having to take on additional paid work due to the ‘cost of living crisis’; and feeling intimidated by or being bullied by colleagues as factors in the workplace that contribute to stress and burnout. 

 

Outside of the workplace factors such as poor sleep; poor physical health; caring responsibilities; feeling isolated; problems in personal relationships; and financial uncertainty due and the cost-of-living crisis and more general money worries have also been cited as contributing factors. 

 

 

These factors include a good work-life balance; regular exercise; connection with others by way of supportive networks outside of work, supportive colleagues and professional networks and supportive line managers in the workplace. Other in work factors that help to prevent burnout include reasonable adjustments, professional mental health support for individuals who need it, and wider mental health training at an organisational level. 

 

With social and technological changes in recent years both impacting expectations in the workplace and causing the line between work and home to become increasingly blurred, it is not hard to see how our modern world can lead to increased workloads and greater workplace demands. Which, in turn, can lead to longer hours, more unpaid overtime, less time to regulate away from the demands of the workplace, and more difficulties trying to establish an effective work-life balance. With all of this taking place whilst we are still navigating the aftermath of the global Covid-19 pandemic, and in the middle of a national cost-of-living crisis, it is no wonder that many of us are experiencing immense pressure which can leave us more susceptible to burnout. 

When you and your staff are exposed to too much stress too often, one way or another, it will have negative consequences and, if left unchecked, will inevitably lead burnout. 

 

Burnout not only has a personal cost to the individual experiencing it but will, in almost all cases, have a detrimental impact on those around them too. In the workplace it can lead to mistakes and decreased productivity, it can impact customer service and reduce morale throughout an organisation, it can increase absence and absenteeism and will ultimately incur a cost to your organisation. 

 

In turn, taking steps to reduce the risk of burnout in your organisation will not only safeguard the well-being and performance of you and your people but will also encourage a more positive and supportive work environment. An environment that enables everyone to achieve their best for themselves, their colleagues, your organisation and your clients, customers, and collaborators, is an environment that not only safeguards your workforce's potential, but also contributes to the long-term success and sustainability of your organisation. 

 

Whatever its cause, tackling burnout and reducing and manging the workplace stress that causes it is a necessity that we cannot afford to ignore, and Mental Health UK’s findings should be a call to action for us all. 

At Strive we believe that, like physical fitness, looking after your mental fitness is an active process. We also believe that when given the right resources everyone can reach their potential, and that with a little practice, perseverance, (and perhaps a little guidance and cheerleading along the way), we can all prosper. 

 

We have combined that philosophy with the 10 Keys of Happiness (an evidence-based framework) and quarterly Wellness Assessments to produce a measurable and effective means by which Strive Members can take personal responsibility for their mental fitness and work towards becoming the best version of themselves that they can be. 

 

Our compassion focus enables us to seek out individuals who want to show themselves care and invest in their own wellbeing, as well as compassionate collaborators who refer new members to us through our Strive Together programme, and compassionate leaders who not only want to invest in the well-being of their workforce but also recognise that investment as something that will ultimately support them and their organisations too. 

 

These are just some of the ways that the Strive team, our community, and our online resources can and do help to mitigate the risk of burnout in a range of organisations: 

 

• By providing a framework for ongoing personal development with real-life applications and measurable impacts. 

 

• By helping our members to recognise and assess their strengths and weaknesses, in order to curb perfectionism and encourage collaboration. 

 

• By promoting a growth mindset in our community that embraces learning from setbacks and approaching new challenges with optimism. 

 

• By shining a light on the importance of self-care as a means to helping us to show up in the world as the best possible version of ourselves. 

 

• By asking questions that encourage introspection, critical thinking, and taking a self-aware and proactive role in decision making and planning. 

 

• By helping our members to actively consider their support networks and other protective factors. 

 

• By compassionately and non-judgementally challenging maladaptive thought processes and coping mechanisms that can contribute to stress and burnout, whilst also providing realistic and accessible alternatives. 

 

• By offering guidance on how to develop and enforce boundaries, improve communication, and manage conflict both in and out of the workplace. 

 

• By leading by example and encouraging open and authentic communication whilst also responding patiently, empathetically, and supportively to the needs of those who find this more challenging. 

 

• By providing time and space for members to look back on their personal and professional progress, reminding them how much they have achieved and overcome already, whilst also helping to plan appropriate and sustainable next steps. 

 

• By encouraging members to reflect on their sense of purpose in order to find meaning in what they do and better align their work with their values. 

 

• By helping members to develop personalised strategies for building resilience, improving self-esteem, and increasing confidence. 

 

• By collaborating with members to develop understanding and techniques to manage stress and anxiety in the moment and to reduce stress in their day to day lives before it becomes overwhelming. 

 

• By taking an impartial and objective approach that helps members to take a step back from stressful situations and problems, so that they can consider alternative perspectives and potential solutions. 

 

• By providing professional, compassionate, and friendly support to members that extends beyond the workplace and helps to develop tools that will improve functioning and wellbeing in all areas of their lives. 

 

• By advocating for personal responsibility, collaboration, and compassion (for the self and others) in the pursuit of personal and professional goals. 

 

• By creating a safe and non-judgmental environment, and a supportive community where members can share experiences, insights, challenges, and ideas. 

 

• And, ultimately, by supporting you and your teams to take proactive steps towards cultivating a supported, engaged, and motivated workforce that are resilient in the face of unavoidable challenges and can contribute effectively and enthusiastically to an inclusive, thriving, and dynamic organisational culture. 

For an introduction to Strive’s philosophy and framework please see our Founder and CEO Linda’s introduction video on our website HERE. 

 

And to find out more please consider visiting our website: www.strive-online.co.uk, connecting with us on LinkedIn, following us on Facebook, or Spotify, subscribing to our mailing list, dropping us an email at info@strive-online.co.uk, or giving us a call on 0116 340 0630.