mental exhaustion and burnout

Ease Mental Exhaustion and Burnout for Your Team

by | June 21, 2021

The effects of mental exhaustion and burnout in the workplace are substantial. Employers are noticing a distinct and overwhelming change in behavior, both internally with workers and externally with customers. The ability to focus has been stalling, leading to procrastination and lower productivity. Digital overload, constant distractions, and extended screen time all contribute to feelings of overstimulation.

What can businesses do to increase productivity, decrease overstimulation & burnout, and encourage internal and external engagement? The floor is open for people to engage with each other and with your business but taking that step to engage is challenging. Start by focusing on the areas below:

Recognize and acknowledge the culture shift & disorientation

The dramatic change in reality has caused a culture shift with people actively disconnecting and disengaging. There has been a 180-degree turn in reality from the 15-month isolation to a now more open society. Travel is now safer, kids are getting out of school, and college tours are rising. It’s finally time to escape, and workers & consumers can’t wait to disconnect. Use this time to show employees that wellness is an essential value for your workplace. Consider their needs and concerns for all adjustment initiatives, like a flexible plan for returning to the office and allowing mental health paid time off. Any changes made should be documented in your company’s policies and procedures, along with clearly defining expectations in your company’s employee handbook. Corporate counsel can help get these items set up and updated to keep your business’ wellness priorities moving forward without causing your leadership team any additional work or stress.

Address hiring challenges

The search for qualified talent (and keeping them) is extremely tough for employers. Understaffing is adding to overworking and eventually causing employers and employees to feel burned out. Additionally, 1 in 4 workers is considering resigning from their job after the pandemic. Tackle your hiring challenges early by examining your business’ total rewards & benefits strategy. Business leaders may consider introducing a hybrid work model, increasing employee development opportunities, and improving discretionary benefits. To give your company a competitive advantage, make sure that corporate counsel reviews all your contracts, employment documents, and lease agreements. Outsourcing this need will take that administrative burden off your team, leveraging more time to spend on your recruiting and retention efforts.

Perfect your project management process

Having unclear processes can influence mental exhaustion and burnout. That, paired with higher procrastination levels, could mean that many projects are being worked on at once, possibly lacking communication. With so many balls in the air, you want to ensure that the ball doesn’t drop on any of your projects. And what about those projects on the back burner? There’s a lot of work to get done, but overworking and burnout make these projects almost impossible to accomplish. Eliminate these project management challenges by establishing a defined project management process for all your business objectives. Start by examining your business objectives and challenges and identifying stakeholders. Next, document all required items to accomplishing those objectives, and then assign those tasks to subject matter professionals who can be held accountable. When working with a corporate counsel team, all of your business projects will be documented and prioritized in a plan that is unique to your business’ individual needs. We’ll make sure the project plan and all the moving pieces stay on track.

Assess your business’ health

Employee disengagement and productivity issues may be due to other elements outside of the disorienting reality shift. Just like getting an annual physical at your doctor, your business also needs to have health checkups. Conducing a business health assessment will give you a holistic review of your current business operations to address areas of concern and build upon areas of strength. You can download a sample of our business health assessment questionnaire here. Our team would be happy to conduct a business health assessment for you free of charge. Your confidence in the current state of your business is a crucial step to growth, stability, and long-term success.

Get things done without being the one to do it

Just because you’re overwhelmed doesn’t mean that things don’t need to get done. Alleviate mental exhaustion and burnout by working with subject matter professionals who can take the work off of your team’s plate. Enlisting help from outside business consultants, insurance brokers, recruiters, legal counsel, and others can ease the administrative burden and take care of projects that are outside of your expertise. General counsel services can give you back hours of time by taking legal tasks such as contract reviews; employment handbooks & policies; lease agreements; and corporate compliance off your to-do list.

Businesses, employees, and consumers are feeling the stresses of this disorienting shift in reality. Mental exhaustion, employee burnout, lower productivity, and disengagement have been side effects of the pandemic. Leaders should take active steps to ensure that these challenges don’t persist in their workplaces and focus their employees on engaging and satisfying work.

Legal Disclaimer: This article contains general information. Do not view this article as legal advice. Talk with counsel familiar with your unique business needs before taking or refraining from any action.