4 Tips for burnout prevention and recovery

We all know burnout is real, but the good news is that it’s also preventable. With strong managers and an understanding of what causes burnout, employers can more actively prevent their top talent from burning out. Here are four ways to help prevent burnout today:

1. Provide recovery time

Everyone needs a break to recover. Employees pushing themselves to the limit at work is not only unproductive, it leads to burnout. While recovery time or breaks help deal with the symptoms of burnout, they don’t provide a lasting solution. It’s crucial managers focus on the root causes too.

Managers should meet with their direct reports each week for a one-on-one meeting.In this weekly meeting, managers should be sure to check on the employee’s overall well-being and address any issues that arise as quickly as possible.
Help employees prioritize projects and manage workloads on a regular basis. This support will help reduce the risk of employees feeling overwhelmed.

2. Foster a well-being mindset

How people think about stressors has an impact on their ability to handle and recover from them. For some, stress is enhancing and exhilarating, while for others, it’s debilitating. When managers know how employees think about stress, they can help them cope with it better and prevent burnout.

Cheer on your team. The relationship between manager and employee is key in employee well-being. Managers are a major source of support which can help prevent burnout.
Give employees permission to set emotional boundaries with their work by identifying limits and recognizing feelings.
Help employees foster a well-being mindset that supports a positive outlook and puts self-care first.
Help employees find their “sweet spot” of stress. Acute (good) stress keeps you on your toes, ready to rise to a challenge. Chronic (bad) stress, and our response to bad stress, can lead to many health problems both physical and mental.

People are wired to be social. And the more we can rely on each other for support, the better off we are. Employers have the unique ability to foster community among employees by boosting team support and social networks. These social connections will help employees get the support they need and help guard against burnout.

Challenge employees to create a plan to connect with a friend, family member orcolleague at a scheduled time each week. Encourage them to schedule a phone call, meetfor coffee or go for a walk. This will lift their mood and help them feel connected.
Help your team get to know each other. Consider hosting a team-building meeting focusedon team bonding rather than problem-solving or discussing work projects.

4. Bring your organization’s values to the forefront

Helping employees connect to organizational values and find personal meaning in their work is key for burnout prevention. When people have a real emotional connection to their work, they’re more connected to the company and their own purpose. This helps put things into perspective when work gets hectic.

Does everyone on your team know the organization’s values or mission statement? As a manager, it’s important to regularly communicate the underlying company values to your team. This helps them feel better connected to the organization and their teammates and enables them to find deeper meaning in their work.
Connect each employee’s role to your organization’s mission and values. Connecting roles to how jobs directly contribute to the goals of the company helps reinforce why each employee’s role matters.
Help employees take ownership in crafting their job. Job crafting involves intentional reflection on how the employee frames their job and the purpose and meaning derived from it. This exercise will help employees think through small changes they can make to take more ownership over their role and uncover their unique set of skills and strengths that make them great at their job.

The best way to fight burnout is to stop it before it starts. Be proactive by giving managers the tools they need to support employees before they feel the symptoms of burnout, and to help them recover if they are feeling burned out. Learn how Limeade can help.