How do you cope with stress and burnout in a team environment?

The ill-being continuum has a dangerous blind spot in the middle, where you might not feel those symptoms, but it is the preface of burn-out, and you might believe you are ok. But the danger is not. It is the threshold between wellbeing and ill-being. The absence of ill-being is not the presence of wellbeing. Before the signs mentioned aboved, watch out for the invisible, silent signs of busy-ness, feeling you are running around, always a little bit too late, too fast to feel the anger, feeling moved sooner, almost push into tears. Trying to be hither and thither and feeling a bit stuck in the middle of nowhere. Feeling you have no time...almost in a fog... Dedicate every day 1 minute for a quick self-check!

The most crucial element of burnout is exhaustion. It is complex because it is profound physical, cognitive, and emotional fatigue, undermining our ability to work efficiently and feel optimistic about what we're doing. It can sneak in, especially when you are in your "dream job". This can, for example, stem from the demands of being constantly on - 24/7. Our managers call it “the requirement to adapt and respond quickly to address organisational needs.” The next element of burnout is cynicism, a symptom of depersonalisation and represents an erosion of engagement. The third symptom is inefficacy which refers to feelings of incompetence and a lack of achievement and productivity.

Considering how many of us have learned to "toughen up" and ignore the signs, it's important that we talk about them as much as possible, but also emphasize the behaviors that might lead sooner or later to the burnout signs. For example: when we are still feeling very enthusiastic about the new project/ task/ job/ team, and -we take on more work, -we volunteer to help with other people's projects, -we work on the weekends, -we stay up late thinking about work -we skip other important parts of our life: physical health, relationships, because of work. This kind of boundary-abandoning is reinforced by this initial enthusiasm. And that's why we don't see burnout coming.

You cannot miss it. And often it's the culture that is burnout, not only the people. You can see it in the heaviness in meetings, in the lack of focus, in the wasting time, in the not flowing, not getting there...everything takes so long. Performance is low, decision-making slow and often wrong. We often know when there is or we are burn out, we just choose to avoid the uncomfortable truth.

Leadership needs to set the example, not by the words they speak but by their actions. These can include, 1) leaving the office on time 2) not working through lunch. Its ok to have lunch by yourself to decompress and reset for the afternoon. 3) Leaving the office early to be supportive of their kids or family activities You are replacable at work but not at home.

I use the Headspace meditation app every day. Combined with journal writing have been my "secret sauce" to fighting stress

Exercising during my lunch hour is the best decision I made to improve my well being personally and professionally! I feel energized in the afternoon and less stressed.

One way to tackle stress is to take on self-care as a team. Your team members become your "accountability-buddies". Have you ever tried online momentum sessions? It works in the same way. If you promise someone else to take 10000 steps then you keep your word and do it. Internal relationships can improve when we get more interested and curious about others. Encouraging your team members and inspiring tone helps. When was the last time you asked your team members "How can I best help and support you?".

I play roller derby to release stress and to stay healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s a great workout and the camaraderie I experience as part of a team is so helpful. In this experience, I have folks who count on me to show up and I enjoy them as much as they enjoy spending time with me. It’s a win-win every time I strap on my skates and gear.

Actively taking care of yourself and having a life outside of work is very necessary. Meditating, working out, and writing in your journal all contribute to a better/healthier life. Taking your PTO is important as well.

Building trust and wellbeing it's a preventative strategy that always pays off,t it's much better than waiting for burn-out to be fixed, as it's often too late. Prevention is better than cure!

We can all do our part to reduce the stigma of seeking help when experiencing stress or burnout. We can do this by listening, and having open conversations with our teams. When we notice signs of distress, have a private discussion to find ways to help.

In my previous role, my team was swamped with work. Long hours became routine, but we didn't see the toll it took. One day, I saw my teammate looking stressed and unfocused. I asked if she was okay, and she confessed to feeling burnt out. We held a team meeting to discuss our struggles. We set boundaries and prioritized tasks, delegating work and agreeing on fair deadlines. Lunch breaks became moments of relaxation, and we encouraged hobbies and exercise. I took up jogging to unwind. Creativity soared, and the team atmosphere improved. Learning from this experience, we reminded each other to seek help when stress became overwhelming. By addressing stress and burnout as a team, we created a healthier, more resilient work environment.