This year's World Mental Health Day is on 10 October 2024 and it is focusing on mental health in the workplace and specifically the pervasive issue of burnout.

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress and overwork. It can manifest in various signs and have significant impacts on individuals' well-being and performance.

According to a 2021 survey by Gallup, 76% of employees experience burnout at least sometimes, with 28% reporting feeling burned out "very often" or "always."

What does Burnout look like:

⛔️Emotional Exhaustion: Feeling drained, overwhelmed, and unable to cope with stress.

⛔️Cynicism and Detachment: Developing a negative or cynical attitude towards work, colleagues, or clients. Detachment from responsibilities can occur.

⛔️Reduced Performance: Difficulty concentrating, decreased productivity, and a sense of inefficacy in tasks.

⛔️Physical Symptoms: Insomnia, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and other physical manifestations of stress.

⛔️Lack of Satisfaction: Loss of enjoyment in activities once considered enjoyable, including work-related tasks.

⛔️Isolation: Withdrawing from social interactions, both at work and in personal life.

Impact of Burnout:

🙈Personal Consequences: Increased vulnerability to illnesses, chronic fatigue, and mood disorders like anxiety or depression.

🙈Professional Consequences: Decreased job satisfaction, absenteeism, decreased productivity, and an increased likelihood of making errors.

🙈Interpersonal Impact: Strained relationships with colleagues and loved ones due to irritability, withdrawal, or lack of engagement.

🙈Organisational Effects: Higher turnover rates, decreased morale among employees, and potential damage to the organisation's reputation.

🙈Addressing burnout involves recognising the signs early, prioritising self-care, setting boundaries, seeking support from colleagues or professionals, and potentially making adjustments in workload or job responsibilities.

It is fair to say that some industries are more impacted by burnout than others:

🏥Healthcare workers face particularly high rates of burnout. A study published in JAMA in 2022 found that 52% of U.S. physicians reported burnout, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

🖥In the tech industry, a 2022 study by Yerbo reported that 2 in 5 tech workers are at a high risk of burnout.

🏡The rise of remote work has had mixed effects on burnout. A 2021 survey by Indeed found that 67% of remote workers reported burnout, an increase from 57% in 2020, suggesting that remote work can blur the boundaries between work and personal life, increasing stress.

Burnout is not just a personal issue but a costly one for organisations. According to a study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the annual cost of stress-related absence and turnover in the UK was estimated to be around £42 billion. This figure includes costs associated with sick leave, reduced productivity, and staff turnover due to stress and burnout.

A Deloitte survey from 2020 revealed that 77% of respondents had experienced burnout in their current jobs, and nearly 50% said they had left a job due to burnout.

Millennials (born 1981–1996) are particularly prone to burnout, with a Gallup study finding that 59% of millennials report feeling burned out at work often or sometimes, the highest among generational cohorts.

These statistics underscore the widespread nature of burnout across different industries and demographics, showing that it's not only a health issue but also a significant factor affecting workplace productivity and retention.

Clearly taking steps to address workplace stress and burnout is not just a nice to have but a true opportunity for competitive advantage, as well as the obvious personal benefit for each team member.

This is PRECISELY why we set up The Mental Wellbeing Company to address this issue at a global level.

Let's use World Mental Health Day as the catalyst for change 🙏