Chronic work burnout is no joke. Left untreated, the prolonged condition can cause the following physical consequences: hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and various cardiovascular diseases, chronic musculoskeletal pain and aches, gastrointestinal issues, work accidents, severe injuries and early death, according to meta-analysis published by the United States National Library of Medicine.
Alexander Sriewijono from people development consultancy Daily Meaning said that a steep decline in productivity, decreased ability to focus and concentrate on one’s tasks and continuously making mistakes at work were major symptoms of burnout.
“Previously, the person could handle challenges and high demands, but all of a sudden, she can’t because her energy has been depleted as the challenges and deadlines given to her far exceed her capabilities,” Alexander said. “The more intense the work becomes, the heavier the workload, the more likely it is for burnout to occur,” he warned, adding that burnout was also more likely during the stressful times of the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot of companies have been forced to lay off people, and have hence had to handle more projects with smaller teams.
Allowing your team members to take these short breaks will also benefit you, as they will return to work more refreshed, helping them to renew their productivity and creativity, according to Alexander. He said that long-term solutions would entail restructuring workloads amid the COVID-19-induced economic contraction. “Team members need to back each other up more than ever,”
Read more of this insightful interview with our Bapak Alexander Sriewijono on The Jakarta Post on https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2020/08/13/stopping-work-burnout-in-its-tracks-during-covid-19.html
