How workplace burnout can be reduced with mindfulness

Workplace burnout, which is when you experience overwhelming work-related stress, is among the leading causes of poor physical and mental wellbeing. A state of being caused by anxiety, exhaustion, and depression, which are triggered by stressful workplace conditions, burnout can lead to high levels of absenteeism and turnover.

Burnout is commonly characterised by the emotional exhaustion, cynicism, ineffectiveness in the workplace, and chronic negative responses to workplace conditions, which have not been successfully managed. While workplace burnout is not considered a mental illness, it’s classified as an occupational phenomenon by the World Health Organisation.

In our post, we explore how mindfulness can curb workplace burnout and lead to a healthier and wealthier workplace.

Mindfulness keeps you in the zone at work and at ease, outside

For most of us, pressures at work continue to be a burden on our shoulders even when we walk away from our workstations. This inability to ‘shut down’ after work or even during brief breaks like the lunch hour is a primary source of stress for employees.

Mindfulness training can overcome this challenge effectively. By practising mindfulness at work, you can create mental and emotional spaces between work and home, and even between your workstation and lunchroom. You can also control the pressure and the stress of your workday more effectively.

The key to being in the present, which we learn through mindfulness, is to leave your workstation and your preoccupations behind. This allows you to pay better attention to detail, reduce physical tension, and manage your stress better. By controlling and slowing down your mental activity through mindfulness training, become more productive while preventing workplace burnout.

Mindfulness helps you keep your emotions in check

One of the primary reasons we become over-stressed is because of the emotional weight associated with stressors in the workplace. Through mindfulness training, you can expect to manage the negative emotions triggered by stress and prevent them from overwhelming you.

By practising mindfulness in the workplace, you can find productive ways of channelling the emotions caused by workplace burnout, allowing you to remain calm, present, and self-aware. Consequently, your stress levels decrease and you won’t be consumed by your emotions, helping you manage any anxiety you’re experiencing.

If you work in the healthcare industry, high levels of stress can be debilitating. With the increased risk of work-related trauma and other difficulties that come with the job, it’s common to experience workplace burnout. Mindfulness training is most suited for these types of careers.

You will be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of workplace burnout

It’s possible that you may not realise you are dealing with workplace burnout and think you’re just struggling to manage your stress and anxiety. By being aware of the changes in your mental state and energy, you can detect signs of burnout early and tackle it before it takes a toll.

When you practise mindfulness at work, you’re more self-aware and are able to distinguish between burnout and other states of being. You’re also able to be more confident in asking for time off to recover.

Overcome workplace burnout by practising mindfulness at work

The day-to-day demands and anxieties of work can lead to tension and stress that, in turn, lead to burnout in the workplace. The impact of burnout is not only limited to your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing but it also affects the workplace, as a whole.

If you practise mindfulness at work, you can improve your mood and attitude at work, work efficiently, be able to strike a balance between your professional and personal life, and manage your emotions better. Mindfulness training at work, therefore, is a powerful remedy for burnout.

Discover mindfulness resources, including an app specifically designed for the workplace, to reduce stress and prevent workplace burnout on the Awakened Mind site.