Managing stress and preventing burnout
11 April 2022
Previously we learned that stress is the body’s reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure.
Healthy levels of stress can help us perform well and achieve our goals but it can become problematic when it impacts on our ability to cope with challenges we face.
Most of us can cope with short periods of stress but if it is prolonged it can become chronic and have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing.
Noticing the warning signs when things become too much and taking steps to address them is an important part of managing stress.
Confidential Care (CiC) our Employees Assistance Providers have written a helpful guide to managing stress.
We all have stressors that can impact on us in different ways but developing coping strategies can be helpful but we need to be aware that some can feel helpful for a short time but may not reduce our stress.
The Talking Toolkit can be a useful tool in starting conversations about preventing work related stress. It has 6 themes and is designed to get managers and employees talking about issues that may be contributing to stress.
Beware of Burnout
Burnout is described as physical or mental collapse caused by overwork of stressor stress. It can occur when we feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained and unable to meet the constant demands we may face.
Signs of burnout to be aware of:
- A decline in general health
- Poor concentration
- Change in mood
- Anxiety
- Disturbed sleep
- Increased use of unhelpful coping strategies
CiC have a helpful sheet Preventing Burnout which gives some helpful tips and advice
Preventing burnout information sheet