The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative impacts on our working world and economy. Jim Clifton, chair and CEO of Gallop stated, “Only 15 per cent of the world’s full-time workers are engaged at work and that’s what the whole world wants is a good job, and we are failing to deliver it.” In other words, a full 85 per cent of workers on this planet are not engaged at work. Imagine the economic, social, physical and mental health ramifications of that fact.

One of the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is that people are experiencing disengagement and burnout like never before. Psychology Today describes burnout as “a state of emotional, mental and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress... and it’s most often caused by problems at work.” The good news is burnout can be prevented and reversed. 

In a 2020 issue of The Lancet Psychiatry, a study revealed that if you contracted COVID-19, you were more likely to develop a psychiatric disorder such as PTDS or depression and/or suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, dementia, burnout or insomnia. Furthermore, this study found that those with previous psychiatric disorders were 65 per cent more likely to get COVID-19. Leading psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen has studied over 170,000 brain scans from 155 countries, drawing on the largest database in the world. He states that, “Between March and July 2020, depression doubled among adults and tripled among young people.” By recognizing the early signs and implementing simple solutions, this can be avoided and/or alleviated.

Are you or someone you know depressed, stressed and/or burning out? Dr. Amen suggests looking for the following signs: decreased interest, withdrawal, feeling down, irritable, making mistakes, insomnia, lack of energy/tiredness, poor appetite, being late or absent, feel like a failure, low concentration, distracted, speaking slower than usual and/or thoughts of harm to self or others. In his bestselling book “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life,” he provides numerous techniques to help prevent and heal such conditions.

For example, Dr. Amen explains your brain is 80 per cent water and, if you are dehydrated by just 2 per cent, you will become more anxious, depressed and tired. Thus, simply drinking more clean water – by creating easy access at work and at home – will improve your mental health and resilience in the face of stress and burnout. He also highly recommends exercise, claiming it is as effective as medication. Wherever you are, simply get up and walk around. In addition, it is crucial that you connect with people, even if just over the phone or computer. Check in with others regularly and focus on positive, fun, supportive topics of conversation. To bring all these tips together, get a glass of water and walk around while phoning someone.

Jennifer Moss, author of “The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It,” highlights six root causes of burnout at work: 

1. Unsustainable workload 
2. Perceived lack of control (micromanagement) 
3. Insufficient rewards for effort 
4. Lack of supportive community (loneliness, isolation, depression) 
5. Lack of fairness (especially between genders) 
6. Mismatched values and skills

One root cause worth elaborating on is a perceived lack of control caused by micromanagement, which Moss cites as one of the top three reasons people leave a job. The pandemic has driven micromanagement to higher levels than ever before, as managers suffer from uncertainty and a feeling of diminished control, which pushes them to cling to what they can control: their staff. Giving your employees more control, input and autonomy over their work can help alleviate this problem and reduce turnover.

Another root cause of burnout is lack of community engagement and interaction. According to Moss, loneliness has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and it is more dangerous than obesity. It has been reported that 50 per cent of people have been unable to maintain connections with friends during the pandemic. Facilitating friendships and connections at work – even when working at home – can increase engagement, a sense of belonging, morale and overall health. Simply check in with your employees by taking the following steps: 

1. Create a daily buddy system 
2. Implement a mentoring program 
3. Plan work ‘n walk meetings 
4. Have happy hours, games and contests 

Finally, let's look at what Moss says about lack of fairness. Since the beginning of the pandemic, females are working an average of more than 20 extra hours per week and are four times more likely than males to drop out of the workforce. According to the World Economic Forum, “this pandemic has set women back 25 years.” Statistically, more women are at home during the pandemic and that is another risk factor. 54 per cent of people who live alone are unhealthy and 12 per cent are at risk when it comes to their overall well-being. Even those who live with a partner are 33 per cent unhealthy and seven per cent at risk. Fortunately, Moss offers some effective solutions to avoid burnout: 

Take a digital detox – Stop watching negative movies and TV programs that are sad, violent or depressing. Stop online meetings during lunch and after work. Take breaks from the computer and walk around to avoid brain fog. Go outside!

Avoid Teams/Zoom burnout – Be sure to ask, “Is this meeting really necessary?” Stop scheduling according to Teams/Zoom time slots of 30 minutes or one hour, as we tend to fill the time slot, even if we only really need 10 minutes or an email summary of key points. Does everyone absolutely need to attend every meeting? 

Turn the cameras off  – This may not be true in 100 per cent of cases, but cameras are not essential for meetings. Be respectful of how long it takes to shower, get dressed up, do hair/makeup/jewelry, find or prepare a clean, quiet place for a meeting in your home. For some people experiencing burnout, just trying to appear “normal” and smile is hard enough. Also, keep in mind that being on camera can be uncomfortable for some introverts. 

Check in with others often – When speaking to coworkers, show “authentic empathy,” ask compassionate questions, engage in supportive dialogue and, most importantly, ensure confidentiality, safety and trust. On average, people say “I am fine” 14 times per week, but only 14 per cent of people really mean it. One solution is to seek out a “silver lining” of the pandemic whenever possible. For example:

• Our environment is much cleaner.
• People are becoming more technically competent and connecting in new ways.
• There is an increased respect and admiration for essential/frontline workers.
• Countries are working together to overcome the challenges of COVID-19.
• People are doing more to help those in need by volunteering and making donations.
• The medical community and pharmaceutical companies are collaborating on vaccines.
• There appears to be an overall rise in empathy, compassion and sympathy.
• People are better at detecting mental health issues and offering support.
• Families are bonding as they spend more time together.
• Businesses are becoming more efficient, adaptable and resilient.

Remember, this too shall pass. If we work together and implement the strategies listed above, we can emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever before.