Why it’s important to have a clear and inspiring vision 

Presenteeism can lead to burnout, stress, and physical health problems such as sleep deprivation, headaches, and even heart disease. These health issues can reduce an individual's ability to perform at their best, leading to decreased productivity and decreased job satisfaction. In turn, this can lead to a vicious cycle of decreased morale and increased presenteeism. 

 

In addition to the health impacts, presenteeism can also have a significant impact on the organisation's bottom line. When employees are feeling overwhelmed, they may struggle to focus and complete tasks to the best of their ability, leading to decreased productivity and efficiency. This can result in missed deadlines, decreased quality of work, and even decreased profits. 

 

So, what can organisations do to prevent presenteeism and promote a healthier work-life balance for their employees? Here are a few effective strategies: 

 

Encourage flexible work arrangements: Allowing employees to have more control over their schedule can help reduce stress and burnout, as well as improve overall job satisfaction. 

 

Provide support for employee well-being: This can include access to healthcare services, corporate counselling services, physical therapies or employee assistance programs. 

 

Promote healthy habits: Encourage employees to take breaks, stretch, and engage in physical activity throughout the day. 

 

Lead by example: Managers and leaders can help set the tone by modelling a healthy work-life balance and encouraging their team to do the same. 

Whether you believe the science behind blue Monday or not, there’s no denying that this point in January can leave you feeling a bit, well, blue. 

 

The sun is still gone by the time we log off work, it's cold and raining a lot of the time, and the magic of Christmas already feels like a thing of the past (although our bank accounts don't always seem to reflect that). Alone, a rainy day might not be enough to bring you down, but when lots of these factors feel true over a prolonged period of time, it can leave you feeling low, anxious and sometimes depressed. 

Have your new year's resolutions gone out of the window already? 

 

I can assure you that, if they have, you’re not alone. With 23% of people quitting on their resolutions within the first week of setting them, there must be a better way to set ourselves up for success - right? 

 

Well, yes, you are right. And, although it might sound like a minor tweak, setting yourself intentions rather than resolutions might be a better approach to get you to where you want to be. 

Where is your head at right now? 

 

Is it completely focused on the here and now as you read this article? Or is it skipping forwards a couple of hours, days or even weeks trying to prepare for a future problem or event? 

A scarcity mindset is the thing that keeps many of us from achieving our goals. 

 

It’s that little voice in the back of our heads that stops us going for that promotion, upping our prices, asking for that pay rise and all those other things we manage to talk ourselves out of. It holds us back by telling us things like… 

How many times has ‘just one more email’ kept you late in the office? 

 

Or a few niggly jobs that ‘just need to be done’ had you working on a weekend? 

 

How about your lunch break… When was the last time you took your full one of those? 

 

It might only feel like a couple of minutes here and there. But, with 60% of people saying they work longer hours than they want and 1 in 4 saying they overwork by 10 hours or more a week (CIPD) it’s clear these minutes can add up quickly. 

Burnout doesn't go away on its own; and not addressing the problem can lead to much bigger problems down the line, like long term sickness, presenteeism, depression, stress and anxiety. 

 

The trouble is, when you’re in a position where you’re running your own business and maybe there aren’t the people there to hand work over to, shutting up shop just isn't an option. If this is the case, then looking out for yourself and the signs of burnout should be your top priority. 

 

Catching the signs early and alleviating some of that stress from yourself before burnout becomes a problem is the most effective way to hit the reset button before burnout begins to slow you down. 

 

So what should you be looking out for? And how do you hit that reset button? 

Being able to delegate tasks that are holding you back and draining your time and energy is no longer a luxury exclusively available to those with a huge team behind them. No matter what the size operation you run or scale of business you have, delegation is one of the most effective ways to free up some time and headspace to focus on what's most important to you. 

When you’re on the brink of burning out, your body will be sending you lots of signals telling you it’s time to slow down. It's often tempting to push these to the back of your head and hope that they will pass, but there are several warning signs you want to stay mindful of. 

How many times have you found yourself thinking that there’s just not enough hours in the day? 

 

Some days, you can just feel up against it - and that is ok. But if you’re ending every work day feeling the same it might be time for a change. 

 

Feeling overwhelmed is like trying to juggle too many balls at once. As with juggling, everyone has their personal limit for how many balls they can have in the air at once. But constantly pushing yourself to add a new ball when you’re not ready or already at your limit will leave you feeling pressure, stressed and as if you’re in over your head. 

 

No matter what organisation, industry, pay grade or seniority level you’re at, everyone is at risk of feeling totally overwhelmed at work. 

For many who are just starting out on their wellness journey, a journal often feels like a very easy and achievable place to start. It can become an excellent tool to help you work through challenging times and let go of things that are troubling you. It’s a bit like a silent benevolent friend that listens and is there for you when you need to express how you feel. It can teach you a lot about yourself, your triggers and your ways of dealing in stressful situations that can be reflected on and used to reduce the impact of future events.