I hope you had a fantastic weekend and the week ahead is looking positive. I realise that, for some people, there is potential dread and despair when it comes to another week at work. I was working with a client recently and was talking about the connection between pressure and performance and how to manage this for optimal results.
Unfortunately one young lady was not in a great space when it came to the burnout zone. She was over worked, under resourced and when she told her manager how she felt, they offered her additional paid overtime, so she also felt undervalued and not heard. She had already been referred to a doctor for high blood pressure and had been experiencing heart palpitations, so this did not look positive.She wasn’t sleeping well and the fatigue was having an impact on her. You could see the tears welling up in her eyes when she shared how she was struggling to cope
Fortunately, a few of the other delegates, on the same table, were listening to her dilemma, and were in total disgust as to the situation she found herself in. One of the more senior people arranged to have a private talk with the young lady and promised to support her in finding a solution. This experience had a profound impact on me and I felt slightly naive, because I thought “If it’s that bad, then leave” but you never know what is going on for people.
She had an important job that, if she didn’t get through the volume, it seriously affected other people, so she was very reluctant and felt unable to say no. I would never want to have a job like that! The pressure she is under, is unsustainable and will lead to health problems, physically and psychologically, in the very near future.
The good thing is that she had the courage to share this in the workshop and there were people in the room that could influence some decisions being made in her department. The worse thing she could have done would have stayed quiet or pretended to be okay! I can’t imagine being that stressed out and certainly not for that long.
So, if you are in a position similar to this and feel you can’t cope, speak to those people around you and get help. Make sure you get heard and gets some support, not just overtime!
As everyone seems to be busy, busy, busy, all of the time, it’s not always obvious when someone else is close to the edge. If you notice the stress and strain in someone else, remember to ask them how they are and spend time talking things through.
Tips for managing the stress:
- Be aware of your stress levels. Sometimes we experience the ‘boiling frog’ syndrome and don’t feel the heat until it’s too late!
- Have a ‘go to’ person that you can talk to, not moan at, but talk things through with.
- Notice behavioural changes in yourself and others. Things like mood swings, impatience, anger, withdrawal or distancing are indicators.
- Be strong and say “no” if you think you are taking on too much. It’s nice to help people out but you need to look after yourself as well.
- Plan in short breaks for a walk or total distraction away from the desk or work space, at least twice a day.
I am hoping that most of you are okay and life is great, so have an amazing week and enjoy the challenges ahead.