A nation of overextended, stressed-out workers has created an economic and mental health crisis. Bring up the concept of burnout, and the conversation quickly turns to setting better personal boundaries or self-care. With so many feeling exhausted and bone-weary, maybe addressing burnout isn’t just a matter of fostering individual resiliency.
Perhaps it’s time for companies to take a cue from the healthcare industry’s sky-high burnout rates and start addressing it on a systemic level. An unbalanced work culture isn’t just detrimental to our physical and mental health — it’s ultimately bad for business. This isn’t about company sponsored healthy snacks, gym memberships, and life coaching services. Those are perks, not policies.
Employee wellbeing must be more deeply integrated into the business framework. And just like any important initiative, it will require research, experimentation, measurement, and real resources. Though burnout can feel deeply isolating, you shouldn’t be left to deal with it on your own.