** Preventing and Recovering from Burnout **
As we reach the peak of the festive season, we’ve turned to Shell Righini and Laura Louise Green for their expertise on burnout. But this guide can be used any time of year, really, as the hospitality industry is hard graft 365 days of the year, right?
Acknowledging the additional pressures this time of year places on the hospitality sector, Shell and Laura have compiled a helpful guide on recognising burnout, how to avoid it, and ways to recover.
Over to Shell…
Hello, my name is Shell, and I suffered a serious work-related burnout in Nov 2020, which has resulted in a life-changing chronic condition.
Burnout is a complex and challenging condition that can take months and even years to recover from fully. Burnout isn’t just about feeling tired — it’s a state of chronic physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. This time of year, hospitality is under immense pressure to perform, and it is really difficult to maintain healthy boundaries and habits. It is therefore important that you are aware of what burnout is, how to spot signs you or your team are in trouble, and what to do to treat burnout when there are signs that it is happening.
What Causes Burnout? These are a few of the things that can cause burnout, which is particularly prevalent during busy festive periods :
Overworking with little downtime: The Working Time Regulations 1998 stipulates that workers are legally supposed to have 11 hours of rest between shifts in 24 hours; However we know this is not in practice, frequently in our industry. This also includes not being allowed to disconnect fully when you are off work.
Neglecting self-care (physical or emotional) in favour of working.
Feeling consistently and continually unsupported or undervalued.
Juggling too many responsibilities without boundaries, or being pushed to abandon them all together by the demands of the work.
To avoid/recover from burnout, it is important to understand that PREVENTION is the best treatment. Here are some of the earliest and most common signs burnout might be showing up for you, and what to do to navigate it.
Chronic exhaustion: Feeling constantly drained, both physically and emotionally, even after rest. Everyday tasks may feel overwhelming, even just brushing your teeth, and your energy levels are consistently low.
Detachment and self-isolation: Feeling disconnected from work, life, or loved ones. You may start to withdraw from social interactions, whether at work or in your personal life, avoiding others.
Ineffectiveness and loss of motivation: Struggling to focus or accomplish tasks, and having a noticeable drop in enthusiasm or drive. This is particularly noticeable in tasks that used to feel fulfilling or enjoyable.
Cynicism: Developing a negative outlook or feeling numb about things you used to care about. You may feel things are never going to change or improve, lose faith in those around you, question your colleagues’ intentions and start to isolate yourself.
Irritability: Feeling more easily frustrated or annoyed, even over minor issues, can indicate burnout as patience often decreases when we’re under prolonged stress. You might notice simple requests from customers or your team push you over the edge.
Therefore, in order to prevent burnout, looking at the above examples of causes, you need to do the exact opposite of all of those behaviours:
Rest & Recharge: Prioritize sleep, relaxation, and activities that bring you joy.
Set Boundaries: Learn to say no when demands become too much. And as a manager, respect the boundaries of your team.
Seek Support: Talk to friends, family, or a therapist about how you’re feeling. Try and do this with someone outside of the business, as it is good to get a perspective that is not immersed in the same dysfunctional environment.
Take Breaks: Step away from work or responsibilities to reset. Respect your downtime and that of your teams. Turn your phone off!!!
Reconnect with Purpose: Focus on what truly matters to you.
Remember as well that burnout rarely happens to just one person. If you or your team are experiencing burnout, it is the sign that there is something not working within your environment that has to change with urgency. Burnout is not the reflection of someone’s strength or resilience. It is an indication of structural, deep-seated issues within the culture of the workplace that need serious attention before more people are affected long-term, which in turn can have a negative effect on your business.
If you are concerned about burnout for yourself or in your business, then check out the program ‘Embers and Flames’, which was the information source of this post. This program was developed by ex-hospitality worker, therapist, and recent MA Organisational Psychology graduate Laura Louise Green, founder of ‘Healthy Pour’. EMBERS & FLAMES is a burnout prevention & recovery framework designed to help eliminate the factors that contribute to burnout.
Email Laura at info@healthypour.org for more information on how this unique and powerful training program can help your team and your business. https://healthypour.org/embers-and-flames
If any of the things mentioned above resonate, remember that burnout is a sign that it’s time to take care of YOU.
You’re not alone, and recovery is possible. Let’s normalise rest and self-care even during the busy festive period. It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
