Entrepreneurs and career-driven folk alike, are fuelled by ambition and the relentless hunt of their goals. Running a business, especially in the infant stages can be tremendously taxing, and a difficult balancing act between the personal and professional worlds. Many people fall victim to the silent killer – burnout.
Company perks are often times disguised as a clever, subtle ploy to get employees to do more work. Visionaries take a different approach by emphasizing the need for breaks and the need to physically get away from work environments.
Here are 4 truly innovative ways companies are implementing tactics to combat burnout, outlined by a Washington Post article.
- Paying people to take vacations
The software company Evernote offer their employees an extra $1000 bonus if they take a week off work. They also utilize an unlimited vacation policy, where there is a high level of trust within the organization and focus on the value that employees produce – rather than how many days in the calendar year they worked.
- Stand up desks
We all know the risks a sedentary lifestyle can have on us, and the damaging effects sitting all day can cause. A study reveals that men who sit 6 hours or more a day have an overall death rate that’s 20% higher than men who sit for 3 hours or less -for women, it’s 40%. Enough said.
- Reducing off hour emails
One study reports that 25% of companies have designed a formal or informal rule to discourage off-hours email. This can be a difficult issue to conduct, especially for those that have a tough time unplugging from the grid.
- Enforcing rest time
The conference and media company, TED, shuts down completely for 2 weeks during the summer, one week around Christmas and then offers a fourth paid week vacation as the hybrid week off. By enforcing this rest period, it helps out with employee productivity and overall happiness.
While the overriding of traditional corporate policy gains momentum – not all company ecosystems are built like this. The onus will ultimately fall on you to take your own mental and personal health into your hands.
Here are some tips on how you can mitigate your risk of burning out.
- Create habits
Habits, by definition, are a routine of behaviour that is repeated regularly and tends to occur unconsciously. It’s important to create the framework around your day-to-day life that maximize your productivity, refreshes your creativity and realigns you with your goals. This means a healthy, active lifestyle with built-in time for family, fitness and reflection.
- Break down your goals
Conventional psychology would agree that when we have tasks on our to-do list, it would bite at us until we design a plan to accomplish the task. It is suggested that you break down a goal into 40-50 increments of steps leading up to the finished task – that way you feel in control and not overwhelmed.
- Change your environment
Many people find they’re spinning their tires working in the same environment everyday – and burnout mode can kick in. Try refreshing your scenery outdoors, in a coffee shop or the library. These simple changes can protect you from burnout.
It’s important to consider these 4 important elements when creating a great culture for your startup – and take a proactive approach to burnout among your team members.