P2HA: Avoiding Burnout As COVID Continues To Upend Our Lives

Photo by Katerina May on Unsplash

There’s been a collective slump across Singapore as we plunge into another month of restrictions, just as we were starting to feel like the end was in sight. We were so excited to be meeting up with friends in bigger groups again, going back to the gym, the yoga studio, having in-person brainstorming sessions at the office, and then… Phase 2 (Heightened Alert).

Being able to work from home is a privilege, but it does mean living and working in the same space as our partners, kids, parents and housemates - or on the other end of the spectrum, working and living completely alone. Depending on your living arrangements, it can mean not enough social interaction, or not enough alone time. 

It can also mean a resumption of habits we were trying to break – too many unhealthy snacks, too much alcohol, not enough movement, too much screen time, not enough mindfulness. It’s all a perfect storm for the other pandemic of the past year: burnout.

Thanks to our partnership with Safe Space, the entire Accela team recently learned about the risk factors and symptoms of burnout, and what to do if you’re suffering from it - read on for a recap of what we learned.

What is burnout?

Safe Space says that job-related burnout is when you feel like the stress of your job outweighs the support and reward of it. You can feel like there’s no point in what you’re doing every day and your attitude to work and behavior can change as a result.

What are the symptoms of burnout?

According to Safe Space, tiredness, insomnia, high anxiety, sadness, anger outbursts, lack of concentration, aches and pains and changes in your body are among the signs you are experiencing burnout.

Most people are very good at hiding their mental health challenges, so it’s important to truly listen to our colleagues, friends and family members, and try to recognise when they need help. 

We’re also very good at hiding it from ourselves! If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I’m fine, I’m just tired, it will be fine when I…”, you could be stopping yourself from seeking help with burnout. Other common traits associated with burnout are an unwillingness to seek help (”you don’t understand, no one else can do this”) and blaming external factors for your feelings, (“it’s not me, it is everyone and everything else”).

What can cause burnout?

Our Safe Space seminar went through common burnout triggers: stress and anxiety about work, finances, and strained workplace or family relationships can overwhelm your thoughts and make even small tasks feel insurmountably difficult.

Fatigue, from caring for your children or other family members, insomnia, overworking and an unhealthy lifestyle can also make it difficult to see light at the end of the tunnel.

Feeling up against the world, and facing a lack of diversity and inclusion support in your workplace or home, contributes to negative feelings. And grief, illness, and other life challenges are hugely heavy loads to carry with you every day.

COVID-19 has really shone a spotlight on a lot of these stresses and being home with your thoughts can make them overwhelming. 

How can you prevent and improve the symptoms of burnout?

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to relaxing and recharging, but it’s generally accepted that as humans we need to be nourished with healthy food and proper hydration, we need to feel safe and accepted, enjoy good stretches of sleep and we need movement regularly. As social creatures, our moods can be improved when we see other humans or animals and feel a connection to nature and one another. 

At Accela, we’re accepting all the feelings of being back in P2HA and making a plan for the month ahead. Our colleagues are fans of walking, cycling, ordering delivery food and drinks, listening to music and podcasts, reading books or watching movies unrelated to work.

We also make an effort to chat about things that are not necessarily work-related, in the same way we would if we were in the office. Like a brisk walk, water cooler conversations are important to give the brain a rest, spark creativity and re-energize for the next task. Our regular Kahoot quiz evenings and  Drink, Talk, Learn, help with this, and we’ll be doing them again now we’re all back working from home. 

Every member of our team also has access to Safe Space’s many incredible counselors and therapists, a service we readily encourage everyone to use (and of course employee details and discussions are strictly confidential).

Friends, colleagues or going for a walk outside can help you get out of a mild slump, but when you face true burnout, it’s time to seek out a qualified counselor or therapist. 

Singapore has a toll-free mental health helpline at 1800 283 7019. While fees are by donation, you can access the counseling services at no charge if your finances are tight.