SafetyJuly 25, 2023|5 min read
Burnout Prevention and Self Care for Working Women
Have you ever felt the following during a workday?
- A feeling of exhaustion or energy depletion
- Feelings of negativity related to one’s job
- Reduced professional efficiency
You may have recognized one of these symptoms noted above. Perhaps you even noticed this is some of your office colleagues. These are the signs of burnout, a mental health issue that affects you and where you work. Burnout prevention is essential as it affects more people.
The phenomenon of burnout has grown significantly in the last ten years. During that time, the issue has negatively impacted employees and businesses. Going further, it affects a business’ engagement with clients, reduces productivity, reduces client retention, and more. The growth of burnout led to it becoming a part of the Internal Classification of Diseases. Burnout is not a new way to say you feel stressed. It is an issue of mental health and there is a great need for burnout prevention in today’s world.
Why women’s mental health is greatly affected by burnout
A study conducted by Oxford Academic details how burnout affects women’s mental health more than men’s. Such information is particularly concerning for companies as women have an equal place in the workforce as men. Burnout of female employees ultimately impacts the company’s bottom line. But what exactly causes burnout in women and why should companies provide stress management techniques for women? Let’s analyze the first part before going into the second one.
Cases for burnout
Unfair expectations
Many working women juggle numerous responsibilities like work, household duties, childcare, and caregiving for aged family members. Having so many commitments every day needlessly puts pressure on any woman. Add a lack of stress management techniques and you have a recipe for burnout in the immediate future.
Discrimination and gender bias
Discrimination and gender bias negatively affect women’s mental health and often lead to burnout. Problems such as limited career advancement, wage gaps, lack of opportunities, etc. make female employees feel undervalued in the company they work for.
Imbalance in work-life
Balancing life and work is challenging for men and more so for women. The expected societal norms around women and their household responsibilities place a significant burden on women. These pressures make it hard to maintain a work-life balance and ultimately contribute to burnout or terrible mental health.
Lack of support structures
Working women do not have many support systems in place at home and at the office. The lack of flexible work arrangements, low maternity leave policies, and instances of sexual harassment combine to negatively impact women’s contributions. These factors result in reduced output from the employee and ultimately lead to burnout.
Double shift phenomenon
This phenomenon refers to the extra hours of unpaid work and responsibilities women typically undertake at home after their office work is complete. The added workload without any time for rest or leisure drastically contributes to burnout in the long run.
Burnout prevention through self-care practices for female employees
The issues listed above are what women face every day. Hence, measures must be taken by employers and companies to mitigate such problems. Companies looking to keep their staff must look to women empowerment, stress management techniques, etc. to help them in the long run. These measures help with burnout prevention and empowering women in the workplace
Discrimination and gender bias
Discrimination and gender bias negatively affect women’s mental health and often lead to burnout. Problems such as limited career advancement, wage gaps, lack of opportunities, etc. make female employees feel undervalued in the company they work for.
Flexible office timings
We live in a world where working at the office is no longer a necessity. Today’s office requires a modern approach. Women value a work-life balance more than men thanks to their many responsibilities. Flexible office timings influence a woman’s ability to take care of her family while also being productive in the office.
Reporting mechanisms or software
Though companies have a zero-tolerance policy, there are many reports of sexual harassment taking place. Women don’t feel safe and there are not enough measures in place to protect them at the office. Consider introducing a reporting mechanism that helps women lodge anonymous complaints. Solutions, like I’m Safe, provide such a feature and make it easy for companies to root out bad elements while retaining the good ones.
Compensation and value-based work
Creating value is a great way to boost women’s empowerment and help your female employees feel appreciated. The value here takes the form of employee compensation and benefits. Another way to create value is by providing greater transparency on how the employees contribute to the company’s vision and mission.
Mentorship programs
Creating a human connection to the workplace is essential to women’s mental health and combating burnout. Companies must foster a sense of support and community here as women care about the attachments made in the office. The company can provide this by introducing relationship and mentoring programs. These measures develop employees and go a long way to empowering women in the workplace. Also, these programs make women feel less isolated and find new ways to grow their careers.
Closing thoughts
Burnout is very much real and women especially suffer from it. The amount of stress and obstacles they face every day are enough to make anyone feel demotivated. Companies should not add to that stress. Instead, they should aim to relieve that stress through the many measures listed above. Introducing these practices greatly contributes to women’s mental health and helps in burnout prevention. It also results in productive employees and that ultimately benefits the company.