Avoid Burnout in Your Small Business

reachXOD Blog - Avoid Burnout in Your Small Business

Due to COVID-19, burnout in the workplace is increasingly concerning, especially for small businesses. With long hours in front of a computer and never-ending Zoom meetings, it is easy for employees and leaders to fall into a state of burnout. Burnout in the workplace is defined as a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion brought on by continued, prolonged and repeated stress. Burnout occurs when workplace demands placed on a person overwhelm that person and the resources they have to manage those demands. 

In our last blog post, we talked about managing talent and had you ask the question: 

Are you sure you have the right people, and how are you leading them? 

Once you have that question answered, you must ensure that your employees are being supported while working for your small business. This can easily become the difference between a failing business and a thriving one.

At reachXOD, we not only help you connect with executive leaders for advice on these topics, but we also take action to avoid problems like burnout within our own team. Our Founder and CEO, Ashlee Aldridge, gave our team a day off recently to recharge and avoid burnout after a busy last couple of weeks. How might a company-wide or department-wide day off impact the morale of your team? Perhaps some rest and renewal could recharge your employees and your business right now.

Here’s insight from some of our team members on how our day off helped them avoid burnout:

“One might think that working from home is great because you don’t have to spend time traveling, commuting, dry cleaning and all the other little tasks that surround office life. Really though, that energy has shifted to more responsibilities and work around the house. There’s more cooking, more cleaning, more maintenance, and more family coordination. Getting that firm holiday made me realize just how much of the weekend was consumed with home and family maintenance and how I really wasn’t making time for self-care. After the 3 day weekend, I came back to work on Monday recharged and more focused on the work at hand because I felt balanced and had the peace of mind that my home life was in order. On my day off, I took the opportunity to get back into some hobbies that I enjoy personally like playing music and writing. I believe that the firm holiday was not a loss of work output, but it was an investment in boosting morale for the people on our team.” 

“It truly was the perfect time for such a day off. Weeks were getting long, projects kept piling up, and I could tell morale was lowering. It was AMAZING to have a reset and what came out of it was a truly positive attitude when the next week had started.” 

“When our CEO declared an official firm holiday in response to COVID, I was immediately struck by the strong example of leadership, and immediately had a reaction of pride and affirmation that I am working for the right company. Additionally, working with a high performing team, our leader took the time to ask if it would cause more stress on the team to take that time off. She included us in the decision making, which made it that more important that once we all agreed to take the holiday, we actually used it to do what we needed to do as individuals to come back to the table re-energized and focused--and I would say each of us did just that! There was a burst of energy come Monday morning, a refresh of creativity and innovation, and a willingness to continue to focus on the team. This firm holiday was done as a preventative measure for burnout. This was a pivotal move by our management, and I can confidently say it was bold, effective, and a leadership choice that will never be forgotten by the team.”  

“At first, the firm holiday during this time of WFH, uncertain economy, and living with family 24/7 was the intellectually 'right thing to do'.  In reality, the firm holiday meant much more on much deeper levels. First, the authenticity in discussing the need has created a deeper trust between our team members. Second, I experienced a profound sense of peace, with the knowledge that our team, my peers were all taking the day to focus on their health and wellbeing. This somehow removed my unconscious concern for them. I experienced staying in the moment. Finally, I feel a stronger commitment to the team, to the firm, and to our purpose, and I sense the same across the team.” 

“The company-wide COVID-19 holiday was important for me, especially with the recent push to launch a new business platform in just weeks. With added responsibilities and a new role, I was able to take much-needed family time to relax and decompress the stresses of the pandemic. Our CEO acknowledged the hard work the team has put in, and she knows the value of her employees, our wellbeing, and our mental health. Our company focuses on 5 core values, with the most important one being ‘Human’, because it’s the humans that keep everything moving.” 

You can learn more about small business HERE or book a call with one of our XOD advisors HERE. Your small business team is depending on you.