Preventing burn out with a healthy body … forget it
During my monthly coaching conversation, my client told me what he noticed lately. He wanted to know my opinion about that.
For 1.5 years I have been guiding a group of employees in vitality at a nationally large communications company. Goals are very varied and that makes this work fascinating. In these 1.5 years I got to know these employees as well as the company well.
Healthy lifestyle and still ill at home
My client noticed that colleagues who, like him, live a healthy life, are sporty, not overweight and have a good relationship, reported sick for a long time. When I kept asking questions, I asked him whether they were classified according to reorganization phases. No, he said. He is in a stable department that is a permanent factor within the company. What is the matter then?
Debilitating uncertainty
There is a constant reorganization going on. Departments are dissolved and employees are divided into phases for reclassification or even dismissal. This uncertainty causes stress. Because even after reclassification in which all sorts of training courses are made available, the reorganization towards them ensures new reclassifications. The developments in communication technology are going so fast that there is no escaping it.
Although employees are not in a reorganization phase, they still feel the stress. Everyone’s talking about it. ‘When is it my turn? “This uncertainty can be debilitating.
Can a burnout be prevented?
A lot of encouraging blogs are written about preventing a burnout. Nice and naturally well meant. But is this correct? Can you prevent a burn out with a healthy lifestyle?
I recently read: “Strength training 3 times a week and half an hour of fitness training every day ensures burnout prevention.”
2017 Movement Guidelines
According to the new exercise guidelines, adults should exercise moderately intensively for at least two and a half hours a week and children for at least one hour a day. Muscle and bone strengthening activities are also recommended for both groups. All this lowers the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and depressive symptoms and, in the elderly, bone fractures. The Health Council advises the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport to encourage people to exercise more and sit still less.
I really thought of … hey? So the exercise standard is the sacred solution? Is it true that the person who gets a burn out has not adhered to the movement norm? I hear very different stories in practice.
Everyone is different, every company culture is different
What counts is your own character. How do you work as a person? Often you will only find out if there has already been a considerable stress period. Genes but also experiences from the past play a part in how you deal with stress in the longer term.
Then we have the company culture. What is your social position in the company? Are you assertive, are you appreciated? Is there a pick order in your department? They are often grown unconscious rankings that colleagues share with each other under the influence of each other. This can have a huge influence on the personal stress perception of the employee.
Well-intended entertainment
Running, yoga and mindfulness with your colleagues? Fitness subscriptions and cooking workshops? All well-intended but especially “entertainment” programs. What really matters is not offered in these programs. Namely what you encounter and what is important to you.
No “all fit one” program / solution
In a time of uncertainty, social pressure, materialism and enormous pressure to continue to perform, it is good to deal personally with problems that employees encounter. If the employee takes good care of his body but is mentally in a survival mode, a tailored guidance plan with the right coach is important.
Knowing more? www.wellvitaal.nl
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