FOMO, Mental Health and Magic. My favourite Mackerel Fishing highlights over May.
We all know what it’s like to be burnt out and overwhelmed by the relentless cogs of life. But do we know how to prevent it? And if so, how do we implement and maintain the boundaries to put anti-burnout measures in place?
This month’s report has been interesting to read leader’s insights on preventing burn out and the affects burnout has on those around us. As a wobbly intern, I always imagine leaders having it ‘together’, like an omnipresent calming force haloing around their staff. But of course, we all fall victim to the infamous burnout. So, if burnout can happen to anyone, how can we tackle it head on with a pragmatic approach rather than viewing it as a personal failure? After all, burnout is a gift of alarm bells firing from the core of our bodies to just LISTEN!
Common burnout symptoms can appear as poor performance, reduced creativity, cynicism or even headaches and stomach-aches. But the leaders of Mackerel Fishing stressed the importance of a ‘check in’ with staff on an individual basis. Whilst looking out for clues and signs on the internet can help, treating each staff member as an individual is crucial. Whilst we are together in our mission, often we face unique and silent hurdles to tackle on our own. So, when we fall, dusting ourselves off and getting back up again often is rooted in our own personal discoveries and messages that are understood at our core.
This sentiment was continued further in the report, who is responsible to talk and care for employees’ mental health at work? The biggest takeaway for me is the reminder that we all have our own way in the world of stress, work and mental health. So, moving aside from the cookie cutter template and ‘this works for me’ may just be the most effective way to connect and care for your employees.
Some leaders felt that revealing their own mental health to employees was a sign of strength and vulnerability, instilling confidence and comfort in staff to do the same. Others however, reserved discussions of their mental health for their health care providers, in order to not lose their employee’s faith in their ability to support.
I am sure we have all experienced the dreaded fear of missing out, aka FOMO, let alone heard of it. But has anyone experienced this with work? Whilst the social aspect was debated, the tendency to work overtime with reduced physical boundaries at home screamed… PLEASE GOD LET US IN! (A phrase I never thought could be applied to the office). However, one leader expressed the serendipitous magic of life pre-COVID, recounting the importance of chance meetings and the unexpected.
“I feel that I miss out on serendipitous moments that mean so much not just for me, but also for business development opportunities.”
It’s the fleeting and unscheduled encounters that resurrects the zest of life. And just happens to be good for business as well.
So, my top tips this week are;
1. Refrain from hounding the infamous doctor Google for symptoms and generic remedies and just pull up a chair with your co-worker and listen. We are much more able to find solutions when we keep an open, present mind and pay attention to the one who is speaking.
2. Be open to life’s possibility and magic stored within the coincidental, the weird and the chance! All of it, whether it be in your kitchen or out on a coffee run, the magic of life is just the same.
3. Listen to your burnout as a warning signal to help and further listen your body, rather than a nuisance to ‘fix’.
If you enjoyed the blog, follow the link below for a more in-depth leadership reflection on all aspects of mental health in the workplace and more…
https://media2-production.mightynetworks.com/asset/25097731/25_-_Mackerel_Fishing_-_Report_25_-_May_2021.pdf?_gl=1*ujxywa*_ga*ODIzNzY5NjYxLjE2MjM2NTU5NTc.*_ga_T49FMYQ9FZ*MTYyMzY4NDU3Ny4yLjEuMTYyMzY4NTQ5Ny4w