The rise in mental burnout is disturbingly increasing. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work In America Survey, “more than 1 in 5 workers (22%) said they’ve experienced harm to their mental health at work.”
Author and revenue strategist Gloria Ward has experienced mental burnout. Thankfully, she didn’t let anything stop her from achieving her career goals.
Her life experience ultimately led her to become an advocate for self-care in the workplace, which she believes improves performance, reduces the level of burnout, and improves relationships among employers, co-workers, and team members.
“Every day I interact with professional women who talk about their experience with burnout,” Ward tells BrownStyle Magazine exclusively. “They endure poor physical and mental health due to their commitment to reaping the rewards that are supposed to come with climbing the corporate ladder.”
According to the founder of The I’m Loving Me Project, most of these women worked long hours and sacrificed time away from their families to only receive time off or a certificate from their company. Ward hopes to inspire change at the executive level.
“We have to start educating employers about the importance of prioritizing self-care. We need them to understand that by inviting self-care into the workplace, employees are less likely to experience burnout, anxiety, or depression,” she emphasizes. “This can result in fewer sick days and improved productivity.”
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Self-care in the workplace can take various forms, from companies providing health and wellness workshops for their employees to completely reshaping company culture to emphasize breaks and downtime. It could also include allowing workers to find peace by customizing their personal space with plants and decor that make them happy.
Ward hopes that society can finally erase the biggest misconception that only those with mental health issues need self-care. “Self-care is not solely for people with mental health issues. It’s a practice that everyone can benefit from, regardless of their mental health status. Preventative self-care can help maintain good mental health and overall well-being,” she adds.
For employers who want to make a difference, Ward suggests being proactive. “Find out the mental health of your organization — from executives to lower-level employees. Once you comply with the data, create wellness initiatives and mindfulness programs to help your employees practice and enhance self-awareness,” she advises.
The author of Becoming Truly You: A Guide To Healing And Creating The Life You Truly Deserve also believes that employers should invest in stress management programs to give employees access to mental health professionals to help them better understand what’s causing their burnout.
Five Ways Employers Can Advocate For Self-Care In The Workplace
- Know the mental health of your organization.
- Create mindfulness programs that increase your organization’s well-being such as stress management and emotional intelligence.
- Encourage ongoing feedback from employees to assess how you’re doing as an organization.
- Get help from mental health professionals and counselors.
- Find a way to incorporate self-care into your cultural values and organizational purpose.
For companies who may be concerned that providing this kind of programming is time-consuming and expensive, Ward challenges those ideals.
“Your employees want to know they are seen and valued. Doing small things to demonstrate care can reap big rewards for everyone. Having an organization with underperforming employees and a lack of staffing due to a lack of appreciation can be very expensive.”
Great points. We are hopeful that Ward continues to make strides in influencing CEOs and executives to rethink their approach to self-care and wellness in the workplace.
