Creating a Culture of Recovery to Mitigate Employee Burnout: Part 1

In today’s fast-paced work environment, fostering a culture of recovery is crucial for leaders looking to improve employee well-being and decrease burnout. Organizations can significantly enhance productivity and employee satisfaction by implementing workplace practices that promote positive states and resourcefulness. This process, known as recovery, involves the collective efforts of individuals and organizations to unwind and restore their energy levels. Sonnentag, Venz, and Casper describe recovery as an “unwinding and restoration process during which a person’s strain level that has increased as a reaction to a stressor or any other demand returns to its prestressor level.”

Understanding Recovery

The concept of recovery, in general, refers to the process of returning something to its original state. In the context of workplace dynamics, recovery involves reducing the demands placed on individuals’ psychobiological systems, allowing them to engage in below-baseline activities. This restoration enables leaders and employees to regain their passion, optimism, and positive engagement, which are essential for advancing the organizational mission and improving overall productivity.

The Health Aspect of Recovery

Recovery also pertains to restoring health from illness. Creating and maintaining a healthy workforce is fundamental to organizational success. Fostering a healthy workforce not only reduces employee suffering but also enhances productivity. Recovery practices contribute to a sustainable workplace by linking employment practices, procedures, and policies to employees’ work-life balance and well-being. This, in turn, enables employees to thrive in their personal lives and perform well professionally.

Recovery Activities

Recovery activities are essential for helping individuals navigate the recovery process and achieve a state of well-being. These activities should be free of work-related obligations and considerations. Recovery activities fall in four categories: psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery activities, and agency. These off-job activities allow employees to rejuvenate and return to work with renewed commitment and energy. Let’s take a look at psychological detachment.

Psychological Detachment

Psychological detachment involves mentally disconnecting from work during non-work hours. This detachment helps us return to work refreshed and ready to engage. Research by Weigelt, Gierer, and Syrek highlights that thinking about work during off-job times can lead to poor performance the next day. We need to develop practices that allow us to switch off our work brain and focus on things that will energize us so we are refreshed for the next day.

Practicing Psychological Detachment

Psychological detachment is the hardest of all the recovery activities. We are wired to think about productivity and work. Here are a few tips to help you achieve psychological detachment:

1. Turn off Notifications: Disable work-related notifications during non-work hours to avoid constant reminders of job responsibilities.
2. Know Your Triggers: Identify what prompts work-related thoughts and find ways to manage these triggers.
3. Set Aside Follow-Up Time: Allocate specific times during your regular work hours to address pending work issues, reducing anxiety about unfinished tasks.
4. Socialize with Supportive People: Spend time with people who value you for who you are, not just what you do, especially if you work in demanding or social service roles.
   

Spend time with people who value you for who you are, not just what you do.

Take Control of Burnout

Creating and promoting a culture of recovery within organizations is vital for reducing employee burnout and enhancing positive work experiences. Leaders can foster a healthier, more productive workforce by encouraging practices that support psychological detachment and overall well-being. Implementing these strategies benefits employees and drives organizational success, making recovery an indispensable component of modern workplace culture.

If you want to learn more about recovery and how you can mitigate burnout, I’m here for you. We’ll work together to break through barriers, harness your unique potential, and help you achieve your personal and professional goals. Schedule an appointment today, and let’s chat about what you can do to be the best version of yourself.