A threshold that employees cannot cross: only a psychologist can help them

We are talking to both parties about how psychologists and employers view the situation today. They both share recipes that apply to both their customers and their employees.

Ugnė Juodytė, Master in Business Psychology, Coaching Specialist, Gestalt Psychotherapy Practitioner, also points out that the number of burnout cases is increasing.

“People experience long-term stress: due to ignorance, fear of keeping a job, their own health and that of their loved ones, restrictions, and this has consequences: physical or mental illnesses, fluctuations in health. In fact, one of the largest recruitment companies in the survey, says that of 1,500 Americans surveyed, up to 52 percent. experiencing symptoms of exhaustion. In Lithuania, I notice a tendency to increase the number of clients requesting long-term stress, anxiety, decreased quality of sleep and apathy ”, comments the interlocutor.

The psychologist says that she is currently working with several organizations that offer their employees the opportunity to see a psychologist if necessary:

According to the specialist, an organization can be of great help to people and the forms can be varied. Suppose education, what is burnout, how to help yourself, how to relax, reduce stress.

“The culture of the organization must maintain the balance of work and rest, concentrated work, the constant feeling of the pulse of the employees’ feelings, train attentive professionals”, shares the psychologist.

And for those experiencing screen burnout, U. Juodytė advises offering other forms of communication. One of them is the meetings, where all the employees walk and connect for a phone conversation without cameras.

“You need to encourage employees to do their best, exercise, eat healthy and drink enough fluids, and educate them on the importance of quality sleep and other ways,” suggested the interlocutor.

As for the consequences that this could have for the future, according to the psychologist, the saddest consequences are that more and more people will experience the burnout syndrome, which manifests itself in:

Chronic mental fatigue;
Chronic physical fatigue;
Chronic sadness;
Depression.

When asked which clients he has to consult most often, U. Juodytė said that life is different, so people come up with different stories and challenges, but in recent years there has been a very strong increase in the number of people who cannot recover from stress. panic attacks, anxiety disorders, inability to sleep well, desire to distance yourself from people, apathy, procrastination, psychosomatic pain.

According to her, people look for a variety of ways to help themselves: “However, it is important to understand that medications generally do not eliminate the cause, but the symptoms that occur. So, in parallel with the medications, it is important to help yourself by changing your routine, moving with quality, eating, learning to relax and resting ”.

Embrace a feeling of fear and loneliness

We have been living with the global pandemic for almost a year and a half and, according to Greta Botnevienė, director of the company “work psychology”, this period, in which the work environment, family and living conditions have changed, has had a significant impact in the welfare of employees.

It notes that workers, regardless of the nature of their work, have been affected by a variety of stressors related to the pandemic. These effects can manifest themselves through certain expressed fears, anxiety about the future, health or the workplace. In today’s society, there are cases where workers feel lonely or have difficulty adapting to changing living or working conditions.

“From a business perspective, I can only be happy that most companies have invested heavily in their employees and their good psychological well-being. The investment does not have to be tangible. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, such as conferences with employees remotely, traditions like virtual coffee breaks, various stress management trainings, and more. At present, individual psychological counseling is not widely used in companies, it is seen more through another prism, that is, aspects of education and training of employees, “said the interlocutor.

According to her, let’s not forget that anxiety and stress accompany us in one way or another throughout life, only some people know how to deal with these factors, others need help: intrinsic motivation, knowledge or the help of others: “I think the most important thing today is to listen to the employee and their needs, because there will not be a single golden rule for everyone. Empathy and creativity could be mentioned as one of the key tools, in addition to maintaining a daily routine and a balance between work and personal life ”.

According to the interlocutor, the consequences of this tension and psychological discomfort for the future can be very varied, but the reflections must be taken with great care because we do not know exactly how long we will live in this changed situation: “It is important today for groups at risk and to have a Clear action plan and communicate with workers to address these factors, then it can be assumed that the consequences can be at least partially mitigated. “

The head of the company “Occupational Psychology” points out that not only during the pandemic, but also in the past, people had one or another health problem, so the most important thing is not to be afraid to seek help and start talking out loud about their well-being.

“It is very important to maintain good spiritual well-being, at a time when a person is intoxicated by drugs that suppress nervous tension, it will be difficult to achieve. It is better to learn various forms of relaxation, discover your favorite activity or activity and maintain well-being and personal life balance, ”advises G. Botnevienė.

Prepared a wellness program

“Spring was an emotionally difficult period for everyone,” says Renata Augustaitienė, director of the Department of Culture and People at Ignitis Grupė. – Isolation, travel bans, lack of opportunities to socialize or enjoy entertainment, and lack of cultural events have led all people to emotional exhaustion and depressed moods. Since most of us worked from home, there was no balance left and work sometimes became the only “entertainment” or opportunity to be “among people.” But those routines lead directly to burnout. “

A representative of the energy company points out that the company regularly interviews employees about their well-being.

“We have prepared teleworking agreements Playbook’, in which we highlight the importance of periodic individual interviews with employees, when we talk more about well-being than about work. We also have the proper training. We recommend how to achieve a healthy balance, in other words, a routine. We have also mentioned that we will only allocate certain hours to meetings during work so that we have other time for other important work. This solution came about when the number of virtual meetings increased a lot, ”said R. Augustaitienė.

Ignitis recently conducted a survey of managers about their well-being, challenges working with virtual teams, and perceived fatigue. The results showed that managers still feel more tense and overworked because they have to take care of the well-being not only of themselves but also of their teams. And this, according to the interlocutor, is quite difficult to do virtually.

“In response to the environment and the survey results, we have developed a comprehensive wellness program,” he said.

The head of the Department of People and Culture of Ignitis assured that for a year and a half psychological help has been provided in the company, and this year it also applies to the relatives of the employees.

“Currently, we put all the emphasis on the vacation period and effective rest and opportunities to meet live teams and rediscover or meet new team members. After all, during the quarantine several new colleagues joined, with whom many still did not communicate live, “said the interlocutor.

I made a contract with a psychologist

“Since the beginning of the March pandemic, we have been conducting regular surveys of employees on how they feel, what stresses them, how employees value the help provided by the company, what they need in addition to feeling safer and better, what work organizational issues that we must improve, “he commented. Jūratė Rasiulienė, Personnel Manager at Staticus, one of the largest facade contractors in Northern Europe.

These polls revealed that 80-90 percent. employees feel good enough and the way the company organizes their work and the additional tools and support provided enables them to work productively and maintain mental health.

In addition, the company, which has employed more than half a thousand workers, has hired an experienced psychologist since the beginning of the pandemic to help workers deal not only with work but also with personal challenges.

“We are glad that our people are not closing in on themselves, but are asking for help with courage,” said the interlocutor. – We also share information and advice on how to organize telework while maintaining a balance between personal and work life. We organize trainings in stress management and emotional competence ”.

The HR manager also mentioned other things that help not to leave people with problems: “We organize remote events and initiatives for groups of different sizes, as well as joint activities that promote physical activity. We already had a walking challenge, a bike ride, running initiatives. We are also planning more active activities during the summer. “

According to J. Rasiulienė, the employees’ mood and their ability to work are constantly monitored so that if the first signs are noticed on time, the employee receives the necessary help: “Sometimes it’s a long vacation, sometimes it helps Extra with homework, sometimes helping to prioritize jobs and projects. Each of these cases is individual. “