In the quest for professional success, it’s easy to overlook the personal costs of ambitious careers.
To highlight this important – yet often neglected – topic, we’ve compiled some thoughts on The Personal Cost of Your Career, a four-part article series which aims to shed light on the sacrifices career-driven individuals often make in their lives. Whether in the context of health, social life, family commitments or even financial wellbeing, it is crucial to address the issue and put measures in place, so that professionals can begin to prioritise areas that deserve just as much attention as their careers.
With this in mind, we’re here to offer insights and practical advice to help successful individuals create a work-life balance that is built to last. Let’s dive into part one of four: mental health & burnout.
The Personal Cost Of Your Career – Part 1 – Mental Health & Burnout
Climbing the corporate ladder undoubtedly comes with many achievements and career highs, but unfortunately, it can also lead to unforeseen mental health consequences.
Work-related stress: Examining the statistics
In a 2022 survey carried out by Mental Health Ireland, one-third of respondents cited working out of hours as a trigger for poor mental health. Along a similar vein, one-quarter of those surveyed blamed little or no breaks for an increase in stress levels.
This workplace-stress correlation hasn’t gone unnoticed by business owners.
A recent landmark study found that mental health-related absence from work is becoming a growing concern for Irish employers, who are experiencing the knock-on business effects of poor mental health and wellbeing among employees.
A little closer to home, our What Matters Most survey also revealed stress and well-being as two of the top concerns among candidates. Across the board, the average reported stress level was 4 out of 10, and where significant peaks in higher stress levels were detected, the need for employer intervention became staggeringly obvious.
What all of these findings tell us is that burnout doesn’t just affect individuals; it also impacts employers, workplace productivity and morale.
Avoiding the impact of overworking
Although it may seem like a natural process for those climbing the professional ladder to put in extensive overtime as they strive to achieve their goals, this can have the opposite effect. Overworking often leads to diminished efficiency, which prohibits employees from performing to the best of their abilities, potentially portraying them as unsuitable for a higher-level position.
In a bid to combat this, individuals need to put their mental health first. There are several ways to achieve this:
1. Set boundaries
When interviewing for a role or taking on an internal promotion, both candidates and employers must encourage open dialogue about workload expectations. This ensures boundaries are set at the earliest stage, which lays a positive foundation for a healthy working relationship.
Furthermore, a company culture that values and appreciates adequate time off will impress high-calibre talent and improve retention rates.
2. Promote mental health resources
Employee wellbeing directly impacts productivity, retention and workplace morale. The onus should therefore be on employers to provide counselling and support systems aimed at mitigating the risk of stress-related absence among their teams. This becomes even more apparent considering the startling statistics that have emerged in recent years on the topic of mental health at work.
A supportive environment has many benefits, including increasing engagement, reducing stress and enhancing job satisfaction. Fostering such a culture will drive long-term success for both employees and businesses.
3. Implement flexible work arrangements
Recent studies have shown a direct link between flexible working hours and diminished feelings of depression and anxiety surrounding work. This should provide employers with serious food for thought.
If remote work or flexible schedules can help employees to create a balance between personal and professional demands, it will in turn positively impact their feelings in the context of their working life.
Some closing thoughts
It’s becoming crystal clear that prioritising mental health at work is essential to preventing employee burnout. The correlation between these two actions is undeniable.
When employers take a proactive approach by offering counselling and support, implementing flexible hours, and opening the door to frank conversations on the value of time off, they will automatically create a healthier, more productive workforce. It is also vital for employees to take actionable steps to create a successful balance between their ambitions and their need for self-care.
When everyone is on board and shares this collective ethos, positive results will quickly follow suit.
Read part two of our The Personal Cost Of Your Career series here to continue the conversation on balancing ambition with well-being.
