How Leaders Can Avoid Burnout
Learn how an executive mental health and resilience program can help you thrive as a leader
Today’s business and professional leaders face unprecedented demands on their time. While the average workweek has declined overall, leaders are working more than they did decades ago. A recent study of CEOs revealed they typically work 50 percent more hours per week than traditional full-time employees. Competing priorities from home only add to the time crunch. Leaders are always “on”, and there is always more to be done.
It’s a problem: Executives and healthcare leaders are overworked
Physicians and other health-care leaders experience this problem too. Excessive workloads, long hours and high patient volumes are factors that have led 30 percent of Canadian physicians to report high levels of burnout. This can lead to physicians leaving practices they once loved, poor patient outcomes, and shortages in family doctors.
The dangers of chronic stress
Regardless of the source, relentless time pressure often creates chronic stress. The long-term health effects of stress are significant and include high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Chronic stress also reduces concentration, limits creativity, and makes it difficult to process information.
As a result, the more hours chronically-stressed leaders spend trying to do everything, the less productive they become. Anxiety, depression, and burnout frequently follow.
“Effective leaders recognize that setting boundaries on their time to preserve their health and well being is the smart long-term move.”
Leaders need to set a healthy example
A leader’s schedule also sends powerful messages to the rest of the organization. When leaders practice healthy stress management and self-care, they signal that it’s all right for others to do the same. And by doing so, their organizations or communities become healthier and better equipped to respond to challenging situations.
Mental health support for leaders
At Tall Tree Health, our Executive Mental Health and Resilience program assists executives, business owners, healthcare leaders, and other professionals to create and maintain good mental health, improve their efficiency and productivity, and bring an enhanced sense of balance and meaning to their lives. It also supports leaders in using their time more effectively.
A tailored treatment plan
On the program, you can expect to meet one-on-one with a registered psychologist who will assess your current stress levels, screen for signs of anxiety or depression and identify lifestyle factors that might be at play. They will also look at your psychological strengths to see how these can be leveraged to improve your mental resilience.
Together you’ll create a detailed treatment plan, tailored to your distinct needs and preferences. This may integrate the support of other health professionals, like nutrition coaches, fitness experts, or massage therapists. Your psychologist will offer regular check-ins and you can rest assured that your team at Tall Tree Health will be at your side every step of the way as you improve your mental resilience and performance.
Dr. Jo Epping-Jordan, Registered Psychologist
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