Stress and burnout regulators

Who hasn’t ever felt that they haven’t reached everything or that life tests us with sometimes impossible challenges. It seems as if even our lungs have become too small for us, because our breathing is so short and rapid. 

In the corridors of companies, people talk about the burn-out syndrome, something like a new mood crisis, or an employee’s response to the gap between his or her own ideals and the reality of his or her working life. To be happy when “everything is going well” is easy enough, but to remain so when there are difficulties along the way is an immense effort for which one is not always prepared.

Professional burnout, before reaching the peak of burnout, goes through a phase of prolonged exposure to stress. And it turns out that among the most common work stressors in companies are low social support (from colleagues and bosses), job insecurity and job strain, which is a combination of high demands in terms of workload or deadlines, coupled with low control in terms of work content and execution, or the skills needed to perform the work.

It is true that stress is an essential component of human functioning to initiate the biological processes that give us the energy to cope with external demands. These processes include the increase in blood pressure and heart rate through the release of the hormone adrenaline, as well as the release of organic compounds such as glucose, amino acids and fatty acids for use as energy sources.

To understand a little about how it affects us at all levels, let’s remember that our bodies are normally in a state of homeostasis, or internal stability or equilibrium, in all body systems and processes. With stress, our bodies respond with allostasis, which means “stability through change” and refers to the body’s need to alter its internal state to meet the demands of the environment. The brain plays a key role in mediating stress, as it determines whether we perceive stimuli as threatening or not and directs the body’s own physiological and behavioural responses.

At such times of stress, when the body needs excess energy to cope with the stressor, other internal energy-consuming processes are suppressed, such as suppression of some elements of the immune system, reduced wound healing, growth or repair of hair, cartilage and bone, and muscle relaxation.

Although life stressors extend beyond the workplace, studies indicate that focusing on reducing work-related stressors can positively influence the mental and physical health of employees.

It is estimated that up to 50% of employees in the European Union and the United States experience work-related stress, something that has been on the rise since the 1990s.

Similarly, these studies show that implementing stress management programmes for employees with hypertension can improve blood pressure levels, have a positive impact on job satisfaction and reduce levels of stress, depression, and burnout.

The first thing to understand is that any imbalance at any level (body, mind or emotions) is usually the result of a lack of amonia between us and our environment. As Edward Bach said in his book “Heal thyself”, our organism has a natural capacity to heal itself if it has the right tools: defences, antibodies, good quality blood, energy, motivation, emotional balance, etc. …. And when it doesn’t, it is an intoxicated body with a depressed mind.

And as if that were not enough, when there is stress, we are driven by nervous impulses, something that sometimes leads us, for example, to consume foods with extreme effects such as salt, alcohol, sugar, caffeine, red meat, cured cheeses or vinegars. We should be aware that the higher the stress levels, the simpler and more natural the food should be, to help us in the task of rebalancing ourselves. However, society leads us to continue to feed these impulses with its offer of ” non-thinking foods “.

Fortunately, there are now many and varied stress prevention and management strategies and levers available to organisations to help their employees reduce the risk of burnout, anxiety, mood, and health disorders, as well as to achieve a better work-life balance. From relaxation and breathing workshops for groups, mindful eating and emotional hunger sessions, exercise, or outdoor dynamics, to recurrent and practical health care content. 

However, what contributes most to an employee’s peace of mind, and therefore to their wellbeing, is undoubtedly feeling “safe” in their working environment, covered in their vital needs such as healthcare, valued for their efforts and supported by the organisation of which they are a part. 

That is why our mission, born from the vocation of the entire Benefit Brokers team, is to make our clients’ lives safer, because stress is nothing more than the desire to want to have everything under control, and nothing compares to the peace of mind that comes from being able to surround yourself with experts in the field of wellbeing. We are also human, and a client’s peace of mind is what brings us the most happiness.

María Kindelán