A Yogic Approach To Work

With burnout becoming widespread in the workplace, it’s never been a better time to embrace a yogic approach at work for greater balance, productivity and health.

- Veronica Joseph

Many of us seem to have a view that being drained, stressed and overextended is what simply comes part and parcel with working life. Certainly work can be demanding and deadlines have to be met, but where do we draw the line when our mental health is on the line? Applying a yogic approach to create a more harmonious working environment that focuses on cultivating wellness can make all the difference in improving workplace mental health and avoiding burnout before it takes hold.

What is burnout?

Job burnout is defined as a specific type of work-related stress — a state of physical or emotional exhaustion due to stressful workplace conditions.

We often hear of burnout due to a heavy workload being the main culprit. However, workplace wellbeing can be impacted by a number of factors. A high job demand, low job demand, lack of role clarity, job insecurity, organisational change and a slew of other workplace pressures unsurprisingly take their toll, impacting on mental health and wellbeing.

Managing workplace stress requires more than a bandage approach of taking a holiday. Although breaks are important, unresolved stressors can balloon into burnout and lead to major health concerns. The key is knowing when you are burning the candle at both ends and actively dealing with this to find better balance before it escalates.

Workplace wellbeing matters

Over the course of a lifetime, it is estimated you spend up to 90,000 hours at work. So, if your work is something causing you stress and unhappiness, those hours are going to feel a whole lot longer and most likely will negatively spill into other areas of your life.