Reviving Mental Vitality :
DAY THREE
KNOWLEDGE Builder SESSION
Jane CHO
Reviving Mental Vitality :
TOOLS TO REJUVENATE MENTAL ENERGY AND BANISH BURNOUT
IN THE FACE OF HIGH STRESS , uncertainty and demanding work and home lives , restoring mental vitality is crucial for success . “ Just grinding it out ” no longer works as a strategy to reach important goals . Managers will learn to identify risks for burnout in their teams and tools to prevent it from taking hold , and all participants will gain tools to restore their mental vitality .
Pulse : Is “ burnout ” directly proportional to the number of hours worked , or what other factors contribute ? Jane Cho : Burnout is distinct from “ stress ” or “ fatigue .” Working long hours does not necessarily signal burnout , but it can be an important indicator . Some people can work 12 hours a day and get happily absorbed into a flow state , engaging in regenerative , energizing aspects of their job . Others can work six hours a day experiencing a continuous state of frustrated soul-sucking dread . We can look at the number of hours worked as one factor in assessing risk for burnout , but it is only one point in a larger system . If you notice that you are overworking , or that your teams are working a lot of overtime , leaders will first want to understand why and then look at other potential risk factors like overall morale , autonomy , skills match , recognition practices and others .
Pulse : Taking into account time and tools , how much
investment is required to assess vitality levels within individual team members ? JC : Mental vitality should not be a luxury . Ideally , organizations are paying attention to the metal vitality of their teams on an ongoing basis because mental vitality is deeply connected to motivation , employee engagement and all the factors that support successful business practices .
There are simple and effective ways to assess and support the vitality of team members that require minimal time and resources . Burnout risk assessment and prevention does not have to be expensive or time consuming . In my session , I will share various techniques to assess burnout and revive mental vitality , from simple micro-interventions to longer-term and largerscale processes that can support organizations of all sizes .
Pulse : What can spa leaders do today to start their team on a path of rejuvenation in mental energy ? JC : Start with yourself . How is your own mental vitality ? Are you cranky , exhausted and burned out or on your way there ? It can be difficult to support your team when you are struggling . This does not mean you have to be perfect to be effective . After attending my session , you can apply your self-awareness and knowledge of the factors that contribute to burnout and start to address areas of vulnerability both for yourself and the people you lead .
Bring your “ Don ’ t Know ” mind . As leaders , we feel pressure to have all the answers , and believe that our certainty is a sign of our power and strength . But this approach can shut off access to important information and cause errors . A “ Don ’ t Know ” mind or beginner ’ s mind is wide open and questioning . Practice humble curiosity and question your assumptions about what you believe your employees need or want to support mental vitality and motivation . Make sure your teams have multiple channels to share honest and courageous feedback . ( I will address various ways to accomplish this in the session .) You might be surprised by your team ’ s pain points and the supports that would make a real difference in how they experience the workplace and connect to genuine motivation and vitality in their jobs .
Pulse : Will attendees have any surprise takeaways from your Knowledge Builder session ? JC : I hope so ! I love surprises . I hope participants will be surprised by their own insights , connections and wisdom from their experiences . I hope that in gaining knowledge from the session , participants will identify quick wins and action steps to discover their own innate resources , inspire and rejuvenate others around them . n
MAY / JUNE 2023 n PULSE 25