We’ve all felt fatigued. It’s mentally and physically exhausting and makes it difficult to deal with even the simplest tasks.
Fatigue is particularly problematic when it comes to teamwork. We all want to work with people who are at their best—energised, creative, focused, and responsive—but this falls apart when we’re feeling overwhelmed and tired.
Here are some of the ways feeling burnt out at work has a major impact on teamwork:
- Communication.
When you’re tired, it’s difficult to want to make the effort to talk to others. As a result, you end up isolating yourself and taking on a bigger workload.
- Creativity.
Burnout affects your creativity. You have less mental energy to come up with new ideas, and the thought of experimenting feels too risky.
- Empathy.
Empathy requires that you understand where the other person is coming from, and that takes emotional energy. You have to be able to step into someone’s shoes and look at the situation from their point of view, which is much harder to access when you’re tired.
Take a break from your business.
This is why, I am an enthusiast for taking free time to rejuvenate and do absolutely no work. This includes holidays and days off (including weekends) spent refilling your tank.
Right after you take time away from your business, you’ll find upon returning that you’re at your best and most creative. You’ll make great decisions, communicate clearly, be able to empathise with others, and be at your most productive.
Make free time a must.
Putting the right structures in place to give you the time to refresh and rejuvenate is one of the most important skills to develop as a business leader. Empower, train, and trust your team to take over in your absence. There are two benefits to this: One is that you’ll know how good your team is, and the other is that they’ll know how good they are.
